Climb to measure tallest pine, plus more stuff

[mdvaden]

Maybe last January I posted about the world's tallest pine we found near Grants Pass, Oregon. Not far away, Michael and Frank found a new largest Ponderosa pine for Oregon. Yesterday, Ascending the Giants, came down to measure the big tree nomination, but climbed the tallest pine first, to get a tape-drop number. A bit over 268 feet, and just a few centimeters different from our laser rangefinder numbers earlier this year. The local TV news and the newspaper folks showed up too, and hung-out for the day.

 

Michael and I left the group for a short while to do a bit more exploring, and found what is at least the 2nd tallest known Sugar Pine. Could tie the tallest, but is at least 2nd, near 253 feet. I think the climbers are going to fit that one in too, although the discovery was unexpected. That makes only two Sugar Pines known over 250 feet.

 

Here's a bunch of photos from yesterday.

[mdvaden]

Few more ... The speck like a bird is the climber between the tree tops taken with an 11-16mm

 

[RobArb]

awesomw pics:thumbup:

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Always enjoy your posts Md, awesome quality shots too.

 

Just shows what can be done with a high end camera

[NI Tree]

brillent

[Tom D]

beautiful pics, I love that pine bark, without the climber for scale that tree could be 1' thick.

[Adam Bourne]

absolutely gob smacked, what amazing photography, and an awesome opportunity, and unless i win the lotto something i will never get to see or do never mind i will just have to look at your photos again.......

[mdvaden]

The guy in the green vest and red shirt (previous post) is the writer for the newspaper. Still managed to get himself into the woods, although he had a near fatal crash years ago, not long after getting out of the military. His leg is so bent when he walks, I'd swear the knee joint will snap. But he just keeps right on moving. Good writer too.

 

The newspaper photographer below does rock climbing, and seems to hope to go up with them someday to be able to photograph from above for the experience. A fisherman in his spare time too.

[slack ma girdle]

I'm not looking at your posts anymore, to say that i am envious is an understatement......

[DrewB]

nice work bro, epic.