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TOPIC: Old Growth New Hampshire Style
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/580db5ca5602fe3e?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Aug 2 2008 6:12 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net

ENTS,

Monica and I just returned from a couple of days in New Hampshire. On Thursday, Monica and I traveled up I91 to near St. Johnsbury, VT and then east to Lancaster on U.S. Route 2. This route to the White Mountains is far more pleasurable than going east to congested I495, and up equally congested I93 to the White Mountains.
I had a program at Weeks State Park near Lancaster, NH on Thursday evening. On Friday I co-led walks with Dave Govatski in old growth stands at Franconia and Crawford Notches. The former site covers about 600 acres and the latter 1600. I also got to see and measure the locally famous Weeks white pine.
The presentation went very well on Thursday evening. About 65 people attended. The hikes attracted about 15 plus organizers Dave Govatski (retired U.S. Forest Service) and Sam Stoddard, the county forester. For me the highlight was the hike in the old growth at Eagle Cliff at Franconia Notch. The area of OG we invesitgated is off trail and the going was rough. However, it was well worth the effort. The stand is very, very impressive. It has northern hardwoods, red spruce, eastern hemlock, and balsam fir. All old growth characteristics are present in spades. That is what holds the attention.

In terms of tree size and height, the stats are very modest. I measured a number of trees of several species, but couldn't break 100 feet. The largest tree I saw was a 10.3-foot circumference sugar maple that was right at 89 feet in height.  Oddly, the tallest tree I measured was a balsam fir at a modest 5.1 feet in circumference, but a surprising 94.5 feet tall. I was very surprised and impressed. I need to invesitgate the area much more, but from all appearances, at the Eagles Cliff old growth, the balsam fir is the show species. Red spruces in the area are in the low to mid-80s in height. There may taller ones, but that remains to be confirmed. Nothing to get excited about. Circumferences are in the 6-7-foot range, though a large downed tree is at least 8 feet around. It holds promise of bigger spruce.

After the second walk into a second White Mountains northern hardwood, red spruce, balsam fir, and eastern hemlock old growth area, Dave and Sam took me to see the Weeks Pine. It is on private property. I wouldn't have been able to see it had they not been friends with the property owners, who interestingly enough, wanted the pine measured by a qualified individual. That individual turned out to be me.

The white pine is old, maybe 300 years. It has a flat top, but is in very good health. It is on a small hill and has a plaque on it. The pine measures a very respectable 12.6 feet in circumference and is a modest 115.1 feet tall.
The tallest trees I saw in the Lancaster area were several white pines on a hillside above a steam on the southern side of town. The tallest was 122 feet, give or take a foot. Locating the base was difficult. Other tall appearing pines in the area measured between 100 and 114 feet in height. Remembering that this was the region that supposedly produced a 264-foot white pine, my answer is: absolutely no way.

Bob