What's up with that??!

I kinda finds it funny.. how many people either laugh or give me weird looks when I'm either in a tree or talking about climbing a tree. IS there something wierd about a 33 yr old "kid" climbing a tree?

It makes me smile

just out of the tree's!!!!!

slingshot

You can learn a lot about people by how they react. Some people just light up when you talk about tree climbing. Others glaze over or look perplexed. There's a good chance that the glazed donuts never climbed a tree as a kid.
-moss

A couple of the people I spoke with did climb as kids but still didn't really get the whole "adult" climbing tree's bit. Then some of them really never paid attention to the tree's except to "clean up" after them

I told them about a few of my own "treetop" experiences and they kinda understood.. but then stilll thought it odd..

happy climber
slingshot

Slingshot,
You might also want to check out a couple of earlier threads that add a lot of great reasoning or discussion as to why we are viewed as not mainstream.
See the following threads under Gen.Discussions here namely:
http://www.tci-forums.com/viewthread.php?tid=367
and also one called,
"Get out of that tree" on pg.2
They are great reads.
Charlie.

Originally posted by moss
You can learn a lot about people by how they react. Some people just light up when you talk about tree climbing. Others glaze over or look perplexed. There's a good chance that the glazed donuts never climbed a tree as a kid.
-moss

Or maybe they just forgot what it was like to have climbed a tree.

These folks oughtta read The Little Prince.

love
nick

The women have been known to do the occasional wolf whistle, and they like to see me without my shirt.

I don't think I even hear any of the other comments };]

Originally posted by slingshot
I kinda finds it funny.. how many people either laugh or give me weird looks when I'm either in a tree or talking about climbing a tree. IS there something wierd about a 33 yr old "kid" climbing a tree?

It makes me smile

just out of the tree's!!!!!


It is kind of funny the coments that I get when Climbing my tres or talk about climbing trees for fun. Typical comment " Are you crazy!" or I'll never do that".
It is kind of funny to be recognized in the neighborhood as the "crazy-52 year-old-man" that climb his trees. Even funnier is that there is and 84 year old man in the same area learning to climb by himself!

some of the comments i have heard while up in a tree:

- are you ok?
- do you need help?
- i'm calling the fire department
- what are you doing?
- are you sure you are ok?
- i don't get it
- thats something you dont see ever!
- mom what is that man doing?
- dad, what is that man doing? i dont know son, come here, i dont trust him
- are you cutting down the tree?
- is there a problem with the tree?
- are you with the parks board?
- why?
- huh
- neat
- how old are you?
- are you ok?
- do you need a doctor?
- do you have a cell phone in case you get stuck?
- that looks dangerous
- why would you want to climb a tree?
- are you a tree spiker?
- i'm calling the police, hippies are not allowed to camp here.
- are you rock climbing?
- is this what rock climbign is?
- look lil bobby, that man is rock climbing


and the most IDIOTIC statement i have heard, form a complete MORON

(takes place while I have the throwline over a limb and am setting the ringed friction saver)

"is that your climbing rope?

The odd thing is that we practice such a quiet, gentle, and personal sport like recreational tree climbing and yet it has a tendency to “alarm” people when they catch you doing it.

There is nothing crazy or destructive about recreational climbing. So why do laymen and onlookers often perceive it that way?

“Have Ninja, Will Travel”
-Ej-

^ i dont know its why i climb stealh a lot, so i dont have to deal with joe q public MORON...

i had one woman freak out on me about cutting down the trees and how they are good for the earth, ands how logging is bad..bla bla bla..i let her rant for 20 minutes and then pointed out "uh Ma'am? do you see a chainsaw anywhere?" she stopped here rambling and looked confused (actaully she looked like she had been hit a few times with a crowbar..) "well, no" she replied "but you still should'nt be cutting these trees!" i responded again "uh Ma'am, i'm NOT cutting any tree, i'm CLIMBING the trees, FOR FUN, you know? FUN!" she stammered and then fell silent, her emberrassed husband poitning out the OBVIOUS....

GAH!

>:|

SRT-Tech,I 'm glad to hear others have to endure the same rediculous comments people dish out when I'm climbing. We should make a running list. By far the most common question I hear is, "Are you cuttin the tree down?"

Others include:
-aren't you scarred?
-how'd you get up there?
-how are you going to get down from up there?
-are you a tree sitter?
-thats dangerous!
-am I safe?
-your going to die.


The worst is having to explain the big shot. Once, after telling a passerby that it was like a giant slingshot for setting a line in a tree, the man went on to tell me about how a catapult would work much better for my purpose. I thanked him for his suggestion rather than pointing out that I was launching a 10oz weight, not a dead horse. I'm seriously considering some poison ivy to go with with my black and green harness for super stealth climbing operations (aka recreational climbing).

nah man! you need to climb in a GHILLIE SUIT!!! camo your rope with strips of brown grey and green burlap sack, spray rubber coating on al the biners to silence the clinking....



im seriously considering this.....

I must admit to telling a woman that I would get the cat out of the tree quickly as I pulled my Big Shot out of the trunk when called out to perform a cat rescue from the treetop. It brought tears to her eyes. I made a quick explanation and settled her down to a degree. I was just setting a line in the tree. This is NOT obvious to most folks with such a wicked looking sling shot!

I get a lot of comments too when I am discovered climbing. But most folks settle down when I say I am just a kid in a grown up body that still loves to climb trees (followed with a big smile). Sure I have had cops call me down. One person even said mean things. But negative conversations can easily be turned positive with a simple explanation and a smile. I think there is a lot of "climbing envy" when people stop to stare and watch.

SRT Tech- I thought I was ninja! Geeze- what a suit!

I know this is totally nerdy, but this thread (especially that camouflaged duder) got me thinking about ways to be more stealthy while rec. climbing. I usually climb to get away from people and into trees, not to field inane questions and do tricks for a bunch of slack-jawed gawkers. So I asked myself, what can I do to can make myself blend in with the trees? I already got a black and green harness, but wearing a bright red eyesore on my head doesn’t exactly make me invisible. I thought about spray painting my helmet, but I still need it to be visible at work and I’m not sure that would be a good idea anyway. So, I checked the local army surplus store and found one of these covers for a couple bucks. Has Velcro straps and fits pretty well. Now to get me some poison ivy to replace my worn out, bright orange blaze!

p.s. I’m aware that the cover is dorky and probably won’t make much of a difference. But its still kinda fun!

Cool cover, definitely stealth. You can insert some foliage into those slots to break up the helmet contours and you WILL be invisible.

It is pretty amazing how invisible you become just being in a tree (once you pull your ropes up).

Let me know when you figure out how to get that new baby up in the tree with you. I figure it'll take more that a 5 gallon bucket attached to your saddle.