Wilding, Hunting the Elusive Aspen Trees
10-14-07, 9:32 PM

Ones not to let a week-end day go without accomplishment, Sunday, the day after the race, we grabbed our shovels, a pick, plastic bags, a tarp and a Forest Service issued permit to go on a Wilding! No, just wait a minute. I know you�re thinking: �They can�t be thinking of jumping runners and beating them maiming them like the poor New York jogger.� NO! We are not. We received a permit to hunt Aspen and Fir Trees.

Sure, it�s Elk season but did you know it was Aspen season as well?

For twenty dollars minimum, we paid the forest service for a permit to dig-up aspen and firs and transplant them to our yard. With the permit in hand and a very difficult map to decipher the �permit area�, we jumped in the world�s best all around auto for hauling, city driving, off road, dogs, sports and recreation � the Honda Element� and drove deeply across the forest service roads and fields to the �X� marks the spot on the map.

This drive is not so easy as the map refers to driving to the �...tank and walk westward and over the fence...� A tank is not so necessarily a �metal� tank as one assumes, if you�re from the mid-west. A tank out in the west is simple a man-made depression that stores water. Oh, and the fence to just �go-over� was an eight foot high, elk fence. We found two four feet sections linked together atop of each other and untied the metal links such that we could squeeze, horizontally between the fence. How we would get trees out with branches would be another story.

Originally, we sought two foot trees but it quickly became apparent Aspens of this height are elusive �much like elk. So, to catch an Aspen, you must think like an Aspen. �If I were an new aspen would I thrive under a twelve foot or twenty foot canopy? NO! New growth should be around the edges of the tree canopy!� Logical, but no. For three hours we hiked and couldn�t see the tree through the forest.

We gave up. We changed our aspen-hunting, height parameters, although I can�t divulge as a permit allowed only certain heights for transplanting. Poachers!

Surprised, I thought the roots would be deep, however I found the Aspen�s roots to be shallow and horizontal as the species are one organism tied together by their roots. I was happy that I didn�t have to dig deep but concerned that I was cutting the tree�s root which were connected to the others. Oh, well.

We filled our painters tarp and hauled the prized specimens back to the fence where we could try to throw them over (never will happen) or stuff them between the narrow, horizontal opening. In short, we lost a lot of branches and now have twigs planted in a backyard.

Karen stands next to the prize Aspen neatly packed in the world�s best suv!

We would have liked to strap the Aspen across the hood of the car but I think the joke may get lost upon the �serious hunters� and potential Rangers.

It was a great Wilding hunt, but I don�t think I would do it again. Hopefully, next year our financial situation would clear and we could buy plants at a nursery or even, just even, hire people to plant our garden! Naw, this was too fun. Do you want to hear about the cool rocks we found?

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