Indian Well, CT - New Tuliptree Site

[dbhguru]

NTS,

Today Bart Bouricius and I went Indian Well State Park in Shelton, CT. The park borders the Housatonic River. Here is an aerial view of the part of the park. It is the green strip following the river.

Our quarry was tuliptrees and they are there in numbers. Here is a look at a beauty along the first trail we took. Its stats are girth = 10.6 feet, height = 144.2 feet.

The next to shots are to give a fell for the abundance and dominance of the tuliptrees in Indian Well SP.

All together, we confirmed at least 8 tulips over 140 feet. There are more, but not a lot more. However, the prize of the day was this beauty.

This tuliptree measures 10.0 feet around and is 152.5 feet tall. Yes, another Connecticut site with 150s. We were understandably pleased. Bart located the tree with his eagle eye and I went up slope and worked to find the top. He got a 50-yard bounce from beneath, lying on the ground and looking up. I confirmed 152.5 as the tip top.

We measured other species and got some decent numbers. Here is a look at a double-stem sycamore measuring 14.75 feet around and 122.0 feet in height. We will return and do justice to the other species.

Near the end of our trek, we saw several trees that looked like sassafras. Here are three views. Any ideas?

We tried to find leaves in the leaf layer, but couldn't make a positive identification.

I believe that Indian Well SP has an RHI of around 115. We'll see. It definitely justifies several return trips. Thanks, Ryan, for your prior scouting. We would have no clue about this location were it not for Ryan LeClair.

Bob

[edfrank]

Bob, Bart,

Looks like a great site. Tuliptrees continue to surprise in terms of size. For what it is worth, I think the tree in question is a sassafras. Generally you can scratch the bark in the grooves between plates and get that sassafras smell even on older specimens and get that sassafras smell.

FYI: Here is a fossil of a sassafras leaf (Sassafras hesperia) from the Eocene Period 36-55 million years ago) from the Klondike Mountain Formation of Washington and British Columbia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sassafras_hesperia

Ed

[AndrewJoslin]

Looks like sassafras bark to me, especially the first photo with the reddish bark.
-AJ

[dbhguru]

NTS,

I neglected to mention that in the Google image of Indian Well State Park, the park is on the left side of the river. Here is a map of Indian Well.

There are other Connecticut state parks to explore. Is there a 160-foot tuliptree out there? I sort of doubt it. There won't be a stand with a number of 160s. That's virtually guaranteed, although I'd love to have to eat my words. Maybe Ryan can find a stand with multiple 160s, but in the meantime, I'm happy to settle for one or two more sites with 150s. Here is another look at the new 150.

Bob

[sam goodwin]

Bob, Bart, great job on those trees. How healthy is the tulip in the first picture? It looks like the rocks are holding it from falling over. Sam

[RyanLeClair]

Awesome job, guys! Really exciting! You have made this Connecticut boy proud. Was that 152.5' tree on the Paugusset Trail?

[dbhguru]

Sam,

Yep, that tulip is precariously balanced.

Ryan,

Yes, the 152.5-footer is on the Paugussett trail. Great spot! We want more, more, more! Here is a shot of the water fall on the first trail.

Bob

[tomhoward]

The trees that look like sassafras look like sassafras to me. The first tree with the balding bark looks just like the old sassafras in the Wizard of Oz Oak Grove here in North Syracuse.

Tom Howard

[ryandallas]

Bob and Bart,

I know that was a long time ago, but do you remember where, roughly, that 152-footer was? Was it by the railroad tracks and the pond with the planted white pines? I've been scouring Indian Well/Birchbank, and I was excited to find another 150-footer, but I think I rediscovered your tree.

My measurements were 155 x 10'5".

Not that I don't have some more tricks up my sleeve--stay tuned!