DAY 108

DAY 108
07.21.07
TREE 19

Back in Louisville after my little vacation I debated whether to stay in Louisville for the night and be social or go back to the Mount. Tree #19 was waiting for me on the IUS campus and was the ultimate decider. It was getting late and I wanted to climb in sunlight. So I thanked the McChesney’s and said farewell. The sun was getting low on this beautiful summer evening. I got to the campus and parked near the tree. With its many leaves I second guessed myself on which tree it was but the signature lean of the trunk made it possitive that it was the one. I ran up the trunk, grabbed the knot holes and continued up. I quickly moved around the branch that shoots directly upwards. I thought this funny ’cause I was so cautious about it last time. Then I walked to where the trunk splits in two. This is where I tied my ribbon. I pulled it off, grabbed a leaf, and checked out the limbs to see if I could go further and higher. I chose the right fork and crawled on all fours ’cause there were no reachable limbs to steady myself. Then I saw campus security drive by and I sat still and got nervous. With no where else to go I decided to get down. I really wanted to just walk instead of crawl. I wasn’t that high but my fear got to me and I sat down and hopped on my butt back to the fork. Once on the ground I noticed that the vertical limb would have been a good climb. I debated getting back up there but I got nervous again about another campus security car I saw. I guess this whole climb I was a little preoccupied with fear. Those are always frustrating.

7-21-08:  Why do the cops and security always got to get to me.  What are they gonna do?  They are going to tell me to get down and then I will get down.  Then I will have a good story.  Actually, I’d hate to be black listed from somewhere.  Whatever, they wouldn’t do that.  I got kicked out of a tree at a rest stop once.  By the time I got down the worker was long gone.  I went inside, found him and asked him about the rules.  He said tree climbing was not allowed on state property but that the rule was not listed anywhere.  I called foul, but I got kick off nonetheless.  They didn’t take my info or anything.  Stupid fear of law suits.  I should tattoo a legal document on my chest that states I, and no one else will sue if I get injured or die climbing a tree.  Julio?  Maryliz?  Help me on this?

So, now we are up to date and I will be discussing yesterday’s climb, the last one in West Virginia.  Since a few of my relatives missed the previous day’s climb I went over to their cabin  in the afternoon and asked if they wanted to watch today.  I had picked out this very large and tall tulip poplar in the field between our cabins.  It only had one little limb low enough to reach and the next one wasn’t for a few feet.  I knew I was going to have to shimmy up but the trunk diameter was about 2 1/2 feet.  They gathered around and I warned them the beginning may be difficult.  I jumped to the small branch and grabbed it with my right hand then pulled my legs up and squeezed them against the trunk.  Then I muscled my body up to the point where my right arm was straight over the limb.  I moved my hand out and got a foot up on the same branch.  Then I shimmied, with difficulty up to another small branch to my left.  I rested then shimmied a little further to the first large substantial branch.  Once I got a good grip on that I was good to go.  The climb from there was easy and fast all the way to the top of this awesome tree.  My parents saw people watching and came over to watch themselves.  They had to back away from the tree about 30-40 feet to see me at the top.  I had an incredible view of the surrounding mountains.  I was exhausted and scratched up on my legs and arms from shimmying up, but I was feeling pumped.  Then I climbed down sweating like crazy and covered in bark debris.  At that lowest small limb I just jumped to the ground and rolled.  I had some wide-eyed looks of shock from my cousins.  It was a damn good climb and a great accomplishment.  Best climb of the trip.

My view up, not much limbs left to look past.

Jenny, Scott, and Kirk look up at me.  They are so far away and look so small.

The view down is not so impressive due to all the leaves preventing a clear shot down.

My parents watch from below as well.  Is that my mom holding on to my dad is fear for her crazy child?