If a tree falls

It was beautiful up in the mountains this weekend. The forest floor was covered with yellow tamarack needles. It did pour down rain on Saturday night and there were very high winds. Last night, while I was outside of my camper, I heard one tree get blown over and crash to the ground not very far away. On my way out today there were many trees down but none that I couldn't get around with my truck.

It's pretty scary in a stand of timber when the wind is really blowing. The root system on these trees in the mountains isn't very deep. The top soil is very shallow. My grandfather taught me to camp out in the open when the wind is blowing. He was a ranger for the forest service, and would always camp out in an open meadow if possible. A tree can come down and kill you. It happens and will crush a camper. A couple of years ago I was hunting up in the mountains. The wind was really blowing and trees were falling all around me. I saw one coming down and I stood behind another tree as it fell not far away. All of the trees were swaying left and right and they were crashing down. It's scary. The sound alone will freak you out. Believe me, if a tree falls in the woods there IS sound. And there is always something living to hear it.

There was a break between systems this morning. So I went on hike. It's hard to tell how high up in the mountains this is from the photo. But it is way up high like on the side of a volcano. Hunt Club is staying up for the week. It will kind of suck for them as wet weather is moving in. I'm heading back up next weekend.