On April 14 2023 I made a pilgrimage of sorts to the Fork Ridge Tulip. It was a long rainy day, accompanied by forest ecologist Margaret Woodbridge, who graciously filled in my gaps in my knowledge of the region’s flora. Hiking from misty high-elevation spruce-fir forest down into the realm of the rich coves was spectacular- the diversity of tree species, epiphytic mosses and liverworts, and herbaceous species in flower was a real treat.
Once we reached the Tulip in its well-hidden cove after a bit of a bushwack off-trail, I was pleased to find that a marker pin was still affixed to the trunk, allowing remeasurement without any guesswork at the previously determined DBH level. High up the slope, with my 200x mounted on the tripod and triggered by bluetooth, I was able to be confident in making the best measurement I could make from the ground-
191′ 9″ x 18.28’cbh
Barely any change in height at all- 0.15′ shorter than the tape drop from 2011, 12 years later. The CBH has increased a bit more from the 2011 measurement of 17.75’cbh- which really just translates to an increase of 2″ diameter.
A couple different views of the Fork Ridge Tulip follow. Also included are a couple shots of the Poke Patch tulip, previously mentioned in this thread, which we visited on the way out- no measurements, just a lingering sense of awe.
Erik Danielsen » Fri Jan 19, 2024 7:59 pm