A Day in the Life of a Surveyor: View from the Top of a Tree!

Spruce Trees with Mountains
Spruce Trees with Mountains in the Background.

One advantage to working along the Appalachian Trail was being able to see all the beauty that surrounded us. While we got a lot of work done, we also would take a few moments when the surroundings beckoned us.

One day I was working with Andy, a tall, thin, long-haired and long-bearded gentleman – and quite a character. We came upon some enormous White Pines and Spruce Trees. Largest trees I have ever seen until I saw the Redwoods. Three people could not reach around the base of these trees. Andy saw one and said to me “can you imagine the view from up there”?

Before I could say anything he scurried right up a Spruce Tree. Not half way or three quarters, but all the way up. He convinced me that I should climb up. I decided why not, knowing that I would not go up as high. I went up an adjacent tree just over three quarters of the way up. High enough that I could see the view in the valley, but not high enough that I would need a helicopter to rescue me (easily over a 150 feet up). I looked over at Andy and could not believe what I was seeing. He was at the top of his tree. When I mean the top, I mean his head was above all the branches and the tree top was bending over similar to the tree from the Grinch that Stole Christmas.

In the Life of a Surveyor, you never know what you will see or where you will see it from!

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