[pct-l] Watch for falling trees

[Thomas Jamrog]

It is very unusual to witness the natural falling of a large tree in  
the forest.  Most people never experience it, even folks who spend a  
lot of time in the woods.  I was fortunate to witness a large tree  
fall when I was walking on the AT in Maine last September.  There was  
no wind, it was time for the tree to cease the growth cycle and  
initiate the decomposition cycle.  I hold it as one of my treasured  
experiences.  We ued to call these events "Happenings".
Uncle Tom

On May 13, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Trekker4 at aol.com wrote:

> On the AT in Georgia, in 1980, I heard that  cracking sound at  
> night, in my
> tent, in a storm. I instinctively put my arms  over my head. The next
> morning there was a tree across a dirt road about a  hundred yards  
> away, and
> slightly above the shelter which I was tented near (no  room in the  
> inn).
>    Another time on the AT, I was walking along, head  down and  
> minding my
> own business, heard that cracking sound, and looked up to  watch a 5  
> inch
> branch crash just off the trail, about 15 feet ahead of me. There   
> was no
> wind, and had been no rain; it was time for that branch to fall.
>    In 2005, on the PCT, I was sitting on a break,  heard a loud  
> cracking
> sound, and looked up to see one trunk of a two trunk,  medium size  
> tree very
> slowly (at least ten seconds) topple to the ground,  hitting no  
> other trees.
> Again there was no wind, and had been no rain; it was  just time -  
> that
> last microbe ate through the last wood molecule holding the  live  
> trunk up; the
> dead trunk was the one that remained standing. It was a  wonderful
> experience in the sense that I instantly knew it was no danger to   
> me; one sees
> thousands of trees across the trail, but that one just missed the   
> trail. Last
> summer I reported hundreds to the PCTA, including the  multi-hundred  
> pileup
> on the N side of ?, just before Sisters Mirror Lake. One  never sees  
> one
> fall; I had the camera up, turned on, and the lens cap off in  that  
> ten seconds,
> but missed the photo by 2-3 more seconds.
>
> Bob  "Trekker"
> Big Bend Desert Denizen, and...
> Naturalized Citizen - Republic  of Texas
>
>
> In a message dated 5/12/2009 2:43:40 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
> asabat at 4jeffrey.net writes:
>
> Speaking  of downed trees, one of my scariest moments was a short  
> break
> while climbing  the snow up Baden Powell. We heard a small crack,  
> then a small
> creak, then a  few louders ones until we noticed a large tree about  
> al1 100
> yards away fall  to the ground.
>
>
>
> **************Dell Mini Netbooks: Great deals starting at $299 after
> instant savings!
> (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1221972443x1201442012/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fclk%3B214819441%3B36680237%3Bi 
> )
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>