Smacked by tree loaded by snow
Posted: May 11th, 2019, 4:21 pm
Raise your hand if you've ever been smacked by a tree that suddenly releases from snow burial.
Yesterday I was hiking the Cool Creek trail up Devils Peak near Rhododendron. I was near the top climbing the steep spine before the Cool Creek trail meets the Hunchback Mtn trail. The snow was deep and many tree branches were still buried from the winter snow. I needed to crawl under a low branch and I was on all fours when my hand touched a buried branch. It released and nailed me right on the forehead leaving a small bloody bruise. An inch or two lower and I could have gotten a nice eye injury. There are so many things that can go wrong hiking.
This tree was a Douglas Fir, a first for me from that species. My nemesis is Pacific Silver Fir. I've been whacked several times in the legs from Silver Firs. Just try and bend a healthy Silver Fir to break it. It's nearly impossible.
Yesterday I was hiking the Cool Creek trail up Devils Peak near Rhododendron. I was near the top climbing the steep spine before the Cool Creek trail meets the Hunchback Mtn trail. The snow was deep and many tree branches were still buried from the winter snow. I needed to crawl under a low branch and I was on all fours when my hand touched a buried branch. It released and nailed me right on the forehead leaving a small bloody bruise. An inch or two lower and I could have gotten a nice eye injury. There are so many things that can go wrong hiking.
This tree was a Douglas Fir, a first for me from that species. My nemesis is Pacific Silver Fir. I've been whacked several times in the legs from Silver Firs. Just try and bend a healthy Silver Fir to break it. It's nearly impossible.