See all of the articles and links on this story at The Journal.

 

DON”T RAIN ON OUR PARADE!!

 

The first question asked when confronted with knowledge of this tree is, “Is it real?” Obviously all involved with the tree project want to believe, including me. We also realize that it is one of those things that we can never know for sure.

 

Continued below...

 

Some have said that aspen don’t grow that long. Well, they do. A few minutes on the internet shows several scientific websites that refer to aspen longevity far in excess of a century and some with two century references. The nature of the enviroment the tree lives in has a lot to do with its lifespan. This includes its access to water and sunlight and, probably most important in our case, its elevation. They grow slower and thus longer in higher elevation settings due to a shorter growing season.

The most studied aspen grove is one named Pando in south Utah. The Pando clone encompasses 43 hectares (107 acres) and has around 47,000 trunks, which continually die and are renewed by its roots. The trunks are connected together by its root system. The average age of Pando's trunks (or technically, stems) is 130 years, as deciphered by tree rings. Aspen of 200 years were found. Other sites offer graphs and charts that show aspen living for up to two centuries. To better understand aspen clones see:

 http://pagosa.com/adventure/summer/s_aspen.htm

Kit Carson at about the age when the carving was done.

Tree ring data on this tree will likely not be too helpful. Dendrochronology is a long used method of investigating age by counting tree rings, assuming a ring is grown every year. The best use of tree ring dating is over the long haul. Certain patterns of rings grow making wider rings in some years and narrower in others according to moisture each year. These patterns can be overlaid from an older tree’s outer ring to the early pattern of a younger tree and the younger will show patterns for many years.  An even younger tree will be overlaid on it so a long term of time can be measured.  Tracing these patterns back and time line can be obtained from known times to the approximate age of say, a timber in an Anasazi ruin. It is a close but not exact science.

Jim White, an engineer with the Forest Service, knows his aspen. I think I know his favorite one!

Finding the exact age of a single tree is problematic. Many things can alter the ability to count age accurately. The Carson tree has many of them. This tree lived a long and tortured life. The entire south side of the tree is mangled and deformed. Jim White described to me a condition known as “sun scalding.” Aspen develop this condition due to sun exposure. At 9,600’ the sun is bright. Aspen tend to grow ever shorter “guard trees” at the periphery of the southern edge of the grove. These tend to shade and somewhat protect the taller trees behind them. The Carson tree and many of its neighbors had no guard trees and have this condition which caused the damage. Certainly a condition that drastically alters half of most of the length of a tall tree will have serious repercussions on its growth cycles.

Droughts can make virtually invisible rings or rings so close together that separating them is impossible. We can certainly relate to drought after the last decade. Many years from now someone will cut a tree, count the rings and say, “Wow, it was dry back at the turn of the century!” I also hope they say, "it looks like the drought ended about 2006!" 

Some have said Carson was illiterate so he could not have done the carving. It is obvious that illiteracy is not a black and while thing, there are naturally many levels of illiterate. Anyone not brain dead can read “Coke,” for instance, and there are many that can write a signature that can’t read the bible!

There are some other things to look for. I noticed an interesting similarity between the Carson tree from Northern California and ours. Although Carson was known to be illiterate over most of his life he did become more literate in later life. At first he had a way of writing stick-figure capitol letters, and he showed progress over time. The 1844 signature are all equally sized letters. By 1859 he had learned to use capitol letters for the first letter followed by smaller. Shortly after this he settled down in Taos and became more literate in the military. There should be little doubt he could write his own name.

A most interesting comparison is this: he had a tendency to off-set the date to the right below his name. Both the California tree and our tree clearly show this. If ours is a fake, did the same fellow with this style and tendency go to California and do that one?  

I am not one to go into the forest and carve on trees. I know some do but I find it odd that someone would carve someone else’s name into a tree. I know it has happened but it must be rare, even for famous names. Are we to believe someone is out there right now carving George Bush and Jessica Simpson in aspen bark? I sure hope not!

There will always be doubters but, for the time being, I will accept this as the real deal.