“HIDDEN NATURE: WILD SOUTHERN CAVES” by Michael Ray Taylor (Vanderbilt University Press, 276 pages, $20).
In a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, Michael Ray Taylor has emerged as a Keats of caving, a veteran explorer of underground realms who writes with grace and restraint. His new book, “Hidden Nature,” probes the daunting and delicate ecosystems of caves; the passion that drives those who seek a larger connection with the world; and the enthralling reasons the South attracts locals as well as international travelers, thrill seekers and NASA scientists alike.
Taylor answered questions from Chapter 16 via email.
Q: In the prologue you mention your “eureka” moment as a child when you and your family took a tour through Ruby Falls near Chattanooga. What do you make of commercialization of caves throughout the South?
A: Cavers have something of a love-hate relationship with commercial caves. When I was young, such caves tended to the gaudy, with fanciful colored lights and guides who spoke of legends and fairies rather than science. But at the same time, many cavers had, like me, a love of the underground sparked from a childhood tour. The good news is that in recent decades most commercial caves have become more like those in state and national parks, delivering strong educational and conservational messages with their tours. Many of them have now added “wild caving” trips, where visitors are given a helmet, a lamp and the chance to experience a true cave wilderness in the absence of lighted pathways. While working on “Hidden Nature,” I revisited several Southern tour caves, including Ruby Falls, for the first time in decades. I was pleasantly surprised by how sophisticated some of these tours have become.