DAY 337

DAY 337
03.06.08
TREE 168

I ended up at Norman’s last night.  We made pasta dinner, I whooped him in Scrabble, and then we watched Into the Wild.  It was a powerful movie that got me thinking.  So much so it was hard to turn my brain off and go to sleep.  I thought about the tragedy of Chris McCandless’ death, and the beauty and courage of his life.  "Happiness is best when shared."  It got me thinking about Rachel, and then as I began to fade it turned to thoughts I can’t recall.  I always know it is a movie I like when I think about it for days.  Castaway was another one like that.  Similar, but very different as well.  Both dealing with survival with oneself while the value of former relationships grow in the process.  Plus the tragedy of death and loss. 

Norm made pancakes in the morning then I went home.  The day was turning out to be very warm and beautiful.  The perfect conditions for a difficult tree climb, and for play at the park.  So I called Will on my way to the public pool on 393,

telling him I was headed to Waterfront Park after my climb if he wanted to join me.  Then I parked at the right front corner of the lot

and crossed the soggy, muddy ground of the playground to my tree. 

I walked a circle around the trunk to study a way in.  I put one foot on the massive trunk and hugged the right split trunk fumbling the flaky bark.  I gripped enough to get my other foot in the split and reached the lowest little offshoot limb.  I looked up and saw my ribbon at the top of the far split trunk.  But I saw an easier path up the near trunk.  So I went with it.  The branches were strong and I slowly made my way up, not to the top of this side, but as high as I was comfortable. 

I stopped and took a few pictures. 

(look at the top of the pic and try and find the pink ribbon!)

I was about 15 feet below the level of the waiting pink ribbon and had no possibility for transfer.  Realizing the challenge ahead I climbed back down to the branch above the split of the two trunks.  I pushed off one side with my hands and my body fell toward the other trunk.  I caught my weight, positioned my arms on a large limb and jumped. 

I began my ascent up this side and knew I was improving on my previous climb.  I had found a better way up without relying on small and dying limbs.  But this made me over-confident.  When the trunk thinned and split again, I was faced with one little stub and about 4 feet of emptiness.  I was baffled at how I had done this the first time, and in the dark.  It was at this point that three teenagers showed up at the playground.  As I worried about my path and my safety they talked just below me on the playground equipment oblivious to my presence.  I was quiet but occasionally broke a tiny branch or knocked off some bark.  They didn’t notice.  I decided to ignore them and put my full focus into my next move.  With planning and holding on for dear life with my entire being, I made it. 

And from there I still had three or four branches to climb to get to the ribbon.  I did and these small, shaky limbs held me but I feared and respected them.  I ripped the pink ribbon down with the feeling of partial success. 

I made it to the top but I still had to climb down.  I took pictures trying not to move my body too much. 

Then I put the camera away and watched those three teenagers walk back to their car and leave.  They never saw me.  Relieved, I looked around me once more humbled by this tree, then began my descent. 

The patches that were tough on the way up were tough on the way down.  I trusted little tiny limbs that I shouldn’t have but they held nonetheless.  I took my time and was scared almost the whole way down.  This tree had kicked my ass.  How the hell did I do this in the cold darkness the first time?  I did improve today on my previous attempt, but unlike many of the reclimbs where scary first climbs become easy seconds, this tree was tough both times.  And that’s why, when I finally jumped off the split in the trunk, I felt a huge feeling of accomplishment.  I had climbed this tree, both sides, successfully.  I overcame my fear and accomplished my objective.  I improved from the first time yet knew I had plenty of room for improvement.  The day I lose the fear of tree climbing is the day I lose the thrill, the sense of overcoming, and that heightened focus that makes me feel alive, and keeps me alive. 

3-16-09:  I had this stupid idea then that it wasn’t interesting to take a picture of the whole tree from the ground.  That it was all about my perspective from within the tree.  But that approach to the tree, the seeing it in its entirety is so key to the understanding and envisioning the climb.  This tree ranks up there with one of the scariest and I just wanted you all to have a picture of the whole tree and I don’t have one from the first or second climb. 

—

On Friday, March 6th 2009, I called up Tim to go slack lining.  I had seen him the night before at the BBC and his right hand was in a cast.  He hadn’t been at work for a few weeks, hadn’t been able to climb, and was getting stir crazy.  With me there to help tie the knots, slack lining was something he felt he could do.  So Norman joined us and we went to Hogan’s Fountain in Cherokee Park.  There are two trees that Tim likes to use.  The ground between them drops slightly so we didn’t have to tie the line so high up on the trunks of the trees. 

Norman and I got the line set and tightened with Tim’s instructions and we started walking.  It was difficult and I had trouble focusing.  The last time I had done this with them I had trouble balancing until I climbed a tree.  It was in the back of my mind the whole time, but I wanted to get across the whole line before climbing.  I kept falling and failing and was getting frustrated.  I didn’t want to have to depend on a tree climb to focus my thoughts and energy.  Then I just caved.  I was looking at both trees we had used to tie the line and I was trying to decide which one I wanted to climb.  Then I thought, they are so even I should climb both.  And walk the line in the middle that way I can climb both with ever touching the ground! 

I was excited.  Norm suggested he film it so I gave him the camera. 

 

I had climbed the first one fine but thought about that line the whole time.  It would have been so disappointing had I lost my balance.  I did almost lose it there twice, but I wanted it so bad I fought and stayed on.  Then on the second tree they were egging me on to go back to the first tree.  I tried but the real desired result had been met and the fight wasn’t in me anymore. 

It was an awesome feat and a great accomplishment.  After the climb I was invigorated and the three of us began trying to jump onto the line. 

I finished the day by trying to do a forward roll on it.  The first one was okay, but the second I fell and landed on a root and kicked Norm in the stomach.