Will, If you add a more standard diagram with the pole vertical during a tape drop, you (or we ) can add a short piece on the methodology of climbs and tape drops to your measuring guidelines.
Ed Check out my new Blog: http://nature-web-network.blogspot.com/ (and click on some of the ads) ----- Original Message ----- From: Will Blozan To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 12:02 PM Subject: RE: [ENTS] Andrew Joslin and Henry David Thoreau Andrew, Yeah, that tree is a beast to tape drop. Easier yet is to use a pole and clinometer combination. The pole is the hypotenuse length and multiply by SINE of the pole angle to get the vertical equivalent. I did this on one of the Tsuga Search hemlocks that was over 170' tall. The top was thin, dead and leaning hard off center. Another consideration for future climbs is to drop the throw line from the top in the presumed best path and then pull the free end of the tape up to you from the ground (the reel remains on the grund). This results in a perfectly vertical path. I use a small carabineer for attachment; the ground help simply unclips the throw bag and clips on the end of the tape. Will F. Blozan President, Eastern Native Tree Society President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. "No sympathy for apathy" -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Joslin [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 11:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ENTS] Andrew Joslin and Henry David Thoreau At the moment of measurement I had it as straight as I could determine, it would help to have a level on the pole for awkward off-center top situations. My hand was directly below the twig. In the photo Bob posted of me in the top you can see the pole leaning but I don't believe that was the moment of measuring, I had to maneuver a bit to get myself in the best position to hold the pole straight. I secured the tape at 16 ft. from the top but is was still offset to the right from the main trunk. I descended about 30 feet from there, was hanging out away from the tree beneath the lean, then lowered the tape reel on a throwline to the ground. It had a good straight path. I couldn't see well enough to know but I imagine Bob and John had to transpose back to the base of the trunk to get the measurement. I trust they did a good job of that. -Andrew Will Blozan wrote: > Andrew, > > What was the angle of the pole? Did you come up straight from below? Was the > tape drop to midslope? Maybe the error is in the basal point? > > Will F. Blozan > President, Eastern Native Tree Society > President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. > > "No sympathy for apathy" > -----Original Message----- > From: Andrew Joslin [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Saturday, December 05, 2009 10:13 AM > To: [email protected] > 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] -- 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]
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