12/06/2024
~ Along the Blanco River, Wimberley, Nov. '24 ~
This Cypress giant died in the May, 2015 disastrous flood. The Wagon Wheel Neighborhood River Park community wisely chose to leave a few of their stable dead trees standing for as long as possible. This old one did what big elder shoreline trees do in floods - it took the brunt of the impacts from rushing debris, such as uprooted trees, broken houses and vehicles. Just downriver of the broad trunk, smaller trees and plants have shelter, are flexible, and thus have a chance of survival. That surviving growth is thriving at this spot. The old tree continued to protect these specimens in successive floods, giving the young trees a chance to mature.
When this elder became too unstable to remain standing in a park zone, it was time for some directional felling. The main lean was over the water and young trees. So, we set a line to assist it into the open pocket, and I cut a high stump, over the Saw Palmetto and its friends. I look a little jumpy in the cut, because I was...ready to jump! The whole stem was full of vertical fractures, and spongy on one side. Yet the notch side was solid, signaling we could do it. Still, I was ready to bolt if it came apart during the cut.
Thank you, old one, for protecting the new generation of Live Oak, Sycamore, Ash and Cypress, all here because you held strong.
