While working in the backyard recently, I heard the unmistakable "bass" crack of a tree trunk in the home woods without the classic "swoosh and crash" of a landing on a calm day. After finishing, I walked into the house and told my wife what I heard and to stay out of the woods in that area. Within two hours, boom! Well, this sounded like a good time to look. A medium sized elm snapped at the butt log because of stump rot and fell into a 30+ inch white oak with the classic "edge" collection of many branches. The white oak main trunk proved to be 99% hollow from top to bottom. The elm leaning on the oak was the "last straw" and the oak came down in every direction in a hundred pieces. To "rubber neck" the "bass" crack would require walking under the white oak to find the elm and right into the "killing zone". We have missed falling trees while hiking including one we missed by only seconds... A little time to let things "settle" is always worthwhile. And yes, I have a nice pile of wood to cut only 100 feet from the stacks.
Good call! Did you have the crazy wind gusts that we had here in Wisconsin today? Or maybe there's more wind incoming since you just posted this a few minutes ago? Earlier today, our patio umbrella attempted a Mary Poppins after the gusts of wind we had.
It is just a big patch of brush about 50 feet around, leaves and branches, including some collateral casualties (more stems). Besides, I am out hiking...
