Neil- As a forester, I learned about larches from both books and in the field, but I never lived where they did...reading Bass, I had a much better feel for them, and liked Bass for his ability to describe other facets of everyday life in the Yaak Valley of Montana...must be a pretty special place, or he's very good, or likely, both... -Don
> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:14:41 -0700 > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Larches in the Fall... > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > > > thanks Don, > > you've reminded me of the year I lived in the Northeast Kingdom, the > area north of St. Johnsbury, VT, and began my affair with larch. After > the hordes of leaf-peeper carrying buses finished clogging the narrow, > two-lane mountain roads in rural New England [a ritual that begins > about now/soon if i recall (and truly rips those folks off in terms of > leaf color other than green)], I loved the second fall, the fall that > was solely for the locals. This fall was the splendor of larch in full > color. > > What made this fall special was that it came at the perfect time for > the locals. By then, we were beginning to have more-frequent steel > blue skies and the autumnal buzz in northern New England stirred by > over-population had died down. When you sought out the larch, you > would often have a body of water at your feet. From that spot you > would witness blue on the ground, blazing yellow at mid-frame and then > another band of blue overhead. It was quiet and vivid. > > I posted an old image of a day similar to this on the ENTS web site > here: http://tinyurl.com/llegs7 > > neil > > > > > On Aug 27, 12:08 am, DON BERTOLETTE <[email protected]> wrote: > > WNTS/ENTS- > > > > While larches may not be familiar to most Westerners or Easterners per se, > > to Northwesterners and Northeasterners they may. Per the > > snippet below from "The Wild Marsh", it stands out on paper (only > > deciduous conifer) and in the woods (as a conifer losing yellow needles in > > the > > fall). A hint of seasonal change could happen this soon, or as late as the > > beginning of September. > > > > By mid-September, larches in Yaak Valley, Montana can be expected to start > > their change in color, per Bass on page 272: > > > > "The larch are starting to glow > > at their tips- the needles on the uppermost branches turn yellow first, with > > the wave of gold progressing steadily downward through each tree, each > > forest, > > then, as autumn progresses, an amazing thing to witness in any one tree, the > > color gold washing through the entire tree, guilding it, much less to > > witness > > that slow, beautiful fire happening to an entire mounainside" > > > > By mid-October, larch needles are > > still intact. Per the October chapter, page 287, > > > > "The larch and aspen and > > cottonwood hang golden for as long as they can, as do the drying brown > > leaves > > of the alder and blood red leaves of the red-osier dogwood. They're able to > > hold steady, even in their won dying, though as the winds of autumn > > increase, > > more and more of them swirl through the woods, in patters like smoke, gold > > whirling spirals and dervishes that for a moment or two seem to take on the > > shape of a man, or a deer, before the leaves settle down randomly into the > > autumn-dead grass, like gold coins spilled from someone's pocket." > > > > The aspen and cottonwoods are first > > to 'spill their coins', but on page 288: > > > > "The larch hold their needles > > longer, holding them all the way to the bitter end of autumn. The > > broadleaves > > of the other deciduous trees flap and twist and rattle in the wind and are > > wrested free, day after day, but the larch needles hang in there, until > > their > > cool gold wave is all the color-besides the blue-green of the spruce, fir, > > pine, and cedar-that is left. > > > > The larch have been gold now for so long that you have almost become > > accustomed > > to the beauty, have almost come to believe it is your unending due. A few > > trickle off, steadily, through out the Fall, bur for the most part they hold > > on, these strange, reluctant, dinosaurs, with one foot in the prehistoric > > past > > of the ancient conifers and another tentative foot in the relatively modern, > > sunnier and somewhat daring camp of the deciduous trees. > > > > When they do let go-usually in late October- it is one of the great sights, > > of > > this landscape. > > > > It will have been increasingly windy, all through October, but finally the > > wind > > is too much- or rather, just enough. Sometimes, at night you will hear it > > when > > it comes roaring through, and the sound and excitement of it will lift you > > from > > your bed, just as the needles are being lifted from their branches. > > > > The big wind often brings rain just behind it as well, which helps peel the > > needles from the trees; but some years the wind is dry, though no matter: > > still > > the air is filled, suddenly and finally, with what must be literally tons of > > flying gold needles, gold needles like darts or tiny arrows; and if you go > > out > > on the porch at night, you will be able to feel the needles striking you but > > will not be able to see them in the darkness. They will land in your > > hair, though, will coat your arms and feet, and in the morning, when you > > rise > > and look outside, the world has been transformed, sculpted in gold, with > > every > > sleeping, inanimate shape pasted with gold needles, and all roads and trails > > pave with gold". > > > > While leaves of planted larch are not yet turning in > > Anchorage, the alpine vegetation on the Chugach Range at the edge of town > > are > > turning from a vibrant green to a golden yellow. Canadian geese are > > gathering in the early > > mornings and practicing formations, tracking skills (I’m guessing!), and > > honking > > volumes and cadences. The average highs and lows have been in gradual > > decline > > for several weeks now…not time to pull snowthrower maintenance yet, but… > > > > -Don > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Get back to school stuff for them and cashback for > > you.http://www.bing.com/cashback?form=MSHYCB&publ=WLHMTAG&crea=TEXT_MSHYC... > > > _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=PID23391::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HYGN_faster:082009 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
