Andrew, Will,
I'm convinced that this is the way the Thoreau tree keeps us all hooked. Like I said. Sneaky tree. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Joslin" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, December 5, 2009 10:13:18 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [ENTS] Andrew Joslin and Henry David Thoreau Will, I completely agree with your analysis, I believe there's some error on my side of things. The crown structure is pretty much the same as in your photo. I went out on the upper right branch/leader as you described and reached up with a 9 foot pole (9 ft. with a mark at 8 feet above where I hold the pole) to get the high twig. I did the same as you did, marked 8 ft. from the top then transposed across to mark 8' at a point on the branch offset to the left of the imaginary plumb line below the top twig. Last night I remeasured my pole to verify my marker is exactly 8 ft., it is. Anyhow something ain't quite right, I will try again when I get the chance. -Andrew Will Blozan wrote: > > Bob, > > Awesome day indeed! I am puzzled by the tape drop- something is not > right. Did you add in BH? (156.1+4.5= 160.6) Did Andrew observe crown > damage? I would bank on John Eichholtz’s measurements any day (and > yours ;). I can’t accept that a tape drop was two feet off of some of > ENTS greatest and most accurate measurers. No way. > > My climb in 2007 of the Grandfather tree substantiated that the high > point of the Thoreau Pine was WAY off center on the down stream and > slightly upslope side of the crown. I recall the intense sphincter > adventures with getting high enough and cantilevered out to even reach > it with the short extension pole I had during the climb. I transposed > the top across the crown to a suitable anchor point for a drop as > straight and close to the trunk as possible. It took some work for > sure. Would have been a lot easier with a clinometer and pole combination… > > In the photo below (taken from the Grandfather Pine in 2007) the high > point is clearly seen to the upper right of the crown. I recall it > being virtually invisible from the ground from typical measurement > vantage points. Perhaps it has broken but it sounds like it needs to > be reclimbed. Thoreau is worthy! > > Will F. Blozan > > President, Eastern Native Tree Society > > President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. > > //"No sympathy for apathy"// > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Friday, December 04, 2009 8:40 PM > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* [ENTS] Andrew Joslin and Henry David Thoreau > > ENTS, > > Well today was a big day for the Massachusetts group of dedicated > Ents. At my request, Andrew Joslin and two companion climbers took on > the daunting task of climbing the Henry David Thoreau pine in Monroe > State Forest for the purpose of doing a tape drop measurement. The day > was perfect for the climb. > > We met at the Charlemont Inn at 8:30AM and had breakfast. To our > delight, John Eichholz was able to make it. So, after breakfast, we > headed for Dunbar Brook. While John and team readied for the climb, > John and I scooted around measuring other trees. We also measured the > Thoreau pine from as many locations as possible. Our ground-based > measurements ranged from 157.1 to 158.4 feet. John and I thought the > most probably height for the tree to be 158 feet. > > To cut to the chase, Andrew's tape drop came to 156.1 feet. John and I > were surprised, but that is the best measurement we have, so the big > tree is no longer in the 160 Club. However, John established a new > mid-slope baseline for girth using the Will Blozan method. Thoreau's > girth is an even 13.0 feet. So, the Thoreau pine moves into another > girth class. Lose some, win some. > > John went farther out the ridge while Andrew and team were getting > themselves positioned in the top of the pine. John measured a sugar > maple to 124.7 feet, a new height record for the Dunbar Brook maples. > The Rucker Index stands at 123.7 today. Its all time high is 124.1. I > found a tall ash upslope from Thoreau and the Grandfather pine. Its > dimensions are girth = 7.2 feet, height = 128.9 feet. Not bad. I > remeasured the Grandfather pine and got 144.7 feet. That is a > believable number, given Will Blozan's climb a couple of years ago. I > think he got around 143.5 feet or so. > > Well, enough chatter. The following images tell a little of the story. > > ThoreausBase.jpg: This image show's Thoreau's base. That is what a > 13-foot circumference looks like for a straight white pine. > > LookingIntoThoreausCrown.jpg: I tried to capture the appearance of how > this tree soars. > > TopOFThoreau.jpg: This image shows Andrew's pole at the tippy top of > the great tree. > > ClimberInThoreau.jpg: This image shows a climber ascending. > > AshMapleAndRock.jpg: This image is included to give an idea of the > surrounding terrain and forest. Great place. > > and your team, all ENTS thanks you and your team, and most of all the > great Henry David Thoreau pine thanks you. We can promote this climb > as a genuine effort to put truth into the tree numbers. > > Bob > > -- > 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] > -- > 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] -- 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] -- 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]
