==============================================================================
TOPIC: ENTS Gathering, Black Mountain, NC April 18-20th 2008
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/8ea056e625667907?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 28 2008 6:57 pm
From: "Will Blozan"

Hey ENTS,

Just thought I'd share my perspective of the event for those who couldn't
make it. For me, the highlights were seeing those I have met before and
meeting new folks. Also, spending much needed time in the woods with people
who understand trees!

   

My week started on Monday when I picked up Dr. "Boabob" Van Pelt at the
airport. We caught up after four years and discussed the next day's task-
beginning the canopy mapping of the Usis Hemlock, the tallest known of the
species at 173.1 feet and the fourth largest in volume (1533 ft3). This tree
was selected for canopy mapping to preserve it in digital form since the
tree will soon fall- a tragic victim of the hemlock woolly adelgid. Usis
exhibits extreme gnarl with multiple huge reiterations- two of which are
fused in a massive chunk of wood 100 feet above the ground.

Tuesday

We awoke to cold, arctic air and the Smokies were covered in a beautiful
snow. The snow did a good job of hiding the hemlock devastation since it
covered the twigs just as if they were cloaked in foliage. We dreaded the
task in the cold and snow and were further "blessed" by a stiff breeze. We
were joined by John McPeters, another climber, to assist with the project.
He and I ascended to the top of Usis while Bob made his way up the trunk.
After six %*#^& COLD hours we only mapped ~ 50 feet of the main trunk
including a few small reiterations. Bob worked his way down from about 80
feet and mapped the trunk and branches along it. No large reiterations were
done. It became clear that Usis was WAY more complex than Bob was expecting.

On the way back I had a voice mail from Carl Harting- he and Anthony Kelly
were already down and we all met up for dinner in Black Mountain. We all
stayed at my house that night and talked trees (what else?)

Wednesday

The next day saw just Bob and I returning to climb Usis for another day of
mapping. Carl and Anthony came along and explored nearby coves while we were
in the tree. It was their first introduction to Cataloochee. Thankfully, it
was warmer but the tree didn't get any less complex. Bob and I spent the day
mapping nothing but reiterations. I think we accomplished mapping three
large ones and a few small ones. The REALLY gnarly ones were still higher up
the trunk. Carl and Anthony met back up with us and we hiked out. We had a
great dinner, local beer and darts in Asheville where we were joined by my
family. New to darts, my kids added a few new holes in the wall.





Thursday

While Bob entered the previously collected climb data Carl, Anthony and I
made or way to Cataloochee to explore more of McKee Branch. As reported
earlier, John Eichholtz and I had a superb day in there and we aimed to
explore upstream and proceed down to connect to where John and I started. We
made a short detour to see the Boogerman Pine then proceeded up the superb
valley of Caldwell Fork. The haul up the McKee Branch Trail to the point of
drop-off was a bit taxing on the "A-Team" but after a short rest we started
a controlled (more or less) slide into the depths of upper McKee Branch.
Rich woods were encountered immediately and very nicely formed hemlocks
common. We ascended a few rich coves and found a huge black cherry that had
just fallen. We were a bit high in elevation for really tall hemlocks but
they were in the 140-150 foot range and absolutely beautiful in form. A few
were alive but most were dead from HWA. I think Carl and Anthony were
wondering why I wasn't measuring much of anything even though some of the
specimens were far above what they were used to seeing. It is just the
Cataloochee perspective I guess. They didn't mention it then but suggested
it later.

We really only measured two hemlocks. One was a beauty at ~14 feet cbh X 155
feet tall. The find of the day- and perhaps the history of eastern hemlock
searching- was a huge beast nestled in a flat cove not far from McKee
Branch. The size of the tree was deceptive from afar. It had a huge break
that made it look like a good-sized snag. One side still stands but was so
slow in taper that it made the tree look short. As we got closer it was
clear it was a giant. Carl swam through the rhododendron to wrap a tape
while I found a spot for the height shots. When he got there I had him turn
around for a photo- I couldn't believe how huge the trunk was. He was
exclaiming something about how huge it was as well; "This is the biggest
hemlock I have ever seen" I believe was close to what he said. The massive
trunk was 16.9 feet in girth at 4.5 feet and still 16 feet at 8 feet up
where it was columnar. It actually looks like it gets bigger for a few more
feet and then slowly tapers to a point ~ 60 feet up where it splits into two
large leaders. One was broken, and it turns out the "tree" lying near the
base was the snapped leader! Before we figured it out Carl and I were
searching for the root ball or snapped trunk to find where the huge piece
came from. This giant fallen trunk- seemingly improbably huge for an aerial
section- was 9.8 feet in girth, ~ 90 feet long and it had reiterations
growing out of it. Huge is an inadequate word to describe the fallen trunk
and what it was formerly attached to. Additionally, the west side of the
tree supported a giant reiteration that looked to be about 40 feet long. The
bottom line: this may be a new volume record for the species! Great day!!!

 

To top off the day "Chez Van Pelt" had Chicken cordon-bleu awaiting our
arrival! Bob is a man of serious talent!


Friday

Friday brought the rest of the ENTS group in at various times of the day. We
checked into the Gloryland Lodge which was superb accommodations. Bob and I
purchased food for meals and we had an awesome burger feast that night. We
were joined by David Huff of Back40 Films (http://www.back40films.com/) who
is directing the "Vanishing Hemlock" documentary, Tobe Sherrill of
SherrillTree ( www.sherrilltree.com ) owner of one of the largest- if not
the largest- arborist supply stores in the world, and a surprise attendance
by Bob Wray of Blue Ridge Tree Climbing
( http://www.blueridgetreeclimbing.com/  ). It was great to see everyone again
and meet Larry Tucei (one way cool dude!) and Bob Wray, another way cool
dude! I hope Bob Wray and I can climb together someday. The evening was
filled with slides, videos and conversations and plain-old good times. Joy
Parton was there for a bit but was not able to stay for the event- maybe
next time.



Bob Leverett, James Parton, Larry Tucei in a laser pissing contest

Saturday

Saturday most of us headed to Cataloochee to visit "Pine Flats" on
Cataloochee Creek. Bob, Monica, and Ed Frank went to Baxter Creek for a less
strenuous hike. Pine Flats is a nearly pure grove of 130 year old white
pines of unknown origin. I don't know if the site was cleared, flooded, or
burned but it is an even-aged stand. Old-growth forest surrounds it and I
have not seen a road into it. Regardless, it is a thrifty forest with very
tall pines including the one dubbed "Dales Demise". Carl, Anthony, James and
I all took laser shots of the tree and they clustered around 182' tall. I
had it a bit over 183 feet with my old laser which was a yard long, I have
since found out. So Dale, the Longfellow Pine can rest easy for a few years!
We marveled at the other pines and "Flatland Larry's" enthusiasm at seeing
trees 3X taller than what he is used to. We then went up the slope to the
"Mountain Mama" white pine. I had thought of climbing it but the weather was
wet and I am glad I didn't haul the gear in after all. The tree was there
and healthy, just far smaller than I had remembered it to be. The Tsuga
Search has really tuned my eye in to the volume of trees and eastern white
pine just doesn't hold the volume of a similar sized hemlock. I thought the
Mountain Mama may be a "900 cuber" but now think more like 800 max. Although
a substantial tree at 12.5 feet in girth, it is a cone from about 50 feet up
to the tip at a hair under 170 feet.



Snake in Pine Flats

As James mentioned in his post, Larry dropped his camera somewhere on the
way out. While he went back to find it we had an impromptu throwline
"competition". Bob Wray said he had heard of someone who could throw to 130
feet. Doubtful and armed with lasers, we set up a tossing area (into a
convenient white pine) and our very own "Myth Busters" experiment. In the
line-up were Bob Wray, Tobe Sherrill, Bill Hascher of the Biltmore Estate
and me. The first throws were 85-95 feet with a 12 ounce bag; 130 feet
seemed humanly impossible. We switched to a 14 ounce bag and I was able to
hit 111 feet. Then the rain started in heavy and we quit. Still, 130 feet
seems a bit out of reach but I am now determined to try! Apparently, the
person who threw it that high is much shorter than me. Unless he had arms
like an orangutan I seriously doubt the 130 foot figure. ENTS is all about
accuracy!

Saturday evening we had a great pasta dinner and shared photos from the day.
Josh Kelly came out and joined us for the evening.



Sunday

Sunday morning we had a group breakfast and cleaned the lodge. I want to
thank EVERYONE for the great help in getting the place "spruced up". Larry,
James, Bob Van Pelt and I joined Bill Hascher for a tour of some fantastic
trees on the Biltmore Estate. I loved the old trees lining the sides of the
now-defunct Long Shoals Road. James pretty well summed the other trees so I
will leave it at that.




Serpentine back cherry along old Long Shoals Road.

I would love to do this meeting again whenever folks want to. I thought the
facilities at Camp Rockmont were excellent and very reasonable. In hindsight
we could have bought less food, but even as it turned out, the TOTAL cost of
$65 for two nights lodging and food is hard to beat! Please send me
suggestions about anything; timing, accommodations, events.



Many thanks to all who came and I hope more can make it next time!

Will

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 28 2008 8:17 pm
From: James Parton


Will,

You threw a bit higher than I remembered. Awesome! If you throw like
you hike you might could do 130.

For some reason I thought Bills name was David. Oh, well. I stand
corrected. I have never been very good with names, better with faces.
Anyway, His getting us into Biltmore was awesome. We should give him a
big thanks!

James P.