Hey ENTS, CONG (Congaree's new code!)

I want to thank those who have posted portions of the Congaree trip thus
far. I thought I'd send a quick posting to review the trip for those unable
to attend.

My Congaree trip "started" Wednesday night when I picked up Bob Van Pelt
from the Asheville airport. We had some (very) loose ends to wrap up on the
Usis Hemlock Canopy Mapping Project. We spent virtually all of Thursday
going over the notes and entering data. It is one super gnarly tree and it
will still take some time to finish up the 3-D model and volume
calculations. I think we can safely say the tree is the most complex member
of the pine family thus far mapped.

4:30 am Friday morning came awfully early to get up and leave Black
Mountain, NC to make it down to Congaree in time to meet with park staff and
sign off on the research permit. Brian Ballenger of the Tremont Institute in
the Smokies met us the previous night and hitched a ride with us. Jason
Childs (Appalachian Arborists) came down for the day to assist with the
climb. Van Pelt and I met with park ecologists Theresa Thom and Bill
Hulslander to discuss the permit and go over the climbing techniques. They
were very receptive and it sounds like this is the first research permit
ever offered that includes tree climbing- quite an honor!

More of the ENTS group began to gather and we checked into the wonderful
dorm facilities near the visitor's center. We were off to a late start but
we immediately headed to the National Champion loblolly pine to begin the
mapping project. Andrew Joslin was able to set a line in the tree with his
folding slingshot after several attempts and (the requisite) tangled lines.
This tree was a bear to rig the first time as well back in 2000. Bob Van
Pelt, Jason Childs, Ed Coyle and I went up the champ. Ed was to do the lower
trunk tape wraps and the rest of us begin the mapping of the crown. Andrew
and his friend went up the neighboring pine to photograph the project.
Several park staff appeared to watch the ascent. Unfortunately, Ed soon
realized the trunk was too big to measure alone.

Andrew Joslin in the (much) shorter adjacent tree

Ed working his way up beside the trunk

The top of the trunk divided into three tops at around 135', the highest
point two feet taller (168.7') than the last climb in 2000. The mapping took
some time but we progressed down to about 110' off the ground by dark. We
hiked out and back to the dorm for "Lowland Larry's" fabulous Gulf shrimp
and elk sausage boil. WOW! I think we will invite Larry back again, and we
had a great time talking trees and stories with the ENTS gang.

Bob Van Pelt standing on the top of the main trunk

Jason Childs beginning the mapping of the crown

Downtown Columbia, SC as viewed from the top of the pine (16X zoom). All
adjacent pines are shorter.

Saturday we dropped the climbing gear at the tree and heading into the swamp
with the excellent guidance of Marcus to see some new trees and remeasure
former champs. The morning was cold and it was our intention to let the day
warm up before finishing the pine. As we delved deeper and deeper into the
park we soon realized that the climb would not happen (sorry Vic.) and we
continued to more trees. Unfortunately lunches were left in the packs and
the dead pig we came across alarmingly looked remotely appetizing. We found
new park record heights for American holly (97') and American elm (I think;
134'). We measured a nice tuliptree at 133' and several more nice hollies.
An impressive 74 foot ironwood grabbed my attention on this gorgeous day. We
hiked back to the dorms where NPS naturalist Stuart Greeter a.k.a. "The
Savior", had burgers, hotdogs, chips and great snacks, and a roaring
campfire awaiting our arrival. We ate EVERYTHIING and had a blast hanging
out by the campfire and listening to owl calls (including Brian's "skid
mark" owl. ;). Good times, good trees, good company. Thank you Stuart!!!

Sunday Ed Coyle, Van Pelt, Brian Ballenger and I headed back to the pine to
finish the mapping. Bob and Brian mapped the basal footprint and lean(s) and
Bob took photos for a drawing. Ed and I went up the tree and were quickly
assaulted by a steady wind with ~45+ mph gusts. I spotted a gray skink
(lizard) holding on to the loose bark at ~85 feet. It was rather terrifying
and truly cold and unpleasant. We almost bailed and began to feel seasick
with the swaying of the tree. As luck would have it I had to go out on the
longest limb which was over the swamp water. I looked down, held on tight
and avoided looking at the trunk- as it was swaying and provided no relief
from that queasy feeling of being on a horrid ride that wouldn't stop. Felt
like a kite on a string. Misery, I'll tell ya. THE worst climb ever for me.
(But worth it, of course!)

Ed Coyle and I doing the tape drag ~105' up (I'm ~25 feet out on the longest
limb)

Along with my hands, the laser also decided to stop working way out on the
limb. Compounding this snafu, Ed and I could hardly hear each other over the
wind noise. We had to drag a meter tape for the last segments and the wind
ripped it right out of the spool. We lost one tape and the other spooled out
all the way but did not come loose. The tape was stretched between lulls in
the wind- otherwise we could not hold it straight. After the lower trunk
wraps we were SO relieved to be out of the tree and gain feeling in our
hands again. I was able to shoot some incredible video of the wind and sway.

View over the swamp with emergent pines; most hardwood trees less than 120'
tall.

I want to especially thank the Congaree staff for the obvious welcome we
ENTS received. The dorm facilities were incredible and convenient and the
staff very enthusiastic about our work. I believe we have established a
great research relationship with Congaree National Park and ENTS will be a
key player in the future interpretation of the fantastic arboreal resources
of the park. Thank you!

Will F. Blozan

President, Eastern Native Tree Society
President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc.