DAY 192
10.13.07
TREE 114
When I was interviewing for the tree service job, Robert, the owner, told me about a tree climbing championship in Central Park that was being held and recommended I show up. So I woke up, threw on some clothes and drove downtown to check it out. I got there around 11am and the competition was in full swing. There were different events and a lot of tough looking guys. It made me envious and excited. Envious of their skill and excited that pretty soon I’ll be learning this stuff. I watched for a long time trying to take in as much as I could about their actions and technique. I grabbed a gear catalogue then tried to identify some trees. At a break in the action I started to walk around to find a tree to climb myself. I almost felt like I shouldn’t. These people are big proponents of safe climbing. It’s what it’s all about. And here I’d be free climbing, putting myself in danger and possibly asking for attention and criticism. I did not want to be looked down upon as careless or foolish by my future associates. So I found a knobby little tree on the outskirts, well hidden and away from the action. The trunk is large and bumpy and split in two about six feet up.
I tried a couple times just climbing till I finally got up with a run up the trunk.
I was careful and quiet, trying not to call any attention to my actions. I climbed slowly and on the side of the tree out of view.
I got up into the limbs and got a good stance to shoot some pictures.
Then I took a seat to enjoy the sunny afternoon. I relaxed more as I knew no one was watching.
Then I climbed down, jumped to the ground and was happy I went unnoticed. It was a cool tree, challenging but not too high, and an interesting day. My thoughts of my future job and its contrast with this project and free climbing are conflicting.
10-14-08: Ha! “My future associates.” That didn’t work out so well. The strange thing was that my boss wasn’t even there. I walked around open to talking to people. I looked for people with Greenhaven t-shirts on (the name of Robert’s tree service) and tried to talk to one of them. Turned out it was Hugh… someone I got to know a little and who actually warmed up to me, but on that morning was in no mood to talk to me. Only two people there seemed to give me a chance. It was uncomfortable to find out that most guys there did not want me on their team. That job sucked. But I did learn the basics of climbing (at the end) and I have no conflicting thoughts anymore. I climb with or without gear and it doesn’t matter to me as long as I am in a tree. My frustrations and work stories are coming… you’ll see.
On Sunday I was slightly hung over and just hung out in the house most the day. Then around 4 I finally got up and rode over to River Road. My plan was to go to either Cox’s Park or something by the river. As I was biking down and crossed the bridge over the creek I saw a nice tall sycamore. I stopped and went on the grass and walked my bike to the edge of the bridge. I hid my bike in some bushes then crossed the railroad tracks. I was a little hesitant at first since there was a big “no trespassing” sign. But it was Sunday, not much traffic on River Road, and no trains in sight. I crossed and walked down the large rocks under the bridge. I started to wander around the woods looking for trees. The further I went from the bridge the more the mosquitoes and the thicker the under growth on the forest floor. I was wearing shorts so the plants were rubbing against my skin and I was getting burs and other things on my legs and shoes. Then the poison ivy started. I looked around and it just took over, like ground ivy. So I went back to the edge of the bridge and found that first sycamore that drew my attention in the first place. Mosquitoes were swarming me so I needed to get into the tree. There weren’t any live branches for 20-25 feet. I began my shimmy up the trunk and very carefully used a few dead limbs for temporary supports as I adjusted my leg and arm grips. The sycamore bark was constantly flaking off and scraping the insides of my legs. When I finally reached the first strong limb I caught my breath and tried to rest my arms for the rest of the climb. It is a thin and tall tree with sectioned branch growth.
Similar to pines, the branches grow from one six inch to 12 inch section then there is an empty span of 2-5 feet, then another collection of limbs, and so on. It makes for stop-and-go climbing. Reach, grab, pull up, hook a foot, stand up straight, repeat. I got to the top and the sun was bright over my view of River Road.
I took a bunch of pictures then put the camera away and swayed in the top for a little while. Just before climbing down I saw Joyce Garner driving down the road in her Honda Pilot hauling her art trailer. I called her cell phone to let her know I just saw her from the top of my tree. In most situations that might be one damn creepy phone call to get, but I think Joyce appreciated it and got a kick out of it. Then I climbed down. Once the live branches ran out I hugged tight to the trunk and slid down. My legs really got scraped up then, but I made it down with out any major problems and only a few insect bites.
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