Mushroom/grouse hunting yesterday took us deep into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We went down an overgrown, obscure road to nowhere that was not listed on the map and found a Patriarch in the Doug Fir lineage in a hidden hanging valley. An old growth Fir of a size seldom seen nowadays. Pictures don't do it justice. The tree appears to be in excellent health and unbelievably tall. It towers above a casual campsite with a dry stacked fireplace and a small rocky stream runs nearby. The site has been used in the summer because a small dam of stones backs up a pool probably two and a half feet deep. Just right for dipping on a hot day. Enough space to put a 12' X 14" wall tent. There is evidence that wood cutters have been at work on several smaller but still large wind fallen trees nearby. Maybe they camped there. The area was very clean. I hope that indicates that those who know of the the tree and campsite have proper respect and awe for such an ancient King of the Forest. Long May He Reign!
While I was checking out the stream I noticed a lot of quartz rock and rock with quartz veins in it. Not a lot of quartz in this area, mostly granite, diorite, rhyolite and andesite as one would expect around a strato volcano such as Rainier. The presence of quartz kinda gets me wondering. Given gold's association with quartz, next time I am up that way I may have a folding shovel, rock hammer and gold pan. Other kinds of gold in them thar hills than just chanterelles!
What an absolutely beautiful spot under such a majestic tree! As Eric VW said, great pics & thank you!
Imagine having the job of cutting those down with hand tools back in the day. Or moving the logs before diesel power was common. Any grouse?
Very impressive. It would really be interesting to take a tape up and measure the circumference. Might be able to get a rough age on it. Not a over abundance of those around I'd bet!
Wow, that's a monster! So cool to just stumble on it. Good luck with prospecting too! Keep us posted, well if ya can.
Thats cool. Nice to hear that its healthy too. Makes you wonder how old it is. Anything around here doesnt even come close to that. I do stop and admire a big tree regardless of species where ever i am.
Not this time. I suspect we are in a cyclical low in the grouse population at least in this area. We almost always see a half dozen or so when mushroom hunting but none this time. One of my buddies said we need a grouse call or maybe play some grouse attracting music real loud. He wondered what music a grouse would like? I said "Blue Grouse music, of course!".
Wow! That tree looks about the size of the huge sitka spruce that used to be on the Oregon coast. And yes it's weird to find quartz in the cascades. I'm a bit of a Rockhound and there is alot of YouTube videos about opal and quartz up above the sweet home Oregon area.
