Chiricahua Muse, a photo by wild trees on Flickr.
Juniper. One of my favorite types of trees, and this particular tree, one of my favorite individuals. Juniper, wonder tree of the west, 'useless' for timber, these beauties cut for fence posts and rails and little else. This particular tree grows within Chiricahua National Monument, on a trail called the Inspiration Point trail (how many trails are there with that name in National Parks?). Looking out from the rhyolite flow that terminates in balanced rocks and cliffs, you see a biological wonderland, full of geological oddities, endemic species and, stopping to listen, one of the most biologically rich bird populations in the United States. Thankfully this place is not a National Park, or it would be better known...
Hills to the Sea, a photo by wild trees on Flickr.
A beautiful end of summer sunset. Doesn't that sound perfect just about now, in the depths of the rainy season? These beautiful hills run from the Alta Creek to Sam's River Drainages in the SW Olympics. In between lies the wild Tschletshy Creek valley, wild and remote, full of elk and bear and other creatures. This photo seemed a fitting antidote to the dark and drear of winter, a reminder that these rains bring life, that moss dripping with rain and giant trees growing by remote canyons exist because of these storms. So, summer, I look forward to meeting you again. Hopefully not too long from now.
Magnificent, a photo by wild trees on Flickr.
Fire Giant. No, we're not talking about some creature to defeat in World of Warcraft. Rather, we're talking about the dominant tree found in so many ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest, Pseudotsuga menziesii. Despite its total inability to grow in shade, many of our most remarkable forests feature even-aged stands of huge fir. It seems hard to imagine the magnitude of the fires that must have swept across our usually wet coastal plains and mountains, blackening nearly everything in sight and setting the stage for large forests of this sun tolerant species. Imagine the newly scarred landscape, brightening with fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), buzzing with bees, and soon covered by young fir, the seeds growing in beds as if specifically prepared for this august species.
In honor of the 2012, I post this photo of an enormous Douglas Fir, found in the Big Creek drainage in the Quinault Watershed. I walked in this forest last summer on a peaceful day, awed by the beauty of many trees, brethren, standing together and sharing the light in a most harmonious way. Seems so fitting for the first post of 2012, a year I hope is marked by peace, by cooperation, and kindness. Happy New Year, all!
