DAY 104

DAY 104
07.17.07
TREE 15 (+1 mistake, +1 transfer)

I walked out of the Mount St. Francis property towards route 150 damn sure of where my tree was. A grey tree whose trunk splits low. When I got to its base I looked up to find the orange ribbon. Nothing. I walked all around it and couldn’t spot it. But I was sure this was it and figured it was hidden by the leaves. So I climbed. A pretty good climb, I got almost all the way to the top. I was often preoccupied by the slipperiness of my sandals and that the shape made them easy to get stuck in the crotches of branches. Once at the top I looked all around and couldn’t find the marker. I moved all over the limbs, which was quite fun, and determined that a squirrel or bird took it to help build their nest. So I tic-tacked down the limbs and down to the ground.

Then I thought I should maybe check to see if I had the wrong tree. And not 10 feet away there was another tree with a low split trunk closer to the hill down to 150. I look up and see my orange tag right away. Well… time to climb again. Up I went, learning from the previous tree how not to get my sandals stuck making the climb a little better, but wearing out my arms faster. At the ribbon I ripped it off and then continued up. High into the branches I enjoyed the view, took a leaf, and noticed a tree close by for a possible transfer. Like my mistake tree, I could also move quite freely from limb to limb in the tops using the sway to get closer. Once in the closest branch to the next tree I positioned my body for the move. I leaned, got a foothold, grabbed a branch with my hand and let the first tree sway away. This tree was straight and sturdy with plenty of good branches in the top. The bottom, not so much. I began to climb down and I came upon fewer branches, many which were dead. Holding close to the trunk I hoisted myself down to the last branch, which was 15 or 20 feet from the ground. I hugged the trunk with legs and arms and inched down like a koala. My muscles were tired but I was dirty and satisfied. A great climb(s).

the mistake:

view of real tree 15 plus transfer (real tree left, transfer right):

one of my favorite pictures from the entire project:

7-17-08:  After that mistake I made sure to check the picture of my tree before I went out to climb.  Usually I knew which tree it was but sometimes, in heavily wooded areas with homogeneous tree types it can become a little difficult.  But every tree is unique, people and snowflakes.  Yet, when people go to buy a christmas tree they want a tree that fits this perfect image in their head, and any unique characteristics of the real tree are reasons it won’t get picked.  But I digress….

Again, I was biking yesterday to run some errands.  I was going all over the place, and even though it was in the mid 90’s and hot as hell with my backpack on, I was loving every minute of it.  Even the uphills.  I was thinking about what makes biking so pleasurable for me.  I think it is the freedomof biking.  You can go where cars cannot, and, though you are supposed to follow all traffic laws, it is clear that most bikers don’t.  It’s like an accepted lawlessness.  The biking culture is so friendly too.  I’ll pass by other cyclists and always get a wave or a nod.  It is the complete opposite for cars and pedestrians.  So far I have been lucky to have such nice drivers around me, but I know there are some bad seeds out there who would rather not have bikers sharing the roads.  As for pedestrians, I wear a funny looking hat to keep the sweat out of my eyes and sunglasses to keep the sun out of my eyes.  I admit I look a little funny, but please don’t laugh in my face as I bike by. 

I was going somewhere with this thought about biking and my pleasure in biking….  Oh yes, it’s like tree climbing.  Many of the same positive feelings are derived from both climbing and biking.  The physical exertion, the freedom, the solitude, the self reliance, the risk taking….  I must really like those things because ever since I started climbing trees I haven’t wanted to stop, and ever since I picked up my bike last Friday I haven’t wanted to stop riding.  It is interesting and exciting to me to identify such basic elements that make me happy and to know I can find multiple outlets that contain those elements and provide such great pleasure.  But I wonder why those elements are so enjoyable to me?  Could it be that what I enjoyed as a kid, biking, climbing trees, etc., is what I still enjoy today.? Is it that simple?  I believe for my dad, it is.  He has said he used to go to the public pool everyday as a kid.  Now, when it’s warm out, there is nothing he’d rather do than sit out by his pool, sun bathe, and take the occasional dip to cool off. 

As adults we are so consumed with worries and responsibilities that we are unable (most of the time) to live so carefree like we did as kids.  We often turn to things like drinking or mind-numbing television which we never did as kids.  What changed?  Why are the activities we used to enjoy as children not good enough anymore?  I think if we tapped back in to those activities which gets us outside, uses our imaginations, makes us interact more with nature and each other, we’d be much happier people.  I do get a lot of strange looks for climbing trees as an adult and maybe that is why we stop partaking in those activities, because we become socially self-conscious and prefer not to stick out like a weirdo.  I stick get excited when I see a playground, only I run straight to them to play, where as others may hide it, or feel they’ve moved on.  Don’t hold back anymore, people, do something today that you haven’t done in decades… something you used to love.  And then tell me how you feel.  Just a hunch.

Towards the end of my ride I stopped at the church off Hubbards Lane by Rudy Lane.  The one with the cool undulating roof.  I rode into the parking lot and back to the field.  There, next to a picnic table was a massive sycamore and it called to me.  I parked my bike and took off my backpack.  I went over to the trunk and picked my limb and jumped to it.  I climbed up feeling slightly restricted by the tightness of my new shorts.  Well, my shorts aren’t tight, they just have small pockets and I fill them with my big phone and camera and it makes my shorts tight.  Anyway, I worked my way up very high.  I didn’t get to the top because I chose a main limb that wasn’t the tallest and I couldn’t reach the tallest limb from where I was to get there.  But I was high enough.  I had no idea how high, though, since all the leaves made it impossible to see down to the ground.  As usual I took some pictures, but no video.  Lately, I’ve wanted to feel like I have a good idea for a video, not just me talking to my camera at the top.  Then, I climbed down ready to ride home.