Will and Ron made a successful climb up the Karl Davies black cherry
and we taped it to 137.3 feet in height. Seeing Will high up in the
wispy top of that leafless tree emphasized its height.

Getting ready to pole the top and drop tape on Karl Davies black cherry - photo submitted by Will Blozan

Highest point on Karl Davies black cherry at 137.3 feet - photo submitted by Will Blozan

   On a forest walk earlier on Saturday, we also remeasured a couple of
the biggest Cook Forest pines including the great Seneca Pine. At a hair
over 173 feet (I got numbers ranging from 172.9 to 173.3), the pine is
one awesome tree, but then so is the Cook Pine at 162.2 ft tall and 12.4
ft around. Cook has 27 pines over 160 feet tall.

   We measured an American beech to slightly over 127 feet to become the
new champion for Cook Forest. But we lost a little on the black cherry.
So overall we lost some and gained some and when the counting was over,
Cook's Rucker Index inched up to 136.02. I have absolutely no doubt that
there are taller beech trees. I expect there is a half dozen over 130
feet.

photo by Scott Wade

   What was especially great this rendezvous was that our young friend
Jess Riddle was able to make it up from South Carolina. John Eichholz
Scott Wade got their first looks at Cook Forest. So we had quite a
measuring crew. The full list was:

   Dale Luthringer
   Will Blozan
   John Eichholz
   Jess Riddle
   John Knuerr
   Gary Beluzo
   Susan Scott
   Holly Post
   Scott Wade
   Bob Leverett

   The lectures by Lee Frelich and Tom Diggins were great as always. We
held a tree measuring workshop and had excellent walks in the woods. We
gathered at the Trail's End restaurant for meals.

   Well, others may want to add their observations so I'll stop here. We
just wish more of you could have attended.

Bob

Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society

Karl Davies cherry base - 
photo submitted by Will Blozan

We were still hoping to go to 140' after the tape drop on Saturday, but
it was not meant to be. Tape drop on Saturday put it at 11.4ft CBH x
137.3' high. Ron had a great view of the cherry's crown from the top of
a nearby hemlock tree as he guided Will's pole placement in VERY wet
weather. 

Ron Busch with Will Blozan in the background - 
photo submitted by Will Blozan

Thankfully, it was not a torrential downpour at the time of
the climb. It rained to varying degrees right up to the climb, then let
off a bit just in time. Even though we lost some height on the Davies
Black Cherry (Bob kept us legal as he marked the baseline measurement),
it still is the tallest documented black cherry confirmed by tape drop
in the entire Northeastern US! Chalk up another tall record tree
climbed and taped by the talented Will Blozan.

After scoping out the Davies Black Cherry, we had to show Jess some of
the magnificent pines in the Forest Cathedral. So, off we went for a
short 3 mile jaunt to view the Longfellow Pine, Seneca Pine, and Cook
Pine. Will, Jess, and I put the Longfellow Pine now at 11.1ft CBH x
182.1ft, which gave it a slight nudge up from my previous 182ft
measurement in early Fall 2004.

We then breezed past the Seneca Pine, which continues to decline but is
still not willing to give up the ghost. We then headed over to the Cook
Pine a good "1/2 mile away" I told them... Well, I think it turned out
more like a good mile away. Will now puts the Cook Pine at 12.4ft CBH x
162.3. The last time I measured it was over a year ago with the best I
could get then at just over 161ft. I believe the Cook Pine is my most
favorite old growth pine. This tree has incredible character with a
twisted top and arm-like limbs, one on each side of the trunk.

Next, the Northeastern U.S. height record white oak was close by so we
thought we'd try to remeasure it. This is another awful tree to
measure. Shooting straight up from underneath with all the leaves off I
was able to confirm a new height at 10.6ft CBH x 127.3ft high.

We then headed out to the Trails End Restaurant to replenish some lost
calories and get ready for Friday.

photo by Scott Wade

We started Friday off at 1000am at the Park Office with Will, Ron, Jess,
and I. We also picked up Dr. Lee Frelich who made it in from Minnesota
late Thursday night. The agenda for the day was to head over to Ander's
Run to take a peak at the magnificent Cornplanter Pine and maybe head
over to Heart's Content. Well, Heart's Content was not meant to be for
this trip. On the way to Anders, Will spotted a huge moss cypress
growing off the road at the Buckaloons Recreation Area... who knows HOW
many times I passed this tree and didn't see it. Will just has the eye
for these things. Will, my best excuse is that it was hiding behind
those 120ft class Norways you found there too... Speaking of those
Norways, can you give me the stats you got for the trees you measured at
Buckaloons? It would be nice to eventually get a RI for that site.

Buckaloons Recreation Area turned out to be an unexpected treat. Turns
out the moss cypress is the 2nd tallest that ENTS has documented
before... is that right, Will? It may very well turn out to be the next
PA state champ once we take a closer look at the stats. Will got 6.1ft
CBH x 83.5ft high x 24ft crown for a total of 162.7 points. The cypress
was most likely planted by descendents of General Irvine who started a
plantation in the area in the late 1700's after the Revolutionary War.
Will believes the cypress will most likely go over 150 years old. What
an AWESOME tree!

We also measured some other nice trees in the area. A nearby European
larch went to 7.4ft CBH x 110.5ft high which turns out to be the 2nd
tallest measured in PA. While Will was measuring the cypress, he also
picked out a massive N. red oak growing across Brokenstraw Creek. Turns
out it was most likely an old fused double but high up the trunk
(>~10ft) at 17.9ft CBH x 104.3ft high (underneath).

Lee spied a nice honey locust nearby too. Turns out to be the first
ENTS measured in PA at 4.3ft CBH x 85ft high.

Anders Run Gallery

We then reluctantly hopped back in the car to head the short distance
over to Anders Run before we ran out of good weather. You should have
seen the snide look Will gave me as I said, "Come on, lets get to the
good stuff!". But, once we got to Anders Run Will keyed up one of BVP's
famous quotes, "Smells like big timber!". He almost jumped out of his
seat when he saw the Anders Run Norway Spruce towering above the other
trees in the river flat below.

Cornplanter Pine Base

We parked a short distance away from the Cornplanter Pine. It is easily
viewed about 80 yards off the west side of the road, across the creek,
and just below the the apex of the steep part of the hill. The
Cornplanter is in a serious state of decline most likely due to an
onslaught of turpentine beetles as noted from their boreholes at the
base of its trunk. The Cornplanter now stands at 13ft CBH x 167.1ft
high. This tree is MASSIVE! Will believes it may go to 1200 cubes, but
may be unclimbable in a couple of years due to its thinning top.

Cornplanter Pine base -
photo submitted by Will Blozan

We then hopped back in the car and parked near the Allegheny River to
take a look at some of the river bottom trees of this natural area.
Of course, we first had to check out the record Norway spruce, but we
first past a very nice Nordmann fir. 

Nordmann Fir

I must admit, I previously
mis-identified this tree as a balsam fir, but with Will's wide
inexhaustible tree identification expertise, he quickly put me back on
track, although it did take me awhile to figure out the correct spelling
of the tree. The Nordmann fir is not the largest in the state, but may
be a state co-champ when all is said and done. It stands at 6.8ft CBH x
91.8ft high as of Fall 2005.

Norway Spruce

The PREVIOUS Eastern U.S. height record Norway spruce was very close by.
Will's recent find of a ~135ft Norway now beats it, but the Anders Run
Norway is still the 2nd tallest documented in the East at 10.2ft CBH x
132.7ft high. Gorgeous tree. I now must return and get crown spreads
for this Norway and the Nordmann fir.

Swamp White Oak champion

On the way out, we decided to go past some nice swamp white oaks. One
in particular is at least the tallest documented in the Northeast at
10.4ft CBH x 111ft high. Another fine specimen nearby went to 11.6ft
CBH x 107.6ft high. There were some very old oaks in this area
including swamp whites, black (12.9ft CBH x 84.1+ft high), and white
oaks (15.3ft CBH x 87.1+ft high). We timed the weather just right.
Just as we were heading back to the car a short distance off, the
weather turned sour and stayed like this the rest of the entire weekend!

Weather forecasts for the weekend did not show promising weather. It
started out with rain in the 50's on Saturday, and just got colder as
the day went by... 30's and sleet/snow by Saturday evening. We started
Saturday morning off at the Log Cabin Inn with a fine presentation by
Bob Leverett on measuring trees for science and sport. We then headed
outside to hone our skills.

photo by Scott Wade

We took a short break when we were done, then headed up into the Forest
Cathedral to scope out the Longfellow Pine, Seneca Pine, and Cook Pine
with the rest of the public and ENTS members. Will, Jess, and Ron
headed out to set-up the ropes for their climb up the Davies Black
Cherry later that afternoon.

I really didn't think we'd find any new record trees on our trip up to
the Indian Springs area in the Forest Cathedral. But... I hadn't
previously experienced an Am. beech as it was being 'Eicholzed'!
Needless to say that John and Bob spied a couple of super Am. beech's
that they soon scoped out to 8.1ft CBH x 124.4ft high (tied Will's old
Am. beech park height record) and a new beech park height record nearby
at 6.2ft CBH x 124.6ft high!

I should've known better, but I thought that this was all the better it
was going to get for beech that day. Little did I know that John would
soon be at work again near the Davies Black Cherry that afternoon,
Eicholzing not just a new Am. beech park height record, but a new state
height record as well at 127.5ft high!

After the climb, the ENTS crew gathered at the Trails End for our
traditional evening meal. Meanwhile, behind the scenes Gary Beluzo was
busily getting the evening presentations ready. Gary got everything
working perfectly except for one problem... sadly, his computer crashed
and he was not able to present his highly anticipated GIS based program.
I'm afraid that we'll all just have to be in suspense until the Forest
Summit in Holyoke this Fall. I know he was really disappointed, but at
least all that hard work in preparation over the last month is now done
and will make for a superb program in October or future presentation at
Cook Forest.

Bob Leverett lead the evening presentations off with a wonderful
overview of ENTS, followed by Dr. Chuck Williams of Clarion University
with his presentation of old growth stream ecosystems. Dr. Tom Diggins
of Youngstown State University was next with his intriguing program on
forest preserves of the Lake Erie Gorge Region. Then, our keynote
speaker, Dr. Lee Frelich, Director for the Center of Hardwood Ecology at
the University of Minnesota, proceeded to blow us away with some
incredible new findings on derechos. It's amazing that he's even here
to tell us some of the stories of the close encounters he's had with
devastating storms over the years.

Of course, all the speakers couldn't leave without a small memento of the
event. Bob Leverett received a small pocket sized chalkboard so that he
will always be prepared to explain the finer intricacies of the sin-top +
sin-bottom method to various skeptics in the field.

Gary Beluzo received a toy "smart phone" to help us keep track of him
with his ever-changing cell phone numbers.

Will Blozan received a small "cap bomb" to use as a plumb bob for his
next tape drop measurement. At the least, it should keep the rest of us
out from under him the next time he climbs a tree... except for Bob
though. Will, we might have to go with a higher charge to keep low
pressure Leverett out of the way.

Chuck Williams received a whistling nerf vortex to tie his measuring
tape too the next time he has to get his measuring tape across the log
and to his partner for his next downed woody debris study.

Tom Diggins received a whoopee cushion to help combat gaseous little boys
that have seemed to gravitate to him at the last two ENTS events. Well,
he at least says he'll get some use out of it in the lab... now there's
some lucky students!

Last, but certainly not least, Lee Frelich received his first donation
of a "million bucks" to help further his research. Yes, I know it was
only fake "Art Linkletter" money, but it's the thought that counts. Too
bad thoughts can't pay the bills though.

Even though the weather was cold and rainy for the majority of the events
on Saturday, I believe the programs still went off quite well. I am
very thankful and indebted to everyone who came from all corners of the
Eastern U.S. and put so much into making this unique event a success.
The Ents are truly a very special group of people. I am very honored to
have a small part in bringing everyone together. Cook Forest State Park
is extremely grateful for all the work that the Eastern Native Tree
Society has done to put Cook Forest on the map as one of the premiere
parks to visit in the Eastern United States.

Your Most Humble & Obedient Servant,

Dale Luthringer
Environmental Education Specialist
Cook Forest State Park

ENTS:

After the 3rd rendezvous at Cook, it would be easy to begin taking
such events for granted. However, some of us remember the early days
when knowledge about the Cook Forest big trees was of an
undifferentiated type, i.e. one big tree is like another and local
managers knew next to nothing about any Cook's trees. The management
back in the early 1990s had a patronizing attitude toward Cook's great
trees and the general public was left to feel ambivalent in some ways.
In the prevailing mindset, one liked all trees and paid homage to the
forest gods, but one didn't tend to individualize the trees - unless
some official body might single out a particular tree for special
attention. I am reminded of trees like the former Douglas MacArthur pine
of Wisconsin which become famous because it was singled out, but other
worthy trees staid anonymous. Well, that isn't the ENTS way.

photo by Scott Wade

Today in Cook Forest we have a number of exceptional trees identified
and individualized including the following:

1. Longfellow Pine (182.0, 11.3) tallest tree in Northeast
2. Seneca Pine (173.1, 12.5) PA champ
3. Cook Pine (162.3, 12.4)
4. Feather Duster Pine (174, 11.2)
5. Jani Pine (171.2, 10.1)
6. Karl Davies Black Cherry (137.3, 11.4)   

There are other Cook Forest trees and undoubtedly will be many more.
But what if ENTS hadn't taken a special interest in the Cook Forest
trees and Dale Luthringer weren't Cook's shinning star? Then Cook's
great trees would enter the club of the nondescript. Cook's fine trees
deserve to be honored and honor them we did, this past weekend.   

Bob    


Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society

Chestnut Snag -
photo submitted by Will Blozan

The next morning, I spent some time along the Hemlock Trail, which
follows a stream up from the road quite close to the cherry/beech area.
I intended to look for more beech, but was immediately struck by the
fine growth of birches. The setting was a beautiful old growth and mossy
Hemlock forest, and the stream channel was filled with large woody
remains. The first yellow birch I measured, right along the stream,
came to 99.9'h, breaking the site record of about 92'. I also found a
couple nice black birch on the south bank above the stream, one of which
squeaked past the site record height at 107.9'. Farther upstream on the
north bank were several nice yellow birch with older growth type platy,
balding bark, lacking the fine curly nature of younger yellow birch.
They were not that large in diameter. From a distance, they appeared to
be black birch, except the bark was lighter. On examining the root
flares, the golden, curly bark one expects was evident, and the bark
plates were distinctly yellow. The tallest one measured 104.9'h and
5.5'cbh, which I believe is a Northeast height record. Two other yellow
beeches on this slope topped 103'. Other species present were mostly
hemlock, with an occasional white pine, red maple, black birch, cucumber
tree (one) and beech. Of the several beech in this valley, two
approached 120'.

Here is my list from this area:

species    height    cbh
Yellow Birch    99.9'        4.7'
Yellow Birch    99.1'        4.8'
Yellow Birch    104.9'    5.5'    Northeast height record
Yellow Birch    103.7'    4.3'
Yellow Birch    103.1'    4.7'
Black Birch        92.3'    nt
Black Birch        107.9'    4.6'   Cook Forest record
Black Birch        101.6'    4.5'
American Beech    119.4'    4.9'
American Beech    118.9'    7.0'

American Beech    127.3'    nt (taken by others)    Cook Forest record
    
Of course neither of the birches will add to the 10 species Rucker
index, but if we extend the index to 25, well, that is another story.

Thanks, Dale, for a very enjoyable weekend.

John

Record Cucumbertree Stump -
photo submitted by Will Blozan

   With the above caveats acknowledged, I maintain that it is important
to track the big/tall trees of special places like Cook Forest and to
judiciously report on them. At the least, our site statistics create a
context in which the big/tall trees of each property we survey can be
evaluated in terms of their relative abundance or scarcity. At the
least, we can identify what is rare and what isn't and since scarcity is
often associated with value, our numbers highlight what has value, or
potential value, that might otherwise fall through the cracks.

   I remember talking to a past park supervisor of Cook. It is difficult
to imagine how anyone of that position could have known so little about
the Park. How could he properly advocate for Cook Forest? When places
like Hearts Content and Tionesta were mentioned, he assumed Cook Forest
fell below them in terms of significant trees. That pretty much says it
all.

Bob

   
Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society

Cornplanter Pine Trunk -
photo submitted by Will Blozan

I hate to admit it but the highlight of the trip for me was Anders Run. Not
that Cook was less than stellar; I just love exploring new areas and seeing
new stuff. The demise of the Cornplanter Pine was a bummer, but a
ground-based trunk modeling would be possible for a few more years or a
climb within a few months. Maybe Ed Coyle could measure the tree. Anyway,
the Norway spruce at Anders Run was SO AWESOME! Holy crap! And at 132.7'
tall it looked to me just like a Sitka spruce in the PNW. [10'2" X 132.7' Spread 
we forgot to do but is likely close to 40'- it is huge!  ] What a beauty! And
the Buckaloons Park that someone-who-will-remain-unnamed drove by a dozen
times without stopping. holy Norway spruce Batman! And then tucked in the
120'+ spruce grove was a potential PA State Record and eastern height record
(?) Chaemacyparis pisifera 'squarrosa' (moss cypress- 6'2" X 84.2' X 24').
WOW! PA can grow some trees! AND we got to see swamp white oak in the wild.
What an utterly beautiful species!

Ander's Run Norway spruce -
photo submitted by Will Blozan

For me, seeing healthy hemlocks is always a treat, and those at Cook Forest
are super vigorous. I used some shots from the cherry climb in a
presentation to about 160 people last night in Gatlinburg, TN. I spoke for
an hour on ENTS and what we are doing. Those folks were floored by our work
and glued to the slides. GO ENTS!

As mentioned by a few others, the ENTS gatherings are so special when we can
connect faces to names. I was so please Jess Riddle could attend, and I was
glad to finally meet Scott Wade, Ed Nizalowski and a few others I can't
recall in this brief email. Good times were had and new friendships and
alliances made. Many, many thanks to Dale for the organization and
inspiration behind it all. But next time, we will bring a change of clothes
for you! ;)

ENTS is growing in leaps and bounds!

Will Blozan

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Swamp White Oak
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/8d5a13e74eeff428?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Wed, Oct 10 2007 6:54 am
From: "Lee E. Frelich"


Larry:

I don't have any pictures at the moment, but might be able to get some in a
few weeks. The USDA national plants database has some pictures and
botanical drawings of swamp white oak leaves at this website:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Quercus+bicolor&mode=sciname&submit.x=16&submit.y=6

We (Will Blozan, Dale, Bob Leverett, and I) found some nice old
growth swamp white oaks near Cook Forest two years ago. If I remember
right, it was in a slightly swampy area across the road from the Buckaloons.

photo by Will Blozan

Lee

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Wed, Oct 10 2007 6:02 am
From: "Will Blozan"

Swamp White Oak - photo by Will Blozan


Larry,

Here are a few shots from the trip Lee mentions.