DAY 63
06.06.07
TREE 69I am able to climb trees I never would have thought I could. I chose a large tree right in the field by the Friary’s retreat center, right next to the parking lot, just a few feet from the tree I climbed a few weeks back that frustrated me so much ’cause I got scared and stopped climbing. I think the memory of that tree fueled my ambition in this tree. I studied how to get to the first branches for a while before I discovered my path. Similar to the way I climbed the tree in Central Park, I grabbed the overhanging limb and with some footwork went hand over hand towards the trunk. From here it was pretty easy going until the branches just paused for 8 feet or so. I felt stuck, frustrated, but immediately scanned my surroundings for an alternate route. I saw one pretty quickly but laughed at its ridiculousness. But then studies it further, realized it was my only option and prepared myself for it. Squeezing my legs around the large limb, I inched upward out on this branch. I grabbed any branches I could to help and finally reached an overhanging limb and returned to my feet. Transferred to another branch, grabbed the one above that and then walked back towards the trunk placing me up that 8 feet and enabling me to climb much higher, level with the steeple’s cross. I had a very comfortable spot, and a great view of the grounds. Very rewarding, I’m so glad I took the risk and went further.
6-6-08: AHHH… the poison ivy spread all down my legs!!! And I hurt my left calf last night on a bad landing after jumping over a rail. My right leg slipped out from under me and all my weight came down on my left leg and it bent much further than it’s used to. I walked it off and had no troubles the rest of the night but when I woke up this morning I could barely walk to the bathroom. UGH! Good grief, Charlie Brown! Looks like I’ll have to put my parkour training on hold till it feels better. As for climbing, I won’t stop, I’ll just have to be sure not to pick very challenging climbs for the next few days.
Yesterday I went to EP Tom Sawyer State Park again to climb. I went walking back to the right edge of the park and was drawn to a large tree in the distance. When I got there it was within a wooded area surrounded by smaller trees. This large sweet gum tree has definitely been growing here much longer than the trees around it. But luckily those small trees provided a nice entry into the large high limbs. I scaled a hackberry then slid down a large branch towards the massive trunk. I notices some old 2×4’s nailed to the side like there was once a tree house. Too bad there wasn’t one still up there. That would be cool to find an abandoned tree house. Anyway, I worked my way upward transferring from limb to limb when I notived posion ivy starting to take over this tree. I saw a possible path up but hesitated because it was dominated by ivy. Then I figured, I already have it, I am wearing pants, I’ll just go for it. I didn’t get as high as I had thought I could but I was satisfied. I wanted to get really high to get a glimpse of the sunset, but I didn’t get high enough. Then I went back down a different way and climbed down a different hackberry to the ground. Here is a picture looking down, and a video which is a repeat of mostly what I have already typed here:
Climbing a tree everyday
