Aspen graffiti is common on Utah hiking trails. I like to check out the larger trees and look for dates. Jim and L.C. made their mark in 1912.
This carving has been around even longer. Obviously, people felt the need to leave a lasting impression. As far as I can tell, the names and dates haven't harmed these trees, but I do wonder if a deep carving might provide an entry for disease or bugs. 
I'm not sure what this says, but it was on a very old tree that had fallen across the path.
Who are these crazy tree-huggers, and what are they up to? Why, it's Steve and our daughter, measuring the circumference of an Engelmann spruce tree we saw on our hike up Days Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon, east of Salt Lake City. The tree is 13 feet in circumference, at the upper end of size for the species. We estimate it's about 200 years old.
Wow, That is really cool. I think I might just have to go carve on a tree.
ReplyDeleteWe have arborglyphs around too. Unfortunately many are not historic. Considering an Aspen only lives about 100-150 years it's getting harder to find live trees with old glyphs. Yet now that most people aren't usually out in the middle of nowhere, unlike you two, I hope they don't continue to carve their undying love on the trees. I'd rather see the tree huggers and encourage visitors to hug and sniff the sweet Ponderosa Pines.
ReplyDeleteThat tree is certainly deserving of a hug or two..hundred.
ReplyDeleteTree graffiti is a most imaginative term - wonderful! The spruce is a great specimen. No carvings on there? I see Gaelyn calls them arborglyphs - another great name.
ReplyDeleteWife and I have been hiking up Big Cottonwood canyon years ago plus in grade school I used to go to a summer camp in nearby Brighton.
ReplyDeleteThe carvings in cottonwood trees are hard to do right. At my uncles ranch in Idaho my brother and carved various things in lots of cottonwood trees and none of them ever "took."
wow that's quite a tree--it's fun to look at the names and dates, but my dad would never let us carve into the trees, I don't know why. But I wouldn't let my kids either. I guess I should look into what the effects are.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I see tree graffiti I always wonder where the people are now. Love all the photos, especially the one of the 'tree huggers' :)
ReplyDeleteAn English Girl Rambles
Hi Janie, the dates on those trees are interesting.... ANd that HUGE tree is amazing... It would be hard being a tree-hugger when trying to hug one of the huge ones... ha ha
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Betsy
I love it. On a recent hike to Table Rock, west of the Tetons, I met a guy destroying the old graffiti on the aspens. He was scraping them off. I asked him why and he told me he and his wife had put them on years ago and now were divorced and he wanted no trace of that relationship left.
ReplyDeleteI asked him if they had children and he said they did. I asked him to please not wipe them out.
Great post and pictures.
Antiquity in the bark and the circumference of those trees. That's a cute pic of your daughter and Steve tree-hugging!
ReplyDeleteCouples who carve their initials on trees always make it, 100 percent. (I've never once heard a tree say otherwise.)
ReplyDeleteI've never carved anything on a tree, and I probably won't start now, although the dates on some of the carvings you showed are very impressive.
ReplyDeleteI like the picture of the tree huggers.
oooh i love to hug trees too! Monster pine trees are my favorites : )
ReplyDelete- The Equestrian Vagabond
Those dates are quite a testament to age of trees who outlive the people by a long shot. They remind me of tattoos. (on a different note, I think a lot of tattoos I see on young bodies now will spread like these tree carvings as their wearers get older and fatter)
ReplyDeleteInteresting tree graffiti, Janie, especially the one on the felled log. Must have taken some time to do that one. I've also learnt a new word from Gaelyn's comment: arborglyphs. Thanks for visiting my blog. I love going on hikes with you and enjoy it when you travel with me! Greetings from Jo
ReplyDeleteI'm sure hugging and measuring is healthier for both the tree and its huggers, Janie.
ReplyDelete