Giant Tree hunting

[Tom]

I have it on good authority that Leprechauns live in those Rhododendron infested woods  Be very careful about letting your girlfriend get too far away from you.  They will steal her, adorn her with gold and diamonds and she'll never come back.

[SwampDonkey]

I think they already grabbed her Tom. Either that or she wouldn't give up the camera.

[WDH]

DanG Dodgy, don't lose that girl to the Leprechauns!  Tie a rope on her .

[fbelknap]

There is a sycamore near Webster Springs in WV that is suppose to be the largest one in the world.  It is now dieing and has become somewhat of a hazard.  I have visited this tree several time over the last 50 years and it ounce was a magnificent tree.  Here is a link if you would like to read about it.http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/west_virginia/webster/webster_springs.htm

Fred

[WDH]

Whoa!  I would love to visit that tree.

[Dodgy Loner]

I told Casie about Tom's comment last night.  She assumed you brought up the leprechauns because she is short and redheaded .  She didn't know I hadn't put any pictures of her up here!

fbelknap: I've heard of the sycamore before, but that's the first time I've seen pictures of it.  I bet it was quite a sight to behold in its heyday!

[backwoods sawyer]

 




These are a couple of Myrtlewood specimens. I milled the 6’ one on top and am looking at milling the 4 1/2 ‘ one on the bottom, they are by no means the largest in the area.

[celliott]

There is a few old pines a mile or two away from the house, they blew down a few years ago, but there is one trunk still standing.  I am happy my dad took me out to see these 3 massive trees when I was younger, and got to see them standing.  I am making a guess, but I would say 3+ feet dbh.  There is also an old sugarbush nearby, with some very large old maples.  Its nice out today, I think I will put on the snowshoes, and hike out in the woods to measure them, and get some pics.

[celliott]

 












The hike out was great, a nice cold winter day.  These trees stood along an old carriage road, which was used to supply a woollen mill at a nearby river in the late 1700's.  They are by far the oldest and biggest trees around.  A windstorm claimed them a few years ago, leaving 2 trunks standing, while someone tried to cut down the third.  After it was cut down, (which appeared to be quite the job) it was left.  Probably for a lack of a proper saw and equipment.  I measured the stump on the cut tree, and it was nearly 5 feet across.  To measure the other 2 trunks with my spencer tape, I had to wedge the tape under a piece of bark and walk around.  The two standing trunks each measured 60"DBH.  The largest trees I have seen.  for comparison, I am about 6'3, 180 lbs, and that snowshoe is about 3 feet long.  I can"t even imagine the lumber in one of these trees.  Sorry, couldnt get the whole trunk shots to fit in the uploader, and I'm not sure these pictures do the trees justice.  Enjoy.
Chris

[backwoods sawyer]

 
This old gray doug fir tree is dying and will be coming down soon.



The four trees on the right are old and gray, the tree on the left is a quarter there age and is green and growing steadly.