Life in a Tree

I recently got an invitation to join my friend, Chip, in the Pisgah forrest for a day of hiking.  Saturday morning we met up at the ranger station early enough that we beat everyone that hadn't camped Friday night.  From there we headed up to our planned hike of the Pink Beds loop.  It's obviously the wrong time of year, because I didn't see anything pink out there, just lots of green.

There are areas of the trail where there is no underbrush below the hardwood trees.  It was very clean and peaceful looking with light grass coving the ground among the tall trees.  In fact, Chip and I stopped at several areas just to stop and appreciate the scene in front of us.  One of the things we talked about is if you take the time to stop and listen in places like this, nature will come alive.  The insects and animals that hide when you approach will start to continue their day in your quiet presense.   Unfortunately, in our quiet moments, we were unable to convince any bears to show themselves. 

The other half of the trail followed along some creeks and muddy areas.   We examined the paw prints in the mud, but the bears still eluded us.

Look at the below photo.  Do you see it?

You are looking at a very well camaflaged camp site just off the trail.  The smoke in the right side of the photo is a small camp fire being shielded from view by a mound of leaves and small branches.  To the left of the clump of tree near center is a green tarp.  There is a stick coming through the tarp and the tarp is open on the back side.  If it wasn't for the smell of the smoke, we wouldn't have noticed this well hidden camp.

Just before we encountered the camp, we passed an older man with a long grey beard on the trail.  He was dressed in full camo and stepped off trail with his back to us as we approached.  After we passed him he came back on trail and slowly followed behind us.  Shortly after passing the old man I heard some noise in the brush on the right of the trail.  There was a young man laying in the leaves, again in full camo.  He was digging around on the ground with his hands.  He was right next to the trail, but like his camp, I wouldn't have seen him had he been quiet when we passed.

After our advendtures on the Pink Beds trail, Chip took me up to the Mt Pisgah trail.

It was on the Mt. Pisgah trail that I contemplated life in a tree.  Near the trail head we encountered this tree.

The trunk was only a shell and I decided to see if I could fit inside the cavity.  While I attempted to squeeze my entire body in the tree I realized I was pushing quite hard and I started to consider an exit strategy.  Chip encouraged me to push harder and assured me he would help pull me out if I became stuck. As I squeezed into the tree I considered how hard Chip would work to get me out.  How many photos would be taken before I was extracted?  How many other visitors on Pisgah would take photos with the man stuck in the tree?  I decided not to push my luck.

When you get to the top of Pisgah you see two things.  First you see an incredible view in any direction.  From above the world, we looked into the hills.  For all the miles and miles that were visible we saw very little evidence of people below us. It was a view of mostly endless nature.

Second, you see a massive television antenna.  Although this tower is man made, it didn't really upset me to find it in such a beautiful and natural surrounding.  

I found the tower quite interesting.  Maybe it is the engineering that went into building it in such a remote location that interested me.  In it's own way, I found it amazing.  If you scout around the base of the tower you will find the survey disk marking the top of Mt. Pisgah.

On our way back down the mountain we encountered a family with several children.  The boys were climbing some rocks and I asked them if they had tried to climb into the tree at the beginning of the trail.  They looked at me like I was crazy.  Apparently I was the only one contemplating life in a tree that day.