DAY 183
10.04.07
TREE 105
Part 3
Excited about climbing a new tree, I went to Cherokee Park and drove the loop looking for possibilities. I quickly found a spot with a few good trees near Dog Hill. I parked and walked over. I chose a tree right on the edge of the road with a long, wide trunk and high branches. I figured I could use the strong bark to scale the trunk to the first limb. But just climbing wasn’t working, so I tried running up the trunk and grabbing hold. I tried this numerous times to no avail. Very frustrating. I gave up and walked about 20 feet to a sycamore. I ran up its trunk and got a hold of the first limb on my second try.
I climbed up pretty easy till the trunk split and I was on one side of the fork but wanted to transfer to the other side since it went higher. I walked out on a smaller limb and reached over. My body was like a bridge over a long drop. I was a little nervous. But I moved slowly and carefully, transferring my foot over, then the rest of me. I climbed the rest of the way up, almost to the top.
I tied a white ribbon, took some pictures, collected a leaf and then climbed down.
Again, that transfer back was a little scary. Even the second time, but I know I had it. At the bottom limb I walked out using another higher limb for support. When that was out of reach I slowly cat crawled out to where the ground sloped upward leaving only five feet or so from the limb and the ground. It was an easy jump.
It’s a good feeling to climb a new tree, but I am surprised by the continuing heat.
10-4-08: Welcome to Part 3 of the Daily Climb Project. Part 1 was new tree climbs from April 5th 2007 – July 3rd 2007. Then starting July 4th I began climbing those trees from the first 90 days again. I did this until October 3rd of 2007. Part 3 is the next 90 days of the year, October 4th 2007 – January 1st 2008, where I climbed new trees again. Part 4 will be the last 90 or so days to make a complete year, and will also be the reclimbs of the trees in Part 3.
I will continue to post the pictures and entries from exactly one year ago and also write about my current climbs. I hope you enjoy these coming entries. The fall colors are near as is my experiences of moving back in with my parents, getting a job with a tree service, travelling to Portland, Oregon, and all the trees I climbed everyday throughout the fall and beginning of winter. Most of the entries so far have been in daylight and the trees full of leaves. As the foliage colors and falls you’ll see the trees’ skeletal structures emerge and the views from the treetops become more and more open and clear. I also climb much more at night and in pretty nasty weather. I hope you enjoy them and please feel free to comment on whatever comes into your head as you read my blog.
As I was saying in my last entry, Rachel and I were in Shawnee Park yesterday. We took a lunch and feasted upon a fallen tree. When we finished I spotted a nice big maple nearby that hadn’t lost any branches in the wind storm.
The first branch was an easy reach after a running start and a step off the trunk. But for Rachel, who wanted to climb as well, it wasn’t so easy. I crouched down and linked my hands to boost her to the branch. She got herself attached and worked her way on top of the branch receiving a few scrapes on the leg. When she had moved to a higher branch I then ran and climbed up myself. She went slightly higher and found a nice resting spot as I climbed around to the other side of the trunk looking for the best path to the top. After one bad path, I climbed down, then back up another major limb to the top. Rachel was now hard to see, but with my camera’s zoom I found her.
With the leaves still pretty thick I didn’t have much of a view. Just some more of the park here and there.
The dry weather and changing temperatures is starting to have their effect on the leaves.
As I often do when with someone else, I didn’t stay too long at the top of the tree. Rachel mentioned how she had found a spot that would be perfect for sitting and reading… but she didn’t have anything to read. She was ready to get down. I came down stopping halfway to get one more shot.
I climbed past Rachel and dropped to the ground going slow to show how Rachel should do the same. Then on the ground I gave her a little help by supporting her foot then she just let go of the tree and I had her on my shoulder. I guess that worked… not what I expected, but there was broken glass just below that branch and a fall could have been very painful.