DAY 100

DAY 100
07.13.07
TREE 11 + 1

Just like the first time I climbed this tree, the day was rainy. But it only started out that way. By the time I was ready to climb the sun had come out and the tree was mostly dry. At the base of the tree I had a little trouble determining how to get started. My first attempt caused a strange and sudden numbness in my left hand. It quickly faded and I moved around the trunk clearing the webs in preparation for my second try. I succeeded but then jammed my head into a broken limb and that hurt quite a bit. Suddenly the thought of it being Friday the 13th struck me, but I shrugged it off as silliness. Once a little bit higher up it was easier. This tree isn’t too big so it wasn’t long before I was sitting on that horizontal part of the trunk that leans over the lake. I grabbed my ribbon, stuck it in my pocket and looked around at all the overlapping branches from surrounding trees. With this I was determined to find a transfer and get to the ground via another tree. The tree to the left was too far but the tree to the right had possibilities. I got up on my feet and stepped into the next tree. Quite easily actually. Then I began climbing down. Now climbing down a tree you never climbed up can be interesting. You really have to look and plan. But not too much for this one because a foot there and handhold here I was almost down. I jumped down to the ground satisfied with the reclimb and the addition of a new tree. I love improving on old climbs.

7-13-08:  You thought, maybe, as you were reading the entry above that my mentioning of Friday the 13th was a foreshadowing of bad things to come?  I did.  Just now when I reread that.  I mean, I know I haven’t fallen out of a tree so it couldn’t have been that… but something.  I guess the strange numbness in my hand and hitting my head was enough to constitute bad luck.  It was quite the opposite I’d say.  I transferred into a near by beech and climbed down safely to the ground.  Iwas quite happy with that.

Speaking of hitting my head….  MaryLiz and I rode our bikes down the River Walk trail all the way to Shawnee Park yesterday.  It is an awesome trail that I had never been on and at many points the trail is flanked by large trees.  I will definitely be going back over and over to climb trees there.  (Hold onto the head thought, I’ll get to it at the end)  So anyway, we got to Shawnee Park and found water to quench our strong thirst.  It was incredibly hot yesterday,  Then as we got close to the trail entrance I stopped to climb a big beech tree.  When I got close the trunk I realized I didn’t have a good way in.  All the limbs were too little to hold my weight so I got my bike and leaned it up against the trunk.  MaryLiz held on to it to stabilize it as I climbed on.  But it wasn’t tall enough, nor was I.  I gave up and looked for another tree to climb.

Just a few paces away was a funky looking maple.  All the branches had sharp intense angles and curved down towards the ground.  I hung from one large overhanging limb and went up to the top of the branches bend.  Then sat on my butt and scooted down towards the trunk.  Then I slowly moved from branch to branch up towards the highest point I could reach.  I didn’t get to the very top but I was still pretty high.  This tree had a lot of dead limbs and old knots but they were very strong.  I took pictures of the Ohio River nearby, Maryliz watching me from a bench, and my view to the ground.  Then I climbed down.  Towards the bottom, instead of going back out that limb I came in, I chose to go down to where the trunk first splits.  It was about 10 – 12 feet off the ground.  The ground below was a slight hill with the higher side to my right.  My plan was to jump and roll.  I dropped, my feet hit and automatically my body rolled at a right angle since I am most comfortable with that direction.  The result:  my head and right shoulder and all my momentum just went straight into the ground and I stopped.  Luckily it didn’t hurt too badly.  I guess I have a pretty tough head.  I should have rolled left but I just wasn’t thinking.  You live, you learn.