I have had my eye on a humongous tree that lives on an island. Looking across the 70ft side channel through my laser i was not sure just how big the tree would feel once getting next to it. The lakes released over 40' of water this past month totally submerging the island, but this tree has survived flooding long since before the corp controlled the rivers. With water levels back to normal I put on my waders and successfully attempted to cross the rapid current with my girlfriend riding piggy back. We struggled to climb the 8' sheer vertical mud bank and set foot on some of the most fertile looking soil i have ever seen. Fresh water shells and sprouting plants covered the gently sloped opposite bank of the island, what a beautiful place. I intend to go back on a garbage clean up mission... hopefully build a treehouse here over the summer.



We also took a motorcycle ride to look for this virgin hemlock grove... nothing nearly as impressive in girth as the river tree, but pretty cool to see old growth.... brought back memories of climbing in Oregon. This expedition was filled with tall things... windmills, trees, cliffs, and waterfalls.

Is the multi-trunk a silver maple? Cool tree.
-moss

I was a little too caught up in imagining my treehouse to really pay attention! If i payed half as much attention to tree ID as i do climbing gear and carpentree i would have the CA stamp on my card by now hahaha.... Yes i believe this to be one of the many humungo maples around here... i know of 2 more like this, one larger that i cabled 2 yrs ago. Here it is..

I've always been interested in natural history so I usually try to ID stuff in the woods. Ya, that's typical for silver maple to form multi-trunks like that. I still get stumped, especially the red oak family, so many species and hybrids. Hickories are another one that's tough for me: shellbark, bitternut, mockernut, pignut, I can tell they're hickory but that's about it.
-moss