DAY 99
07.12.07
TREE 10Today’s reclimb was the large tree by the pottery studio and great barn. I really like this tree and ever since my first climb I have returned to it to climb that first overhanging limb to bob up and down a few times. Looking back at the picture I took of this tree that day it is amazing to see the difference. Now you can barely see the branches for the leaves but before there wasn’t a leaf on it. I got up the tree the same method as before, using that same overhanging limb, only this time I muscled up and walked along it. The climb was a good challenge taking lots of thought. When I got to my marker I ripped it off and immediately began to climb higher. One thing I’ve noticed about my climbing is my increased trust of these smaller branches at the tops of trees. This main limb was the prefect mix of secure branches and good sway in the day’s breeze. This time I got above the height of the silo, and I stayed up there a while finding a nice seated position to take in all the views between the leaves. The climb down was fun and faster than the climb up, and quite dirty with a lot of tree bark debris. On that last branch I grabbed a hold of the forking limbs and rolled forward flipping down into a hang, then let go to safely land on the ground. Quite the dismount. Very beautiful day and a great climb in a perfect tree.
7-12-08: I was quite positive about that tree last year. I’m not being critical, but it’s sometimes funny to read my own enthusiasm. In the moment after a climb my spirits are incredibly high. If you watched my video from a few weeks ago where I was at the top of a tree that I thought was the best climb to date, I went nuts up there. It was embarrassing to watch that video. (DAY 75)
Yesterday’s climb was again at Cherokee Park. But this time I biked there (YES!) Basil got my bike made and I picked it up from the bike courier shop on Market St. Then I rode my nice new bike to waterfront park, to MaryLiz’s, to Drew’s and then to Cherokee. There is something so free feeling about biking. Walking is good, but biking gets you so much farther faster… with no gas. I locked my bike up in the woods and started to climb this tree near by. I got up into the first limb and then saw that is was covered in poison oak and poison ivy. So I was ready to climb right back down when I heard a pit pat pitter patter. I look down at the leaves of the weeds on the ground and saw liquid dropping. I think I might have scared the piss out of a raccoon or something. I am glad I did not climb that tree. I walked a little further and picked another tree by the golf course. Two smaller trunks are right next to the large trunk and I walked up between them to reach the first branch. Then I up I went to the top getting crumbling bark all over my sweat drenched skin. Biking in this muggy heat really gets me to perspire. Here is what I saw and said in the top of the tree:
Then I biked more and more. I am loving my bike. I think it is going to be in more and more of my entries.
