== 2 of 9 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 14 2008 9:22 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
 
 
ENTS,
 
On the short daylight hours of winter, what does one do with one's time? Why, Bob, you say, what a silly question! Why, measure trees of course. And, that folks is exactly what I've been doing, but with a specific purpose in mind. I am comparing summertime with wintertime measurements of trees in our wooded lot. One tree occupied the spotlight this morning - the Monica Tuliptree. In summer, the crown is full and prevents full laser penetration to the higher, farther twigs. This is the rule rather than the exception with tuliptree and makes the species difficult to measure to the absolute top.
My summer measurements of the Monica tuliptree range from 121 to 123 feet, depending on my exact location, with 123 utilizing the most optimistic readings from my instruments. Today's winter measurement were taken from the second floor of our home, looking out a window that provides an unobstructed view of both base and crown. At the point of measurement, I was 43.5 feet above the base of the tree. The height I got (with repetition) was 125.4 feet. By being at a higher location than on the deck by 10 feet and shooting in the winter, I am able to see twigs farther into the crown and hit higher points. BTW, I used both the Prostaff 440 and Prostaff 550 and got measurements that were in agreement.
In our discussions about tree measuring, we have often acknowledged that winter is the best time to measure hardwoods and I can certainly verify that. Monica's tuliptree gets frequent re-measurements and is one of several dozen trees I use to keep tabs on the range of readings I can get from casual measurements taken at different times of the year.
The wintertime measurement of Monica's tuliptree puts the slender tree in the 125 Club. It shares this distinction with 3 other trees, two white pines and another tuliptree. Altogether, there are 6 trees on Monica's property that exceed 120 feet in height. None of our surrounding neighbors with private property can lay claim to the same. Not bloody bad, folks. Not bloody bad.
 
Bob
 

== 4 of 9 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 14 2008 9:47 am
From: James Parton
 
 
Bob,
 
Though I have been measuring trees for less than a year, I have found
that winter is definitly easier to find the highest point. It would
seem that in summer that the trees would actually be a little taller,
with the leaves being on them, except for evergreens, of course!
 
JP