Anyone can experience the Canopy Magic
You don’t need to be a canopy researcher or need the biggest tree to enjoy the magic found aloft. You can have a great time lounging for awhile atop a limb in your own backyard. But you have to be safe and secure so I strongly suggest getting instruction.
In June 2001 a woman named Toshiko Hikosaka was the first Physical Challenged person to ascend the fifth largest Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum, 80 meters tall) known locally as the Stagg tree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stagg_(tree)
She was helped by John Gathright of Tree Climbing Japan. The year before I was part of the crew lead by Genevieve Summers (Dancing with Trees); Peter Jenkins (Tree Climbers International); Tim Kovar (Tree Climbing Northwest); John Gathright and Nobu (Tree Climbing Japan) that climbed on the 2000 Solstice to plan the way for Toshiko.
At the top of this 252 foot tall tree is a burned out hollow formed hundreds of years ago when it was struck and ignited by lightening. The hollow is eight feet around and can sleep four. The floor is carpeted by a thick bed of soil fertile enough to support grape vines. The westerly side is open to view the San Joaquin Valley. Everyone has viewed a tree from the outside but inside the hollow the Stagg tree has swallowed you like Jonah. Your view of the inside of huge limbs is hard to wrap your brain around.
I admire the efforts of people like Toshiko and her mentor John Gathright. The ATG group has taken upon themselves a respectable task of exploration and documentation of the few remaining old growth trees we have left.
Awareness about recreational tree climbing has grown each year and in 2008 Peter and Patty Jenkins hosted our annual Rendezvous celebrating the 25th anniversary of Tree Climbers International. With around 100 in attendance the event at Simpson Wood conference center in Atlanta was treemendous.
We have formed an advisory board that is called “Go Tree Climbingâ€; www.GoTreeClimbing.com that is in the process of publishing guidelines for various climbing techniques that are offered by experienced instructors to the general public. I suggest that you review all of the sites linked with recreational tree climbing and if interested in getting aloft your path will be made easy.
You can locate Instructors in select cities all across the states and take classes that following guidelines that have proven successful in producing competent solo climbers. So you too, regardless of special personal challenges can saddle up, get on rope and ascend any giant that happens to be around you. It is our belief that the best climber is not necessarily the one most fit but the one having the most fun.
Dan House
Branch Manager at www.TreeClimbingKansasCity.com
