DAY 274

DAY 274
01.03.08
TREE 106

I had to work today but not until 8am.  Then after work I headed straight for the Louisville Nature Center by Joe Creason Park and the Zoo.  I was in a bit of a hurry because I didn’t want to lose too much sunlight.  I walked quickly down the trail making a phone call to my insurance company along the way. 

I arrived at the fallen tree and just got right to it.  Only instead of going slow like I had done on the first climb, I was up the tree in a jiffy.  It really shows how efficient and comfortable I have become with the shimmying technique.  I sat and paused where the fallen tree rests in the fork of the live tree.  There on a small branch was my white ribbon waiting for me.  And just as before, I was tempted to go out further on the fallen tree’s right limb to where it connects to another small tree. 

But this limb’s bark looked flaky and I had no way of testing its structural integrity.  So I took the pictures

and pulled off the ribbon. 

As I looked around at the bare trees I noticed a building very near by. 

On the first climb I could have sworn I was in the middle of the woods.  Apparently not.  I gave another really hard look at the alternate way down, a bridge 20-30 feet high with nothing but a small creek to break my fall.  It wasn’t worth the risk.  I turned my body around and began my slide to the bottom.  And slide is exactly what I did.  I just pushed with my hands and I started to go down the steep incline of the trunk.  Pretty soon my body was going on its own and I just enjoyed the ride.  It was really fun and I was to the bottom in a fraction of the time it took on my first experience.  I remember being so slow and careful then.  I think it is funny how I though i was such a good climber three months ago.  Now I am even better.  If I chose to keep this daily climbing up for more than a year I wonder if my abilities will ever plateau?  Or is this an area where my skills can always improve and be refined?  As good as this activity makes me feel I don’t see how I can stop.  I find myself craving the climb.  It’s a natural high and I’ve become an addict.  I just worry about the risk.  I hope that I never have an accident but if I continue to push limits and climb everyday, inevitably… who knows.  So far that risk has been completely worth it.

1-8-09:  There’s nothing like a nice conversation with your insurance company while you walk through the woods.  It was actually all automated so it was quick.  And I’ll also tell you that I have gotten better and I continue to surprise myself in my ability to climb increasingly more difficult trees. 

Now to my climb from last Friday, January 2nd 2009.  Still at my grandma’s, still mostly eating and sleeping.  But luckily, we did take a short trip to the mall in Findlay in the late morning.  We rushed in and didn’t spend a whole lot of time there.  I did manage to purchase one of the coolest calendars I have ever seen. 

All while out on our short excursion I searched for possible trees to climb but none presented themselves.  We drove back to Upper and continued our routine of napping and eating.  I however, hyped up on the caffeine from the two glasses of Mountain Dew I drank at lunch, I had to get out to climb a tree.  I walked down my grandma’s street and then took a left towards the Upper Sandusky High School, home of the Rams.  I figured the campus would have some decent trees.  I walked through the cold wind listening to my Ipod.  A check out a few trees and almost started to climb one, but a field across the road caught my attention.  I headed toward what I found out was the fair grounds parking area.  Just a huge field with many trees spread evenly throughout.  I began to look for which I might like to climb and found this:

If you notice near the top of the tree there is a section that still has leaves.  It almost looks like a miniature tree within a large tree.  I had to go check it out.  So I walked to the base and circled the trunk planning my ascent.  One side was badly scarred and it offered my entry.


The strong edges of the scar made for great grips as I climbed up to the first branch I could reach. 


As I climbed up through the large limbs I noticed that there was a lot of fungal growth, some soft, some crusty. 


I worked my way up to where the many small limbs with leaves were. 

But as I have learned climbing many trees the branches with brown leaves

in a tree with mostly bare limbs are the dead and dangerous ones.  I chose to climb a large branch to the side of the miniature tree. 


I figured I’d be safer and I’d be able to take better images of the peculiarity.  I shimmied past a broken stub of a limb

then settled into a comfortable seat.  I had a lot to look at.  The tree itself was full of color and intricacies. 


Then looking out I could see a hospital,

the water tower,

the fair grounds,

the high school,

andjust some generally interesting and beautiful landscapes. 

I took a bunch of images and then sat a while.  It was cold but I was really enjoying this climb and this tree.  I watched cars drive by and I would look to see if I was ever spotted.  Then I eventually made my way back down the same way I went up.  I studied the scar and the trunk closely a little while then decided I’d walk back.  It was a really good break from the family and the lazy routine.