If a tree falls in the forest...

**Walking Bear** · 04-30-2009, 21:04

Originally Posted by Shadowmoss

David: I think that the drought years have taken a toll on the trees, and that is why so many are falling over. At least back there in the East. Out here I don't think they know what drought is...

**yes, shadowmoss is whining AGAIN about all the rain**

My mother who was from Washington used to tell of a game show where the question to the contestant was "Where in the United States did it rain today?" The man answered Seattle Washington, I was there for six months in the Army and it rained everyday.

**DavidWa** · 05-02-2009, 15:25

Originally Posted by Shadowmoss

David: I think that the drought years have taken a toll on the trees, .... back there in the East.
**yes, shadowmoss is whining AGAIN about all the rain**

Perhaps so but the major drought areas are further south in Georia, Alabama etc. Where I live the rain fall last year and for the last several years has been about normal.

However, a good point , perhaps hanging under trees is a little more risky in drought conditions. Which is one type of cyclical environmental stress.

**whitefoot_hp** · 05-03-2009, 19:58

Originally Posted by canoebie

There are documented cases of people being hit by falling trees in canoes. One in particular was on the Brule river which forms part of the border between Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. Two ladies paddling along on a nice quiet day, tree falls out of the blue, kills the lady in the back of the canoe. Turned out it was a beaver chew.

I see dead trees in the rivers all the time, and know that at some point, some how they got there. I just don't want to be an up close and personal witness. Glad you are ok, and this is another reminder to always look up when making camp. Dead is dangerous.

several years ago a man was killed on the chattooga river, while scouting a dangerous rapid from shoreline the day before he intended to paddle the river.

**BillyBob58** · 05-03-2009, 20:47

Originally Posted by whitefoot_hp

several years ago a man was killed on the chattooga river, while scouting a dangerous rapid from shoreline the day before he intended to paddle the river.

So there you are trying to figure out how to keep the river from killing you, and a tree kills you. Sometimes danger is hard to avoid. OTOH, I guess I could just stay home and die of a heart attack or car wreck or whatever.

**whitefoot_hp** · 05-03-2009, 21:05

Originally Posted by BillyBob58

So there you are trying to figure out how to keep the river from killing you, and a tree kills you. Sometimes danger is hard to avoid. OTOH, I guess I could just stay home and die of a heart attack or car wreck or whatever.

sometimes life employs the most sadistic forms of irony.

**riverkeeper** · 05-03-2009, 22:40

billybob--
What is a WIC?

Wilderness Information Center
Several Large National Parks have public info folks exclusively focused on giving info to hikers on back country trails and issuing permits.

In other parks this service may be in the visitor center or referred to by a variety of other names.

The big 3 in WA have WICs -- Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades.