The

The "Boog," Sag Branch Tuliptree, 140' Chestnut Oak, Scotsman Creek and a huge Pitch Pine

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TOPIC: The "Boog", Sag Branch Tuliptree, 140' Chestnut Oak, Scotsman Creek and
a huge pitch pine
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/f08b856b6dda46f7?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Fri, Mar 28 2008 6:23 pm
From: "Will Blozan"

ENTS,

I was able to get out a bit the last two days. I was accompanied by Wayne
Shepherd and Steve Kemp of the Great Smoky Mountains Association as we went
on a trip to see the Sag Branch Tuliptree. On the way of course, I had to
remeasure the Boogerman Pine. I only took one shot and hit exactly 187'. Its
diameter was 44 inches. Here is a photo of the top from taken from the trail
above it. Looks like it survived the windy winter unscathed. Whew! Looking
at this photo I bet I did not measure the highest point. Maybe John
Eichholtz and I can nail it down next week from the vantage point of the
photo.

Farther up the trail I zeroed the base of a huge, columnar chestnut oak and
went upslope for a laser shot. The tallest of three tops was right on 140'
even. Diameter was an impressive 48" that was slow to taper. Note Steve at
the base for scale.

140 foot Chestnut Oak

After the oak we went down the cove to see the Sag Branch Tuliptree. I
believe Wayne was impressed!

Here is a stitch of the tree with Steve in front for scale.

The next day I was in Cashiers, NC at my parents for Easter. I wanted to see
the big hemlock that James Smith reported from Scotsman's Creek. Well, I
went without checking the email and didn't find the tree because I was at
the upper falls, not the lower falls. But one of the finest American hollies
I have seen was growing by the upper falls. This tree looked ancient and was
16.7 inches diameter and 74.6 feet tall.

I roughed out a few tall-looking white pines along the road but none
exceeded 135'.

The next day I went to the lower falls of Scotsman's Creek with my two kids
in tow. Actually, they were leading the way. The falls were awesome and I
saw the hemlock James reported on.

Unfortunately, it falls short of a superlative tree, standing at only 128'.
It was a beautiful specimen (it's dead) and likely contained ~ 450-500 cubes
of wood.

Alternate-Leaf Dogwood

I choose to measure the waterfall- a 60 foot total drop; 24.3 feet
of it as free fall. We parked next to an alternate-leaf dogwood that turns
out to be a potential NC state champion at 15" CBH X 29' tall X 20' spread.
We had a great trip and drank from a spring near a rough trail hacked out to
the falls.

Pitch Pine

On the way back I stopped to see a huge pitch pine I first measured in 1997.
This beast was immense; 13'2" cbh X 85.8' tall. It could be a National
Champion.

Will Blozan

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Fri, Mar 28 2008 8:25 pm
From: James Parton

Will,

A great report, as usual. It is nice to hear on the well-being of the
Boog again. I am glad it survived the winter unscathed. I hope to get
back there to see it and the Sag Branch tree this year.

WoW! What a Pitch Pine! It's a chunker! I never have seen a monster
this big. True, that Kellogg pine you measured is taller but not this
big around. I never thought Pitch would make more than 10' cbh.

I finally got a Nikon Prostaff 440. Now to get a clinometer and learn
the skills on how to use them accuratly.

James P.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Mar 30 2008 5:40 am
From: Larry

Will, Great photos. Wow,187, what a Pine! Would you say that
Lobloly would have been 200' in the past? I've got to get up there and
see this monster! I forgot how old you guys said it was, 250? Larry

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Mar 30 2008 6:56 am
From: "Will Blozan"

Larry,

It is over 350 years; a white pine next to it has been cored to 360. Are you
coming up for the ENTS meeting? I hope so!

Will

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