Twilight is a special time — perhaps because it is so short. You really have to hustle to catch some shots, as you did so beautifully here. (What type of tree?)
I’m laughing out loud at this one. As soon as I saw the photo, and noticed that one long limb pointing off to the left, all I could think was, “They went thataway!”
Despite the heavy winter snows, blazing summer sun and high winds on these peaks, it is very dry and these old snags stand for decades, perhaps for centuries. On another peak not far from the one where this one is, there are many old snags on which you can still see the remains of blaze marks put there when the trail was built in the 1920’s and they are still firmly rooted and solid.
The atmosphere is so dry up there that even after a hard rain they dry out very quickly and the soil is so shallow that it doesn’t retain much moisture, so there is little rot.
Yes, they are very valuable for birds and other critters as well. On the mountain tops in this dry climate they last a long time too. In a heavy forest they are very dangerous. The two firefighters who were killed here this year were killed by them.
We always call it “the nice light” when it happens.
“Oh look, there’s the nice light on the trees.”
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — August 3, 2017 @ 10:50 pm
I had not heard it called that, but it is very fitting.
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Comment by montucky — August 3, 2017 @ 10:56 pm
That’s just our own name for it. Nothing official.
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — August 4, 2017 @ 12:12 pm
Very effective sentinel!
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Comment by nvsubbaraman — August 3, 2017 @ 11:06 pm
And a tree of many winters!
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Comment by montucky — August 3, 2017 @ 11:09 pm
Twilight is a special time — perhaps because it is so short. You really have to hustle to catch some shots, as you did so beautifully here. (What type of tree?)
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Comment by Sally — August 3, 2017 @ 11:07 pm
Yes, and there are always so many good subjects all around. I would guess by the way the top bends over, a Hemlock..
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Comment by montucky — August 3, 2017 @ 11:15 pm
Very striking 🙂
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Comment by Vicki — August 3, 2017 @ 11:46 pm
There were several up there, as there are on all of the peaks.They really stand out.
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Comment by montucky — August 3, 2017 @ 11:50 pm
I’m laughing out loud at this one. As soon as I saw the photo, and noticed that one long limb pointing off to the left, all I could think was, “They went thataway!”
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Comment by shoreacres — August 4, 2017 @ 6:21 am
That’s a Montana traffic sign.
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Comment by montucky — August 4, 2017 @ 7:34 am
Still standing, that’s a true sentinel.
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — August 4, 2017 @ 7:15 am
Despite the heavy winter snows, blazing summer sun and high winds on these peaks, it is very dry and these old snags stand for decades, perhaps for centuries. On another peak not far from the one where this one is, there are many old snags on which you can still see the remains of blaze marks put there when the trail was built in the 1920’s and they are still firmly rooted and solid.
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Comment by montucky — August 4, 2017 @ 7:39 am
Wow! Hard to imagine them standing so long. Are they petrified? Is that why they still stand? I’m not up on the science of it.
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — August 4, 2017 @ 9:37 am
The atmosphere is so dry up there that even after a hard rain they dry out very quickly and the soil is so shallow that it doesn’t retain much moisture, so there is little rot.
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Comment by montucky — August 4, 2017 @ 9:46 am
I see. Interesting. I learned something new today!
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — August 4, 2017 @ 4:38 pm
Snags have a lot of personality and the birds love them, too.
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Comment by Candace — August 8, 2017 @ 4:31 pm
Yes, they are very valuable for birds and other critters as well. On the mountain tops in this dry climate they last a long time too. In a heavy forest they are very dangerous. The two firefighters who were killed here this year were killed by them.
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Comment by montucky — August 8, 2017 @ 9:43 pm
Nice! Love the warm tones and composition!
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Comment by Reed Andariese — August 8, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
The rays of the orange sun at the horizon really painted the tree.
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Comment by montucky — August 8, 2017 @ 9:44 pm