widow makers

[benjamman]

we all know to look out for widow makers and not to setup under them.
on trips out iv seen limbs branches on the floor and thought to my self im so glad i wasn't under that when it came down
but iv never see or heard them come down , have any of you ? ever had any close calls ? would love to hear a bout it .

Ben

[LyttleBryan]

I was about 25 yards away hiking when a widow maker came down. I about jumped out of my skin it was so loud. The branch from what I could tell was about 8-10" in diameter.

[warbonnetguy]

i heard a monster old growth hardwood fall off the top of a 40 foot cliff once, leveled the forest below, sounded like a earthquake.

[Cannibal]

I saw, actually watched, a tree that was probably close to 100' tall fall one morning. I was south of Damascus about 30 miles, or so. Genuine Draft, myself, and a friend named Leftfield were sitting around a morning campfire when there was a very loud 'crack'. We turned to watch this old (seemingly healthy) tree start to fall. It took out the canopy of several trees near it on the way to the ground. It was on a very steep slope, so when it hit, it just started tearing down the hillside. The impact was enough that we could feel it through our feet like someone hit the floor with a sledge right next to us. It came to a rest about 50' away from us. I don't think anybody said a word the whole time from crack to stop. Once it stopped, the only word spoken was "****". We walked over to the felled tree to see it up close. It was too big around for me to get my arms around it, by a long shot!

It was quite a sight and I'm thrilled I was present to watch nature doing some spring cleaning.

[2.ooohhh]

I was about 200 yards away when a strait line gust took out a stand of pines along a nearby ridge at 2am. They sounded like thunder when they broke and I swear I felt the trees hitting the ground, although they were all in seemingly good health they could have easily become widow-makers had we been too much closer. I took pics of the damage the following morning on our hike out.

[lori]

Was fishing on a lake shore when a large dead tree just toppled over - I think my friend and I must have jumped about four feet in the air. Still a vivid memory for me.

I also broke a land speed record, hiking in a redwood grove on the coast when a strong gust of wind roared through and blasted branches down - when a 10+ foot branch the size of a small pine tree crashed 15 feet from me, I was up a hill and gone in the blink of an eye. Never moved that fast since.

[earplug94]

I don't know about you guys. But, falling tree limbs (large) and falling trees freak me out more than any bear, snake or deranged human being ever will in the backcountry.

[dkperdue]

Camping with the Scouts last fall. We (The adult leaders campsite) were sitting around the fire swapping lies and heard a serious crack and then felt the vibration when whatever it was hit the ground.
Wasn't too close and we did not hear any Scouts screaming like little girls so we didn't investigate until the next AM.
Huge limb fell in it's entirety and broke up some on the way down. The biggest part was about 12 inches diameter, 5 feet long. One of the end pieces was about 4 inches diameter, 5 feet long and stuck straight into the ground about a foot and a half.
We brought all the boys over to see it and to show them why they should check the trees above them when selecting a campsite.
Pointing at the one stuck straight in the ground, one of the younger Scouts commented: "WOW, that would sure kill a vampire!"


Then we had them drag most of the good parts to the adult leaders site for our firewood for that night!

"Never do yourself what a Scout can do!"


Later . .
DKPerdue

[earplug94]

My boss told me a story that cracked me up. To this day, He is reluctant to talk about the Bell Witch of TN.
He was with a large scout group in middle TN. It was around 40 people or so. They were all sitting around a campfire and one of the kids had stood up and was telling a story of the Bell Witch in TN. Read about her if you are unfamiliar. At your own risk of course- lol. Well, The guy finished his story. A young girl toward the back stood up and screamed, "I don't believe in any Belllll w"> SMASH. A giant tree limb. I mean big crashed about 10 feet from her. The whole group of kids scattered like mice from a ship sinking.
The Bell Witch still freaks my boss out to this day. I about died laughing when he told me the story.

[ice man]

Last July we had a bad wind storm come through. There was a catalpa tree right next to my garden on the neighbor's property. Huge sucker about 30 in. diameter. I'd been cussing it, thinking if it'd go away there'd be a lot more sun on the strawberry patch. I got woke up by the wind around 2:30 AM and was looking outside when there was a huge cracking, ripping wood sound and WHAM! the whole house shook! I turned on the backyard light, and holy crap! The whole back yard was tree leaves, and branches where there didn't used to be. Then more wood ripping and Whump, The big maple out front by the driveway on the other neighbor's property came down. Half just missing my front porch, the rest in his yard. When it did it tore the electric meter right off his house.
Needless to say I was near hysterical panic mode, thinking the house is next. Looking out one window then the other, no basement to hide in and the driveway blocked by a tree preventing escape. Wound up with a considerable addition to the wood pile out back for when the wood burning stove finally gets put in. A professional lumberjack couldn't have dropped that catalpa tree with more precision. There's about 8 feet between my garden and the neighbor's house and it laid a 18 inch log right down the middle. Yeah, the main trunk took out a row of grapes and a row of red raspberries, when it hit the garden, but they'll grow back. It missed the garage, tho, by about ten foot. I just lucked out all around. both neighbors were without electricity for a coupla days, but not me.