| impressive
West Virginia white oak |
Dale
J. Luthringer |
| Feb
17, 2004 18:22 PST |
Bob,
As I chauffeured my wife and sister to Kentucky over the
weekend, I was
also brushing up on Will's advanced old growth ID course:
'Old Growth 401: Old Growth/Ancient Tree Delineation at 70+MPH'.
Now I know why they have those rumble strips at the edges of the
berm on
the interstate.
On the way south on I-79 to Charleston, I noted a number of very
small
old tree pockets and old individual trees. There were some
impressive
white oaks along the interstate. One in particular was a jaw
dropper.
It was on the northbound sound of the interstate, so I made a
mental
note of it and thought I'd try to measure it along the way back.
Its
twisted limbs and trunk burls made a lasting impression.
Needless to say, we were able to make a very quick stop to get
its girth
on the way back north. My wife was amazed at how someone can
find one
tree out of 500 miles of highway. I was just happy that I didn't
get
stuck on the chest high barbed wire fence I had to hop to get
its girth.
I'm sure there are larger documented white oaks, but this single
stem
19ft CBH (even) was no slouch. It had large head sized burls on
its
trunk, with a nice spreading crown but thinning top. I estimate
the
height to not go much over 70ft with a crown spread of 75-100ft.
That's
all I could get considering the Sunday traffic.
The tree was located on the southbound lane of I-79 about 1 mile
south
Exit 115/RT20 not too far from Fairmont, WV at the edge of a
fallow farm
field.
Dale
|
| RE:
impressive West Virginia white oak |
Robert
Leverett |
| Feb
18, 2004 05:32 PST |
Dale:
I've developed quite a talent for using the
rumble strips as guides
while searching for OG from the interstates. However, I poke
along at
65.
Bob
|
| RE:
impressive West Virginia white oak |
jarred
trout |
| Feb
18, 2004 05:50 PST |
i
can attest to bob's use of the rumble strips.
we (the seasoned understudies) basically have two choices on
that one...
1. offer to drive so bob can have un-divided access to peering
out the window and getting used to howls and bob grabbing your
arm while you are driving telling you to stop...
2. if bob does drive, offer the "shotgun seat" to a
newbie that wants to learn about the green up close, rumbling,
and personal.
its a real good thing that bob never had a vehicle with a sun
roof or t-tops...
|
| RE:
impressive West Virginia white oak |
jarred
trout |
| Feb
18, 2004 07:05 PST |
so
much for jim morrison
and keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel...
maybe we could as a group, invent some 'eco-friendly'
wrap/buffer that we could attach to our vehicles...(we all know
someone's car we could proto-type it on)
ents.... safety is job 1
jt
|
| Looking
at trees while driving |
Robert
Leverett |
| Feb
18, 2004 07:43 PST |
Jarred:
As you know, Jani had lots of stories to tell
about my notorious
focusing on tree tops while driving. I can just hear her say in
her calm
voice, "Bob, do you want me to drive so you can look at
trees?"
She was always such a lady on our trips. A
lesser soul might have
barked out something like: "Hey, Dodo, you're going to kill
us both.
Give me the !@#$%^&*() wheel if you're going to look at your
!@#$%^&*
trees!" I would have deserved it, but that never ever
happened.
I think Will might also have a story or two
about tree gazing while
driving. However, we could tell a few stories on Will.
Bob
|
| Re:
Looking at trees while driving |
jarred
trout |
| Feb
18, 2004 08:01 PST |
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Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Bob:
maybe ents...
as part of our mission to save "the brain trusts"
which allow for saving of the trees
should purchase a used bus...
seeing that i am out of work, i would be willing to submit my
credentials to be your driver.
we could hit the hot spots around the country, picking up folks
like you, Will, Dale, etc.
and y'all could leaving the driving to me...
i could even get some paint on sale at the ACE Hardware and
paint-up the ol' green mojo-mobile as part of a PR campaign...
see the attched mock-up
jarred trout
|
| Re:
Looking at trees while driving |
Lou
Sebesta |
| Feb
18, 2004 09:09 PST |
Excellent idea! I know how hazardous to drivers and pedestrians
it can
be if the tree surveyor drives as well. Absolutely don't even
dream of
doing it for an urban survey.
Here's my vision: we can brew up a big milk can full of Electric
Coolaid and hit the road. Count me in. I'm feeling stir crazy,
it's a
brilliant sunny day and a hint of spring is in the air. Lou
|
| Re:
Looking at trees while driving |
greentreedoctor |
| Feb
18, 2004 09:35 PST |
Speaking
of tree gazing while in the commission of operating a motor
vehicle...Back in the early '90's, while approaching the long
causeway from Emerald Isle, NC, I got a call from one of my best
clients. The executrix of the Star Hill golf course asked me for
a "ballpark estimate" of doing rightaway work on the
left side of the road, prior to entering the bridge.
I thought I was swift. After all, wasn't I a contract animal? As
I drove, I kept on glancing over my left shoulder, while
comparing it with my odometer, to come up with a per yard
estimate. As you may well have guessed, a most unusual tree
"caught" my attention. When my eyes
returned to the road, I saw a slow mover just ahead. I must have
been traveling at least 50 when I noticed this car was not
moving at all and had no brake lights. I hit my brakes for all I
and my ABS was worth. Bam!!! My ranger probed that Probe (Ford).
Totaled it!
Four very angry Marines peeled out of that mashed subcompact
like so many Carolina ground hornets and made a
"beeline" towards me. I took a few steps towards the
side railing of the causeway. I figured, if I could not calm
these boys down, I suppose I could jump the 300 feet to the
inland waterway below. I had no problem with the height, but the
swallow 4 foot depth might just mess me up. Well, I was able to
calm these boys down; I didn't have to jump after all. It turned
out that there were "3 accidents" on the causeway that
day. Until the cops arrived over an hour later, we shared some
tense moments and fully explored the more colorful side of the
English language. Now I pull over to look at the
trees...sometimes!
Randy |
| RE:
Looking at trees while driving |
John
Knuerr |
| Feb
18, 2004 14:23 PST |
Jarred,
You know those cool outriggers they have attached to some of
those safari
type Range Rovers. I can just picture an Eastern Old Growth Tree
safari
version. We could have several tree measurers on the outriggers
at once -
maybe even comparing and calibrating instruments - as we tool
past the
trees. Can you picture it - dust flying - the air carrying
voices with
sounds like: "35, no 37, no 40 .... hell, I can't get no
yardage reading
like this!!"
|
| RE:
Looking at trees while driving |
edward
coyle |
| Feb
18, 2004 16:43 PST |
Looking at trees while driving. To the uninformed this may seem
completely
bizarre, and foolish behavior, but to those in the know, there
really is no
other way.
Most people go their way, motoring along completely aloof to
their
surroundings, but we do not. There is much to see and appreciate
in this
world, and at the pace most live with, observation must be done
at breakneck
speed to cull out the average from the extraordinary. One
drawback to this
method is that once discovered, an extraordinary tree must be
stopped for
exponentially faster. That, or drive in reverse 1/4 mile on the
shoulder.
Some might call it obsessive bevior. If you find yourself taking
friends
to the airport ' the back way', and find yourself having to
explain to them
the importance of this particular Green Ash, you might be
obsessed. You
might just have a passion for what you do, and are creative in
doing so.
I'll opt for the latter.
I dare say that most rural ruts along the road are caused by
tree hunters,
and birdwatchers, than drunks.
But whatever, so long as we are looking at trees while driving,
and not
driving at trees while looking, we should be OK.
Long live the observant, and appreciative.
Ed
|
| RE:
Looking at trees while driving (excerpt) |
Will
Blozan |
| Feb
19, 2004 18:09 PST |
Here is an excerpt from an article written years ago by
Nathaniel Axtell for
"Appalachian Voice", Spring 1998.
"It's a sunny spring day, we're driving through the
Appalachian foothills
with the windows down, and I'm in the backseat listening to Will
Blozan and
Michael Davie scope out beauties. "Man, look at that
one!", Blozan exclaims,
his head pivoting 90 degrees as we drive past. Davie whistles
appreciatively, twisting around in the passenger seat to catch a
better
look. A few miles later, Davie spots another shapely enchantress
and Blozan
almost drives off the road, so smitten is he by the sight.
By the time we reach Clayton, Georgia, my neck hurts from
craning to see all
the gorgeous creatures Blozan and Davie have pointed out along
the way.
Finally, the rising lust inside the car reaches a zenith. Blozan
can't take
it anymore. "I've got to get out of this car," he
says, skidding to a stop
at the end of a dirt road. We all climb out, hot to trot.
For those of you not bitten by the same love bug, it's had to
fathom, these
married men salivating at the sight of a shapely limb. But you
start to
understand when you see first hand the objects of their
affections: a
towering pitch pine, a stately walnut, a perfectly formed red
maple in the
middle of a pasture. Blozan, Davie, and their fellow members of
the Eastern
Native Tree Society are just plain passionate about trees,
especially big
trees.
LATER, I'M OFF TO CHARLESTON!!!
Will |
|