Subject: [Tweeters] If you go out in the woods today
Date: Jan 16 15:44:07 2011
From: Larry Schwitters - lpatters at ix.netcom.com


If you go out in the woods today you may have a big surprise. Lots of
rain followed by strong winds can have a catastrophic effect on
shallow rooted trees, especially those growing on steep slopes. Our
Sunday run up to the Issaquah Tradition Plateau suddenly turned
intense beginning with a frightening close and loud CRACK.

We both stopped and looked up but couldn't pick up on what was coming
down on us. Leora chose the uphill. I put it in reverse and watched
my wife disappear into a tangled mass of cellulose.

Three 12 to 20 inch conifers uphill and behind us pulled out of the
wet ground and came down across the trail just as we passed by. We
were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Leora did a duck
and cover, took a trunk tick to the head, and was not quite pinned.
Things happened real fast.

We finished our run on the road and saw no birds. Probably too much
wind.

Larry Schwitters
Issaquah