DAY 272
01.01.08
TREE 199
Last day of new trees. And thank god I’m not hung over. I woke up on Will’s couch, looked out his window and it just looked cold. We hung out and played a lot of Wii video games. So much that it got to be 4pm and I had to climb before it got dark. But I wanted a really good tree. Last time I had my last new climb I went to Shawnee Park and had one of the most memorable climb in an awesome tree. I had to think quick so I decided on Cherokee Park. It’s my favorite place and it has countless good trees. Plus it’s a pretty quick drive from Will’s. So I bundled up and headed over. The wind was blowing hard and the occasional snowflake flipped and tumbled through the frigid air. I parked by Dog Hill and got out of my truck. It was painfully cold. Well below freezing with no direct sunlight. This was going to be interesting. I headed down the hill looking at all my options.
There were many large trees in the open fields that I have eyed before but they all seemed too easy. I wanted a challenge. I headed towards this one large tree at the edge of the field by the woods. I looked into the jumble of trees and saw a tall one with scattered limbs. One was low enough to get a start with a tough path to find above. I had to walk the circumference to connect all the branches with feasible reaches in my mind. It was doable… just the challenge I wanted. So I apprehensively took my hands out of my warm pockets. The cold air hit them immediately. I shot myself onto the first limb and once I got to my feet I got a shock. A little beagle started barking its head off at me. I was happy I was out of its reach because it seemed mad. It took the owner a good two or three minutes to get the dog to come back and stop harassing me. Then I had a frozen peace. I slowly solved the puzzle of each progressive step. The biggest challenge being my hands. They were beginning to go numb. As I grabbed limbs I just had to trust that they would hold. But up I went. I didn’t get to the top because I ran out of options but I did get very high.
I was excited and a little warmed up. It made this grey, freezing day beautiful.
And I was glad I didn’t get to the very top.
Maybe when I climb this tree again, when it’s warmer, I’ll go higher. I tied my ribbon and took pictures.
I didn’t stay too long because of my hands. But at the second to last limb I noticed it was perfect for a seat.
I sat facing the trunk against a perfect curve. I was so comfortable, happy, and warm here. I’m definitely going here again. So far 2008, very good.
1-7-09: I think by that last picture my hands were so cold I couldn’t hold the camera steady. At any point in this project I could have started to wear gloves. They do make tree climber’s gloves with a gripping latex coat. But I have always feared that they would get caught, or cause some sort of annoyance or trouble that could endanger my life. So I have always climbed barehanded. I believe this has made my hands and me a lot tougher. It takes a pretty damn cold day, well below freezing with a wind blowing for my hands to really get cold. I can also warm my hands up quickly and have learned to adapt. It also keeps my calluses strong and hard through the cold months. Plus my hands are only cold when I am climbing. They can usually warm up even when I am taking pictures. This project has shown me how much I can endure and has made me appreciate all states of weather. I see the beauty in it all and know now that I love being outside no matter the time or conditions.
I have finally reached the last climb of 2008. Last Thursday I went with my parents to Upper Sandusky, Ohio to visit my grandma and bring in the new year. We arrived in the afternoon and visited and relaxed, napped and ate. Then before it got dark I looked outside at the cold, grey, white outside and picked my tree. My grandma has three red maples in her front yard. Two in front of the house and one on the other side of the driveway. I had climbed one of them many months ago. I considered reclimbing it since I didn’t get the chance to do so before, but changed my mind and picked the one next to it.
It looked just a tad shorter but still had plenty of branches for an easy climb. Just what I was looking for. I bundled up and walked out of the garage right to the tree. I wasted no time and pulled myself up into the low limbs. Then I quickly moved up and through the crowded limbs to the top of the tree.
The sun was setting in the distance and was leaving pink and orange undershadows on the clouds.
I took pictures of the surrounding houses,
distant stores in the shopping strip,
and view from in the tree.
There was a squirrel’s nest just below me and out a limb but seemed to be uninhabited.
That or the squirrel was just too damned cold to be scared out of his home. Some neighbors drove by and parked at a nearby house. I am not sure if they saw me or not. But I didn’t stick around to find out. I was cold and ready to be inside so I scurried down, dropped to the ground, took one more shot and headed indoors.
Not an incredibly exciting last climb for the year but it kind of fits the night. I passed a huge party at Norman’s in Indiana with a bonfire, outdoor pizza oven, sauna, and friends for a quiet night of billiards with my dad and uncle, and a few rounds of Apples To Apples with relatives. We watched the ball drop then people dropped off to bed. It was low key but it was nice to see family and bring in the new year.