ENTS,WNTS,
Well, Monica and I are back home in
Florence,MA. It feels good to be home in some ways, but a let down
in others. We experienced a true Rocky Mountain high, known to true
mountain aficionados. But alas, all good things must eventually end,
and besides, we have wonderful friends and great trees here in
Western Mass to reconnect with. Besides, Monica and I consider
ourselves as residents of both Florence, MA and Durango, CO.
According to our neighbors, it rained
all through June. Consequently, the forest around our house is
unusually lush for the time of year. Monica's pine has put on an
impressive flush of new growth - at least a foot, I judge Other
trees in Monica's Woods show excellent growth as well. There will be
much for me to measure and report on in the coming weeks and months.
While our western adventure is
still fresh in my mind, I thought this would be a good opportunity
to summarize my Colorado big/tall tree findings before the details
fade. I'll have more pictures and narratives later, but for now, it
will be only words and numbers, with emphasis on the numbers.
I am including 41
measurements in an Excel spreadsheet attachment. The list of trees
is limited to the superlatives by some categorization of mine. Don't
look for any logic.
While in Colorado, I
measured several hundred trees and will include many of them (or
summaries of them) in future lists that discuss more than just raw
dimensions. For now, I will report on the top ones, again by a
inscrutable criteria .
The average height for the 41
trees in the list is an impresive 131.1 feet. The average girth is
8.7 feet. Had I concentrated just on girth, the average would have
been higher; certainly above 9.5 feet and possibly over 10 .
Several trees stand out in
my mind as exceptional in an other than purely dimensional way. For
example, the Schrater Pine exhibits its unsurpassed stature in the
most convincing way. It is the lord of its grove and intends all to
acknowledge its position. It is the high priest or priestess of the
Ponderosas. The Blozan Colorado Blue S pruce stands apart, aloof and
tall. It holds one's attention. One can never fully know it unless
one climbs to its top. Don Bertolette's, Kip and Laura's, and
Barry's pines all have great presence. They show their sizes and
ages in a commanding, but graceful way. They are the pipe carriers
of the forest, the keepers of the sacred knowledge. Rocky's
Ponderosa struts its stuff - just like its little, adorable
namesake. Monica and I miss that wonderful little dog. T he
Jenny-fir tree is the essence of symmetry, beauty, and el egance in
a Rocky Mountain conifer. The WNTS Spruce speaks proudly of its we
athering of 300 or more winters. The Don Bragg Spruce recognizes the
lofty role that Don has assumed in ENTS. Its crown stands fully 118
feet above its base and that crown continues to grow in the rarified
air of over 11,200 feet altitude. It is the guardian of the pass.
Farther down the canyon, the Olga Little tree honors a woman who
made her mark in that demanding country. I named the 137-foot
Englemann at the request of Faye Schrater. She and her husband Dick
spotted the tree for me on our trip up La Plata Canyon. Well, I
could go on with more impressions, but enough for now. BTW, some
might wonder why I didn't name a tree for my dear wife. Well, she
has lots of trees named for her including: (1) an old growth white
pine named the Monica Pine in Mohawk Trail State Forest, (2) a
younger white pine named the Sweetie Pie Pine also in Mohawk, (3) an
ancient hemlock in Cook Forest named Monica's Hemlock, and a huge
white pine in Ander's Run, PA named Baby's Tree. She wanted trees
named in honor of others on this trip, but maybe I've got a surprise
in store for her.
A note t o Dr. Nancy Weiss,
Nancy, look at row 32 of the
attachement. For all your outstanding conservation work, as Monica's
and my dear friend, and just for being the great person you are, the
grand old Ponderosa on the Piedra River whispered into my ear. It
said: 'Bob, I want to become known as the Dr. Nancy Weiss Tree to
honor her for all her conservation work . We trees appreciate that,
you know.' O f course, I could hardly refuse and dutifully whispered
back to the great pine, assuring it that I would carry out its
wishes. No fanfare, just a humble naming process. Laura Stransky
knows where your tree is if you should ever visit the Durango-Pagosa
Springs area. S hould you be there with Monica and I, of course,
we'll take you to your tree. I'd rather Laura would drive us there
though. Sheesh, it's al long way down to the bottom of that canyon.
A note to Amy Kaiser,
Amy, look at row 35 of the
spreadsheet. Yep, you have a tree and it is a fine one, the tallest
of the Colorado blues I measured along the Piedra. I decided to pick
out a tree in the same area as Jenny's tree, since the two of you
are such good friends. Of course, when Monica and I visit you next
summer in St. Louis, I will expect some of that excellent chocolate
dessert you offered us in June.
Bob
Continued
at:
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/60a5acfcac1e75af?hl=en
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