Month: July 2008

DAY 112
07.25.07
TREE 23

Today’s reclimb was down the path off the main drive into Mount St. Francis. It grows just behind a little bricked and paved seating area in the woods. Little black raccoon foot prints are on the little brick wall. This tree was fun and it wore my arms out. I got in and up pretty easily and quickly. As the trunk branched off into a few main limbs I chose the path to my ribbon. Once there I looked for paths further up. What I saw were many opportunities for limb transfers. So I spent a lot of effort getting one foot and one hand securely positioned on one branch, then leaning and reaching for he next, trying to bend the branch I was on enough to get a good foot or hand hold on the other. I did get higher than my mark and transferred to about two other main limbs. The last one I was on seemed to be dying, or at least many branches on it were. I had one break on me that scared me a little but I didn’t slip or anything. These branches swayed really well and it was a fun, multi-limb transfer climb. By the time I decided to climb down my arms were pretty tired but what’s funny is how in serious concentration the fatigue disappears. I can definitely tell when adrenaline kicks in and helps out in those times when I really need my arms and legs to work efficiently to save my ass. From the lowest branch I kicked off the trunk, spun 180 degrees in the air, and landed on the brick wall. Fun dismount and good improvement from the first climb.

7-27-08:  Another weekend away.  This time I went to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri for my cousin Andy’s wedding.  He is the only relative I have my age.  It was a good time, saw lots of family, but now I am back and ready to catch up on my bloggin’. 

I really should have taken a picture of those little raccoon foot prints on the little wall.  They were pretty cool.  Come to think of it… I don’t think I have ever taken a video of me doing limb transfers.  You’ve seen a few of me doing small tree transfers but never within one tree.  That might be interesting.  (noted)

Now I will tell you about a very cool climbing experience that I had on July 24th, last Thursday.  I finished painting the deck in Indiana.  It took me 14 hours to paint the railing and trim the edges by hand, and 2 hours to roll the floor boards.  It was amazing how fast that went.  I left the job about 1 pm and headed back to my apartment to get cleaned up.  I ate some lunch and saw thinking about where I wanted to go climb.  I have been going to Cherokee Park so much that I am kind of feel I gothere too often.  It is convenient because I generally go to the park to get to other places on my bike, but that day I had no place I had to be.  So I biked down to water front park and onto the River Walk Trail. 

Just this past weekend I was discussing with some family about the different kinds of trees I have climbed and which ones were my favorite and least favorite.  I explained how I love sycamores and beeches for their numerous and strong limbs, and how pines can be annoying for their sap.  My dad asked about a weeping willow.  I have never climbed one in my life and they are such cool trees, I made a mental note to keep my eyes open for a good one. 

So as I slowly pedaled down the trail I got away from the busy construction work underneath I-64 and more towards the wooded part of the trail.  I was nearing the old rusty train bridge with the tan house built on top and the humongous concrete blocks used as counterbalances to lower and raise the bridge.  I was staring at the bridge when some thin branches with long slender leaves that blew easily in the breeze caught my eye.  A willow tree!  I hopped of my bike, locked it on a nearby tree and sized up the tree for a climb.  It definitely had potential but I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.  The trunk was large and strong and quickly branched off into a few strong leader limbs in a wickedly winding formation, but there were not too many smaller limbs that branched off from them.  Mostly just the weeping string-like limbs.  I went for it anyway and struggled slowly to get good handholds.  Eventually I did work my way up picking one main leader branch thinking it would provide me the best path to the highest possible point.  About 2/3 the way up I heard a loud siren coming from the bridge.  I looked over and I saw the bridge was started to come down.  I had never seen this bridge move before and I didn’t know what was coming.  I looked to go higher, found a path to go just  few feet more, but waited to see what was coming.  A train eventually rolled slowly over the bridge.  I got a video:


Then I climbed a little higher and took some pictures:

The view down.

The view of downtown Louisville that I could see through the swaying leaves.

Then, wanting to get a video of the bridge lowing back down I went back down a few feet and got a comfortable perch and waited.  I took a narrative video in the meantime:


When the train finally went all the way through I was sure It would raise back up shortly.  But I waited and waited with my legs and butt going numb.  I was about ready to give up when I saw a man walk along the bridge.  I had seen someone do a similar thing before it was lowered so I assumed it was going to happen soon.  It turns out the guy was manually turning a lever that locks the bridge into place.  You think in 2008 they could have automated that by now.  It was also a different person than the first guy 20 minutes earlier.  Was there a shift change from then, or do they have 2+ employees working this old rusty bridge.  (Neither of these men came out of that building on the top of the bridge.  I have no idea what that is used for.)

Anyway, the guy took his time, went back into a nearby building and I waited very still ready to video the bridge going up.  I waited… waited…about ready to give up again I heard the siren and hit record:


That was a pretty awesome climb with damn good timing.  Not that the videos are that exciting but, I was very pleased to have witnessed the dropping, crossing, and raising of the bridge all from my first climb in a weeping willow. 

Pictures for those who do not watch the videos:

Bridge up

Bridge down

Then I climbed down.