DAY 182 – End of Part 2

DAY 182
10.03.07
TREE 99

END OF RECLIMBS  (Part 2)

I have decided I would like to climb every day for a year.  This puts me halfway there.  I got up early today because it’s going to be a busy one.  I headed over to Shawnee Park around 9am.  I parked off the road near my tree.  I walked up to it, ready but a little sad.  Sad that this reclimb is coming to an end today.  But also excited that tomorrow I can climb any tree I want.  I stepped under the first low branch and jumped to grab it.  I grabbed another part of the limb with my other hand and went hand over hand closer to the trunk.  Then I lifted my feet up.  This limb is crowded with offshoots and was a little annoying to get to my feet.  But I did and then looked up above me to a close branch.  I grabbed it with both hands, pulled up my body, and got my left foot on another nreaby limb.  It was great because I had just bypassed four limbs which I had used to get up the first climb.  I was more efficient and that felt good.  An improvement.  Then I just climbed, like a machine on a mission.  I was strong, sure, efficient, quick and agile.  I was up to the top in no time.  It just amazed me because the first time I went slow and was so scared.  At the top I grabbed my white ribbon and thought about how it will be the last ribbon I find in a tree for a while. 

I pulled out my camera and shot the great view of the surrounding fields, trees, sky, and buildings. 

I really love this tree for the good climb and its significance in my project.  I held those branches with love and respect.  When I finally decided to climb down I said goodbye.  I even mentioned that I hope to visit the tree again in the future.  I grabbed three various leaves and then made my way down.  Not easy, but not hard.  I enjoyed and appreciated every limb this tree offered.  I jumped to the ground and took in the whole tree.  A really good start to the day and great ending to this part of this wonderful project.

10-4-08:  I have sad news.  Rachel and I biked to Shawnee Park yesterday because I wanted her to experience the River Walk Trail and to see the park.  There was so much storm damage in this park.  It seemed more trees were affected than not.  We had lunch on a fallen tree then climbed another that wasn’t broken.  (I’ll discuss this in the following entry)  Then as we were riding out of the park I looked back for tree #99.  That is when I saw this:

When I was typing up the entry from a year ago I was thinking, what a sappy entry.  I really have become a tree hugger.  But now, after seeing this tree on the ground and then rereading how much I connected to this tree it made me sad.  Some tree climbs are just so great I hope to be able to revisit these trees in the future like seeig old friends.  But now I can’t….  I am a tree hugger in the literal sense and I guess I should just embrace it.  This project has resulted in day after day of one on one interactions with trees.  I feel like I get to know them up and down.  A bond from a shared experience is created and valued.  In documenting the process is becomes a permanent and lasting memory. 

What is strange is that I never planned to come to the park on the one year anniversary of the climb.  It was just coincidence. 

The day before I was waiting around the house for LG&E to turn on the gas.  Once that was done I had some time to get away before I had to get back to wait for Insight to hook up the internet.  I have been wanting to go to Unique (the thrift store in Portland) so I biked down the River Walk then over to the store.  I found some awesome deals.  The best was a messanger bag that was from a Philadelphia police officer.  This bag has every pocket you could imagine and fits perfect.  It was only $3.45!  I packed the clothes I bought in it and biked back to the trail.  Then I went to a tree by a playground that I have noticed before and thought it was time to climb it.

I locked up my bike in the picnic table and then began to climb.  I decided to climb with my bag to see if it would work.  And, happily it did.  This is great because now I can bring so much more into the tree.  It expands my options for projects possible in the treetops.  The climb up the tree was great and fluid.  At the top I had a pretty incredible view of the river and surrounding area.

I also got some great shots from within the tree of the tree itself.  I don’t what kind of tree this is… and I should look it up.  It was a good climb.

The climb down was a little more complicated with the bag since it would get caught up, but not too bad. 

With all the trees in this world, I shouldn’t be sad when some fall.  They were special but I should be happy that I got to climb them once or more before they fell.  And like all life… they come and go.  Such is the cycle.