Bob: Nice report! I love the images and I am wondering if there are other tulip trees hiding in the SW of the Commonwealth that might bring the height record in MA above 140. I can get out next Tuesday if you are free.
Gary Gary A. Beluzo Professor of Environmental Science Division of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Holyoke Community College 303 Homestead Avenue Holyoke, MA 01040 [email protected] 413 552-2445 On Sep 15, 2009, at 1:39 PM, [email protected] wrote: > ENTS, > > What natural land feature is shared by New York, Connecticut, > Massachusetts, and Vermont? If you guessed the Taconic Mountains, > you win the lollipop. Yesterday Monica and I visited Bashbish > Mountain and Falls. The falls are in Massachusetts. The mountain is > in New York and Massachusetts. The South Taconic Trail runs along > the New York-Massachusetts border and in the Taconics. > > So far, real forest giants have alluded me in the Taconics, but at > New York's Taconic State Park, I renewed my acquaintance with some > stately planted Norway spruces and Douglas firs. I measured 3 > spruces to between 120 and 121 feet and a Douglas fir to 122 feet. > Measurements follow along with a tuliptree that is part of a > scattered grove that lies at the base of Bashbish Mountain. > > Tree Hgt-ft Girth-ft > > Spruce #1 120.5 8.6 > Spruce #2 121.0 8.0 > Spruce #3 120.0 7.8 > Spruce #4 115.5 10.9 > D. fir 122.0 6.9 > D. fir 113.0 5.0 > Tuliptree 125.0 9.0 > > The attached images show the scenes we saw on the way up Bashbish > Mountain. > > Image#1-CatskillsBeyond.jpg: This photo looks westward across the > foothills of the Taconics and beyond to the dreamy Catskills. The > tree species along the upper part of the trail include a remarkable > concentration of chestnut oak. Red oak, white pine, pitch pine, > hemlock, red maple, white oak, and white ash are also conspicuous. > > Image#2-Catskills: The Taconic country of Massachusetts and New York > defines the idea of sheer loveliness. The mix of woodlands and > fields is especially pleasing. One gains a commanding view of the > mix from the slopes of the Taconics. Summits in the South Taconics > are between 1,900 and 2,300 feet. However, the sides of the Taconics > are steep and elevation is gained quickly. The lowlands are 400 to > 600 feet above sea level, so the elevation gain is often over 1,500 > feet and in the case of a few peaks, 2,000 feet. > > Image#3-ChestnutOak.jpg: Around 1990, Tad Zebryk of Harvard Forest > and I dated some of the chestnut oaks on Bashbish Mountain. We > obtained ages from about 140 to 230 years. There are many trees in > the 150-175-year age range. > > Image#4-Taconics.jpg: This image looks southward from the crest of > the Taconics across lower ridges and green fields. > > Image#5-FieldsBelow.jpg: Early signs of fall show in this idyllic > scene. > > Image#6-Bashbish1.jpg: Bashbish Falls are purportedly the highest in > Massachusetts. This image shows the single highest plunge. The fall > is into a deep pool. Many people visit the falls. Swimming in the > pool is not allowed. > > Image#7-Bashbish2.jpg: The falls from farther away. Like many > waterfalls, myths abound around the name. Supposedly and Indian > maiden plunged to her death over the falls. > > Image#8-MonicaAndOak.jpg: This image shows Monica next to a handsome > northern red. Nothing to get overly excited about. Just nice. > > Bob > > > > > > > < > CatskillsBeyond.jpg > > > < > Catskills1 > .jpg > > > < > ChestnutOak.jpg > > > < > Taconics1 > .jpg><FieldsBelow.jpg><Bashbish1.jpg><Bashbish3.jpg><MonicaAndOk.jpg> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
