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TOPIC: Lee and Dale are growing
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/949a083cdeea9cd4?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Thurs, Aug 14 2008 6:07 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net


ENTS,

Today I headed up to MTSF to begin the long, slow task of remeasuring the tall white pines of Mohawk and recalculate the Rucker Index. Lots of work to do, so I decided to get cracking. I went to the ENTS Grove and remeasured the Dale Luthringer Pine, otherwise known as Dale's Double. The big double-stem pine is 12 feet in circumference and now has made it to 155.7 feet in height. Its still just a growing boy.

I then tackled Lee Frelich's tree. It is extremely difficult to measure because of intervening clutter that obscures the crown and the clutter is in every direction. It took me almost an hour, but I finally found a vantage point well above the base of the tree and got a solid, repeatable measurement of 160.8 feet. Lee's tree is 8.5 feet in circumference and is also relatively young.

I remeasured the tall striped maple in the ENTS grove and got 65.1 feet. Its top is unhampered becauss it grows under tall pines. However, the champ has a close competitor. The striped maple in the Trees of Peace is 64.2 feet. Both maples are in good shape. I'm hoping they will continue to grow.

After the striped maple, I remeasured Jake (surprise) and got 169.1 again. Then I remeasured the John Brown Pine, named for the Narragansett's chief who lives in Rhode Island. John's tree is now up to 159.3 feet. With a little luck the John Brown Pine will join the 160 Club next year to become the 8th 160-footer in MTSF.

On the way out of the Park, just for the heck of it, I measured an inconspicuous young, red maple on the side of the road - a tree few would look at twice. Well, the little red maple stands proudly at 106.4 feet in height. It reminded me of what an exceptional place MTSF is and how fortunate I am to have such an exemplary forest to study.
BTW, before I forget, the fall ENTS rendezvous will be held here in western Massachusetts during the period Oct 31-Nov 2. We'll work out a schedule of events, but one event will be the third climb of the Jake Swamp white pine. Will has agreed to make the climb. For those who can stay longer, we'll also take a trip up to a great stand of white pines in New Hampshire to model the largest single tall white pine I've seen in the granite state.

Bob