Big Trees in Cali

Tree Stand!

People fall out of those things every year. Serious injury and deaths have occurred. It might be interesting to get a figure on yearly hunting injuries and see how many of them involve falling out of a tree stand, (sober or otherwise).
That is indeed an excellent point.

Regarding rambunxious people in the trees. Tree climbing takes quite a bit of dedication and education. People that are just in it for some quick fun don't have the determination to learn what it takes to get some bozos and a boombox into a tree.

Fear not and enjoy.

love
nick

Originally posted by NickfromWI
...People that are just in it for some quick fun don't have the determination to learn what it takes to get some bozos and a boombox into a tree.

Fear not and enjoy.

Ya know Nick, perhaps your right.
Any hero can grab a new mountain bike, get a couple of “radical” leg tattoos, and go slash the living crap out of the neighborhood jogger’s trail, but it does indeed require a tad more finesse to get into the canopy.
Also…
I find it charming that tree climbing is safe if your smart and deadly if your stupid. Kind of like a built in “Bozo filter” eh?

P.S. NickFromWI about to hit the 200 post mark? whew!

Bozo filter??? I like that!

200...come one! I wish there were more people here with me!

I've yet to meet a climber that I wouldn't want to bring into the woods with me. That's not to say they don't exist.

love
nick

I have long wondered at the kind of people that have been attracted to tree climbing and stuck with it. It DOES take a lot of exertion to get up a tree. It DOES involve an element of risk, if for only the heights alone. It DOES require one to think in quite a focused way, yet in slow motion none the less (tree climbing is not lightning fast compared to other sports). The people I have seen enter recreational tree climbing ARE unique, and quite a different lot from mainstream uhhhhhhh, (how do I say this?) ….normalness.

There is indeed a filter inherent in tree climbing as we do it. I am not sure mainstream will ever show up, now that I look at it from this perspective. I guess we will see, no? (I have been watching for 21 years now)

The following is a very unscientific observation and quite disputable but, here goes anyway!

Most of the male tree climbers that I know are middle aged or older. There are very few teenaged or college-aged male tree climbers. Most of those who do fall into the teenage or college age category do not place tree climbing at the top of their list but instead place it below rock climbing, whitewater kayaking, etc.

Most of the female tree climbers that I know are either pre-teen or middle-aged and older. There are fewer teenaged and college-aged female climbers than there are males in this same demographic group.

It is my suspicion that tree climbing tends to attract people who have graduated from activities that provide adrenalin-charged thrills and are now ready for adventure that is no less dangerous but is done more for the pure joy of being outdoors than for thrills and an adrenalin rush.

It would be very interesting to conduct a survey that would identify the traits that characterize us serious tree climbers. I know--I should do this myself! But in less than twenty four hours I will be on the way to the rainforest and won't be home for seven weeks. Perhaps when I get home...

I, like Joe, am curious about what attracts people to tree climbing. I got involved after seeing a picture of Abe Winters in Nimrod (USA Today, Jan. 2000). At the time, Abe was carrying a few extra pounds and I thought to myself, if that guy can do this....so can I!

At any rate, I am actually amazed that it does not attract more people. Everyone who I convince to climb has a great time, but seem to treat it as a one time thing or a lark. There does not seem to be the level of enthusiam that I feel. Maybe I'm not selling hard enough.

One more comment. Until taking the Facilitator's Course with Tengu, I never realized how much problem solving skills are involved. There is always the challenge of initial entry and setting lines, but the teamwork involved in reaching a certain goal or branch showed me that creativity plays a huge part in wandering about in a tree.

Thinking outside the box has become an added bonus to what has always been a relaxing and meditative pastime for me.

How about folks that just love trees?

And did we EVER get off topic, but here's my thoughts.

I am relativly young, almost 30. I have always just walked around staring into the trees. I'm not sure, but I believe that stories about Lothlorien, and maybe even the images of the Ewok village reinforced my love of tree climbing.

That said, I am not an adrenalin junkie, I just have a healthy disrespect for fear. I get plenty of excitement at work, and the gentle rocking of trees always makes me relax.

Who can really say why we do what we do. Joe's observations are mostly true, I hope there are more young guys like myself around when you old farts drift away!

Back on topic. I'm having some minor good luck gaining access to a retreat center behind my new home. I started with a simple e-mail to the director (sometimes the direct approach works, right Nick?). I'll let you guys know how the next meeting turns out. I hope to get him into a big poplar on his retreat, right behind my place.

Climb Safe!
Icabod

Anyone around here that wants to go on a scouting trip with me to find the good climbin'-sequoias? It's always nice to have someone else to bounce ideas off of and another pair of eyes to see the things I don't see.

I know I'm not the first rec climber to climb a sequoia, but I sorta feel like I am. The pioneers didn't leave an easy trail to follow. Or maybe they did and I just can't find the proverbial trail-head!

love
nick