pics soon, i dont have a camera!

while deep in the woods today, climbing another tree, i looked over and there it was.......almost a 1/2 km away, poking out of the forest like a beacon....a giant maple tree (99% on the tree ID - wait for the pic).

I quickly rapped down, pulled my gear down and hurried down the trail towards the tree.

a 4' + thick trunk, splitting into 2 x 2' wide trunks about 40 feet up, then splitting into almost 40 x 1' limbs, then many many smaller limbs....i estimate the tree to be around 200 - 225' high, i will know better once i bring the measuring tape to the top.

all around the tree is DENSE brush and trees, making a throwline toss almost impossible. Need the slingshot for this one.

will be returning this week to bag this one. Will probably set up a SRT line for easier entry and egress, i want to stay up for some time in this one!.

more reports on this one to follow, with pics (hopefully the GF will loan me her camera)

That's one HELL of a maple if it's 200' tall.

Get us some pics so we can ID it!

You sound just a tiny bit excited about this one...

slightly excited?? you have NO idea !

it stood out like a beacon, the bright leaves like a glowing orb amongst the green of the forest. When i stood under it looking up, the sun caught the leaves and reflected the sunlight.....I felt very very small standing under this tree.

I'll admit its no giant seqioua, but for my area a find like this is RARE. Its in a deep wooded area too, so i can even set up treecamp without hassle. I will even be able to limb walk a bit, unlike the rest of the trees that have almost vertical limbs, this one has almost horizontal limbs. Some over a foot thick!

i cant sleep....i'm too excited. I'm supposed to be looking for work...but I dont care. This is getting climbed monday!!



as for tree ident, it "might " be a vine maple or a big leaf maple, these are very common in the southwest coast of BC. The trunk has greyish bark, with deep vertical furrows (amolst like a tulip tree ) the trunk is big and thick, the spurs are big and thick and the leaves are big, about 6" - 8" across, in the classic maple leaf _style_.

the GF will have her camera tommorw, i'll get her to get trunk, limb, and leaf pics.

ok had a short session today, due to time constraints for both of us....

pic 1

taken from 40 feet up a neighbouring tree:


pic 2 a bit dark, but you can see the trunk seperating into two, (this happens at 30 ish feet up) and a great view of all the big limbs to walk on.



would have taken mor epics, but her camera bit the dust.

The tree looks really neat. Do you have the coordinates, or are you keeping the location a secret? It looks like a really good addtion to the treeocache site.

Originally posted by Wild Bill
The tree looks really neat. Do you have the coordinates, or are you keeping the location a secret? It looks like a really good addtion to the treeocache site.

nope, not advertising this one. don't mean to sound greedy but i really dont want a ton of people to come thru and climb it. Its on a trail network that sees a few passerbys a day, i dont really want a hassle with one of them complaining to the local authourities , and then possibly being told not to climb it anymore...