I planned on looking for them on Thursday, but we spent our time in the Mohawk Trail State Forest while Bob was involved with a school group. I wanted our trail coordinator to walk and talk with Leverett, so I wanted to wait until Bob would be available. Andrew, after reading your email, I'm up for a treasure hunt. Thanks for making my week complete.
Tim On Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 8:07 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Andrew, > Thanks much for sharing. Good to see footage of the great tree and know > there are folks who can truly appreciate these massive Massachusetts pines. > They are our greatest trees in my humble opinion. > > Bob > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Andrew Joslin" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Cc: "Ian sporre" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, October 9, 2009 7:51:29 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [ENTS] Visiting the Thoreau Pine > > > I managed to finally reach the Thoreau and Grandfather white pines in > Monroe State Forest last weekend. Those who've been in these woods > understand but it's worth saying, these trees while very large are > exceptionally subtle in their habitat. They are ghostly giants, you can > be 40 yards from one of them and not see it, top or trunk, except maybe > after the leaves are down. What's interesting to me is the near total > lack of white pine near them so there are no clues that beyond the next > ash or yellow birch stands a northeast monarch. Bob's work to locate > these and many other fine trees can't be underestimated, the terrain is > steep and difficult, there are no sign posts or trails to show the way. > > After a restful night and a hearty breakfast at the Charlemont Inn I > headed out to the woods with Connecticut climber Ian Sporre and his > fiancee Leslie. On the hike in we found a plentiful stand of Black > Trumpets under a rocky overhang and enjoyed a tasty snack, a good > supplement to our standard PB&J climber's rations. After reaching the > general area where I figured the trees were we cached our gear and > worked through the steep forest unencumbered. Our eyes were wide open > taking in the sights of towering white ash, sugar maple and yellow > birch. After locating the big pines we returned to our cached gear but > going back with packs on were unable to relocate the shifty ghosts which > had decided to disappear. Fair enough, the woods don't give up their > gifts so easily. We split up and finally relocated them. After meeting > up again we worked back to Thoreau, just downhill from the tree we found > this delight: > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we6ZTLtdJpQ > > By the time we were setting up to visit Thoreau's crown the sun was > going behind the ridge above us. Thoreau's trunk is substantial for an > eastern woods tree and maintains diameter on a straight column rising > above the hardwood canopy. Some epicormic "fans" graced the upper column > before the real limbs started, something I haven't seen much of on white > pine. Once up in the crown we were impressed by the large diameter limbs > at height, we were content to sit and take in the view and then the moon > rising over the opposite ridge as we descended. Adventure part two took > place getting out of the woods in the dark, we were forced to to slow > down and really take in the feeling of being in the heart of the forest. > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS-4Nlohm4w > -AJ > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
