Report on the 1st Annual Blue Ridge Climb-In

Well, the 1st Annual is histroy and BOY did we have a great time!! Anybody can shop-til-they-drop, try Climbing-Til-You-Drop!! We sure did. I climbed 4 trees on Saturday (most ever!) one of them to over 100 feet, all on DRT. I live here and all of the trees that I climbed this weekend were first timers. Thanks to Joe Maher for bringing his Big Shot which facilitated the first climbs in the wild (and I do mean WILD) sections of the property. I don't own a Big Shot (YET!) so I have been unable to get at some of the the "trees with character" as Joe describes them. Thanks Joe for giving me a whole new perspective on tree selection.
We climbed Poplars, one really BIG Hemlock, Maples, Oaks, White Pines, and a really cool Umbrella Magnolia.
The weather was near perfect, with the exception of a stiff breeze on Saturday morning that added a little more excitement to the already exciting climbs. I don't think Bill and Joe thought that Hemlock would move an inch!! IT DID! and them some.
I am too tried to list everyone personally, but I must mention Harry Barnhurst who drove all the way from PA., thanks Harry. Also, Bill and Joe Maher that provided the Big Shot and entertainment around the campfire both nights, thanks guys.
For those of you who missed it, well, we will definitely do it again next year, the first of October, so mark your calendars. There are still lots of "trees with character" to be discovered.
Thanks to everyone who made this event a success, I'm going back to bed~
later,
Bob in VA.

W.O.W. What an Outstanding Weekend

Thank you Bob for hosting this event! For all of you that missed this one, mark your calendars for the first weekend in October 2004. This is a must attend! Yes, I am a beginner, climbing for a year, so what do I know. Well all I can say is that climbing in a forest with so many “trees with character”was…well I am still pumped. I didn’t climb as many trees as the others, but not because there weren’t enough to go around. I just pooped out. Also, I am still working on my “comfort level” but Sunday I did climb to about 65 ft in a yellow poplar named “Twin Towers”. This is the tree that I slept under the previous two nights. My tally is four climbs in four trees that were obviously new to me. As it were, all my climbs were in Tulip Poplars.

The weather cooperated fully. It was a little chilly on Friday night and overcast part of the day on Saturday, but then the wind came in and helped push the clouds away to reveal a sunny day. The wind also made our Saturday afternoon climbs a little more exciting. Saturday night was a little warmer and by the time the fire started to die down, we were all ready for our tents. Both mornings brought beautiful star-filled skies, each with an equally beautiful sunrise. Sunday morning, while being a little cool, was another sunny day. Most, if not all, of us got in another climb before we needed to head back to our homes. I personally logged nearly 1100 miles and the weekend was worth every one.

Thanks again Bob and thanks everyone else for your assistance and encouragement. See you next year, if not sooner.