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stevewiegenstein

~ News, announcements, events, and ruminations about my books, including Slant of Light, This Old World, The Language of Trees, and Scattered Lights, and about creativity, fiction, Missouri, the Ozarks, and anything else that strikes my fancy

stevewiegenstein

Tag Archives: trails

About Those ‘Indian Trail Trees’ . . .

12 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by stevewiegenstein in History, Ozarks

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

forests, Indians, mythology, trails, trees, water

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An ‘Indian trail tree’ in Georgia

Every  so often I read something about “signal trees,” “thong trees,” “Indian trail trees,” or similar designations. These are trees like the one above, which supposedly were bent by long-ago Indians to mark trails, the location of water sources, food caches, and whatnot. I recall people pointing them out to me when I was a kid.

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Signal Tree sign near Stone Mountain, Georgia

OK, I’ll admit to some skepticism.

Make that a lot of skepticism.

The most significant Indian nation of the Ozarks, the Osage, were pretty well moved out by 1825. So any signal tree would have to be approximately 200 years old by now. Would the bending process really keep them that small? I’m not saying it’s not possible, but for comparison, here’s a 200-year-old tree (by ring count) that blew over in New Jersey a couple of years ago:

200-year-old-tree

Now that’s a big tree.

Second, would an Osage Indian really need direction on how to find water? Here’s a clue: Head downhill. The Ozarks are not exactly desert.

As for trail markers, I would have the same question. If you’ve ever gone out in the forest with someone experienced in woodcraft, you’ve probably marveled at their uncanny ability to know right where they are most of the time, not through any mystical reading of signs and symbols, but through the hard-earned knowledge that is gained from lifelong experience. I wonder if an Indian nation would have needed trail markers of this sort. And since the Osage were, shall we say, less than hospitable to strangers in their hunting grounds, they certainly wouldn’t have posted trail markers for those unfamiliar with the territory. This isn’t I-55, after all, where people need signs to the next rest stop.

And let’s remember that the Ozarks have been logged over multiple times. Granted, a logger wouldn’t stop to bother with a bent tree like these, but how about a charcoal burner? Or a stave bolt harvester? Trees just didn’t last that long unless they were in people’s yards, cemeteries, or other such protected locations.

These trees are curious and interesting to see, but for now I’ll ascribe their origin to a simpler explanation: a tree is blown over in the forest. In falling, it bends down its neighbor, which survives. Over time, the blown-down tree rots away, while the survivor sends up a new trunk from its bent-down position, causing the peculiar figure-four shape. And thus a signal tree is formed.

I’m open to persuasion otherwise, but for now, count me as a skeptic.

signal-tree-2

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And More Parks!

22 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Ozarks

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Missouri, parks, Rock Island Trail, state parks, trails

The announcements just keep coming. Yesterday the governor announced progress in the creation of a second trail-type state park following the old Rock Island railroad line across the south-central part of the state. I have written before about this trail-in-progress before a couple of times, and I think it’s going to be a wonderful addition to the network of hiking and biking trails in Missouri.

Old rail map Rock Island

Although this announcement doesn’t really tell us anything new, beyond the fact that the land transfer is going as intended, it’s still good to hear that progress is being made. One of the things southern Missouri has in abundance is scenery, so news that more ways are being developed to make that asset available to people is always welcome.

More on the Rock Island Trail

20 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Ozarks

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ameren, Missouri, Ozarks, Rock Island Trail, trails

I’m heartened by the recent story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about more preliminary activity on creating a trail on the old Rock Island Line through south-central Missouri. Someday, this trail and the Katy will create a huge loop for hikers and bicyclists. What a treat this will be for lovers of the outdoors!

Favorite Ozarks Places – 8

19 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Missouri, Ozarks, Personal

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

favorite_places, Missouri, nature, Ozarks, parks, trails

The Katy Trail

Photo by MoBikeFed – downloaded from Wikimedia Commons

I know that anything north of the Missouri River really shouldn’t be called “Ozarks,” but a walk or a bike ride along the Katy Trail State Park will give you a feel of the Ozarks without having to go far from St. Louis, St. Charles, Columbia, Sedalia, or any of the towns along the way. The citizens and volunteers who pushed for its creation had a marvelous idea, and miraculously several different Missouri government administrations have kept progress going on the trail’s creation.

The trail has created a wealth of tourism industries along its length – B & B’s, wineries, restaurants. My favorite is the Mulberry Grill and Bakery in Rocheport, where an outdoor brick pizza oven under the canopy of a giant mulberry tree provides a delightful place to sit in the shade and watch the hikers, joggers, and bicyclists go by.

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