There's this sweet white pine, not super tall but the trunk is massive, 11.5' CBH, then divides into three leaders at 35' or so, the tops of all three are in the 104' range. Found it about 4 years ago, looked like a lot of fun, been meaning to climb it. Finally decided to this afternoon. About a mile hike to the tree, got there around 3pm. As I approached I spotted a bowhunter in a tree stand about 20 yards past the pine. He didn't see me...yet. I was disappointed enough (or in denial) that I kept on slogging towards the tree before he finally noticed me. I walked closer had a brief chat about where the boundary line was between public and private land and then went back in the direction I came from. To drown my sorrows I went to a big old red oak in the same area. Always a challenge to hand throw into, it has rejected me in the past. By the time my line was set the sun was going down, climbed up and had a nice sit listening to a pair of great-horned owls calling back and forth.

Edit: went back to my tree measuring records, I recorded this red oak as follows 2/14/10:
Height: 91.4'. CBH: 11.7'
The height corresponds to the upper average canopy height in this particular section of woods with the exception of several white pine in the 104' to 108' range


DRT almost up to the first pitch around 55-60'


Big limb first pitch (this is where the crown starts)


Wiggled my way up a little further to watch the last of the sunset


Lichens and sunset


Don't think the hunter got a deer, didn't hear a thing from his direction except him clacking something together to attract a buck. Walking back out ran into a few deer in the dark about a quarter mile from where the hunter was.
-AJ

Sorry to hear about the disappointing run in with the hunter You should have told him that if he didn't get one by now then he should just give up. Or you could have said "hey I just jumped a whole heard about a quarter mile back" and laugh. Great pictures of your alternate though ! I'm gonna have to start carrying my camera with me more often. I love when you guys share pictures with your climb reports. It really enlightens the experience and I can almost imagine being there. I also enjoy seeing the different [tree] structure and environment involved

I agree on the photos, I really like seeing that in climber reports.

I really had no problem with the deer hunter except he was sitting next to my intended climb tree, ok I had a problem with him
-AJ

I'm still wearing my "hunting colors" out in the woods. Got a nice reminder that it's not the trees I have to worry about but the hunters when I passed one on a trail this October and he said I looked like a black bear. I wasn't wearing my blaze cap because I thought hunting season didn't start for another week; turned out the Cohuttas bear season started one week before deer season opened.

Nice red oak. I'll also voice my support for more pictures from everyone.