Hideout tree
I’m not sure which will come first: me winning the lottery or me having grandchildren. Should the latter ever happen, though, I’m going to build a fort in the branches of the tree you see above.
As long as I’ve been rambling about Roundrock, I had never seen this tree until my recent solo trip there a couple of weeks ago. When #1 Son Seth was a little guy, Libby pointed out a weeping willow tree to him, and he said it would make a great “hideout tree.” I’ve been on the look out for a good tree house tree ever since, but most of my forest is under 30 years old, and none of those trees are big enuf yet. There are many old timers, but their branches are usually far too high off the ground. Or, like many of the big black oaks on the north-facing slope, they’re of an age when it’s time for the winter weather to start bringing them down. (And it has.)
This tree, though, is ideal. It branches nicely about ten feet off the ground (though it is a little hard to tell in this photo), and with a little creative architecture, I think I can put together a respectable tree fort. Even the lean of the trunk will allow for easy climbing into the tree.
During one of those idyllic boyhood summers I spent in rural Kentucky, my grandfather built a tree fort, and if I remember correctly, my older brother and I actually spent a whole night in it. It sure would be nice to give some children a few idyllic summers spent in rural Missouri some day.
The is a white oak (I think), and it is on the north-facing slope not too far up the hill from the dam. You can see a bit of blue lake there at about 9:00. It would be just far enuf away from the house to give a sense of adventure.
Missouri calendar:
- The Missouri Natural Events Calendar is blank for today.
January 30th, 2009 at 7:08 am
i had a tree fort as a young kid. i spent countless hours there. my dad built it spanning between two trees. the main support was attached to one tree and slid in the crotch of the second. it was very high off the ground, at least twenty feet. i had a zip line as an emergency escape–which was every time i exited it. the tree was impossible for my younger sister to climb. i had it adorned with old car parts from a local old dump i found in the woods.
we’ll have an excellent tree fort here in good time. i wish you luck on your tree fort exploits–especially getting suitable residents;)
January 30th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Hmm. Build it and they will come…?
January 30th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
LOL at Rurality!!
January 30th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
That is an awesome tree. And you’ve hit my goal this year… the boy’s been asking since last year, and I’m still trying to find the right one. I never had one as a kid… he’s going to! Karl’s memories are great…
February 6th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Tree fort can have ground support. Not quite a tree ‘house’ but perfect for all sorts of fun.