Loss Of A Landmark

Loss Of A Landmark

tower line hike (18 of 25)
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I heard from a friend the oyster mushrooms were growing in our area. Also known locally as the “shaking ash” mushroom this anise flavored mushroom is one of the first edible one to appear. I love them. tower line hike (13 of 25)

I  usually find them on dead aspen trees.  So, after work, I hiked out in the woods near my where I have found some in the past. The woods are just so pretty this time of year. The trees are covered in their new, light green leaves. The new ferns are now covering the forest floor. And many wild flowers including the dwarf ginseng and may flower are everywhere.tower line hike (15 of 25)

Didn’t find any oyster mushrooms and came upon a sad sight when I got to a tower line. The cut a wider right of way and cut down an ancient white birch tree that served as a marker to the path leading from the tower line to my town of Green Ridge.  The pure white bark of this tree could be seen from a distance, even in the dark, and looked for it many a day after picking huckleberries or returning from a hike. I have been walking past it almost my entire life, as did many other folks, and long before I first saw it. It was a treasured part of my younger days. And now it is gone.tower line hike (6 of 25)

The entire tower line now looks so different. The towers were actually replaced by poles and the wide swath of trees that were cut has totally changed the towers of my memory where we spent many a day picking huckleberries, laughing and enjoying the summer months.

The only solace I can take is it appear the tree was rotting from within so it would have died naturally in a few years. Still sad to see it go. So returned home without any mushrooms and knowing that my hikes out the tower lines will never be the same.tower line hike (23 of 25)

Here is a link to some more of the photos i took on my hike today. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-5/nggallery/blog-photos/tower-line-hike-may-21-2015

 

 

“All our wisdom is stored in the trees.”
Santosh Kalwar

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