Cook Forest Surprise   NR, Cook Forest
  Jul 26, 2003 15:50 PDT 

Bob,

Finally got some time away from paperwork to take a chunk out ouf the Seneca/Mohawk Trail old growth area. We can add a couple more 150 footers to our white pine list and some fat hemlocks. The nice find was another one for the 160ft class which averaged 167.9ft! I thought I had all the 160's in that stand. It's a good thing I decided to "clean up" that area. We have very few white pine over 165 in the 160ft class. I need to wrap around the mid-slope of that ridge to see if there are any other sleepers left in there. I sure would like to find another 140ft class hemlock. I think Will put one in there to the upper 130's last time we went through in 2002.   After that section is done, then all I have to do is a small section in the vicinity of Indian Springs in the Forest Cathedral and the white pine study should be in the bag. This winter will be two years we've been working on this. Once it's done, it just might call for a brew.

Oh yea, speaking of hemlocks, I spent some more time on our tall hemlock along Seneca Trail from farther up slope, and was able to hit a different branch than before. I've got confirmed readings that average 145.3ft! That now ties the Snyders-Middleswarth hemlock as the tallest hemlock in the Northeast! The day's tally as follows:

Species CBH Height Comments

EH 11.3 101.7 ridge top
EH 11.8 123.1    just down from the ridge top
EH 12.1 131.7 fat tree
EH N/A 132.5
EH 11.3 133.7
EH 9.1 136.5
EH 11.8 145.3 tied for tallest hemlock in the NE

WP 11.2 119.1 ridge top
WP 9.4 133 ridge top
WP 9.9 135.3 ridge top
WP 10.1 138.9 top chopped
WP 11.2 152.5
WP 10.3 153
WP 9.4 167.9

Let's see, the Rucker Index for Cook Forest is going to go up a little. This also includes the slight jump up for the Longfellow Pine:

Species CBH Height Rucker Index

E. white pine 11.1 181.3 134.95
E. hemlock 11.8 145.3
black cherry 8.1 137
tuliptree 8.2 136.6
white ash 7.6 128.3
red maple 9 126
white oak 10.6 124.8
Am. Beech 7.9 124.4
N. red oak 9.5 122.9
cucumbertree 7.3 122.9

Cook Forest is slowly squeaking up there. We'll eventually go to 135, but I think 136 will be a long way off unless we find a sleeper oak or beech somewhere.

Dale