Morning paddle/ big cypress

[jdupre']

The Swamper is in the process of getting varnished so I took the pirogue for a morning paddle in and around Little Grand Bayou. She still is sweet to paddle. Not as fast as the Swamper but she moves right along at a little better than 3.5 mph. Temps got into the 90's quick. Saw a 10-11 foot alligator crossing the bayou. Had a 6 footer swirl from the shallows and swim right under the boat.

Coming back, I passed a huge hollow cypress that is in the slow process of decomposing. Large cylindrical base going up 50 ft. to a trunk broken off about 3 feet in diameter. I measured the circumference of the tree with my bow line at chest height. 302" -- figures out to 8 feet 1 inch in diameter. Now think about this. This tree grew long enough and high enough to have it's top half broken off , possibly by a hurricane. Now, there is no evidence of the broken top anywhere around, so it decomposed into nothing. Cypress is known for being decay resistant. It does decay, but a lot slower than other woods. So the top of this tree.....3 foot diameter tapering up to to it's crown , 50 feet long, fell and decomposed to nothing. I'm taking a wild guess ......figure at least 200 -300 years.

** ( numbers were way off on original post-- edited)
I've seen the wood come out of these old cypress with growth rings 40 to the inch. The average is probably way less than that. Let's be generous and say they average 30 growth rings to the inch ... or 30 years to the inch. The radius of this tree is 49" ...... times a conservative 30 years per inch= 1470 years . Is the tree that old. My guess is .........pretty dang close.

Joey

 

[Kayak Jack]

Joey, another possibility other than 3,000 years is, the top was picked up and used by someone a long time ago? Maybe, only 2,900 years?
Nature, when we take bit of time to observe Her works, has ways of humbling us and putting us in our place. We're good, but we're also just another piece of a larger plan.

 

[jdupre']

******( original numbers were way off--- edited original post)

I just can't resist stopping to admire one of these old trees when I come across one. I've been known to slog through mud for a long ways just to get a closer look. I always give them a little pat for good luck.

Joey

 

[catfish]

joey no pics? :shock:

 

[jdupre']

Sorry, catfish, no pics. Maybe on another trip.

 

[islandpiper]

Ya, just one more reason to envy Jdupre'.

When I grow up I want to be him, and then Sean Connery, in that order.

Happy FOURTH OF JULY Joey.

piper

 

[jdupre']

In my best Scotish accent " The name is Dupre'........J Dupre'." :roll:

Like another good friend reminded me, today is the "good old days". Get out and make some memories.

Joey

 

[tx river rat]

Joey all I can say is that is neat.
Ron

 

[jdupre']

I paddled back to the old cypress this morning, camera in hand. I filmed a short video. I mistakenly said "8 feet around" . It's actually over 25 feet around-- over 8 feet in diameter.




Timed the Swamper on a 1/2 mile section of bayou. Without huffing and puffing or cramping up, just good solid pulling..............4.9 mph. She's a keeper!


Joey

 

[mike]

Thanks for the video and narrative, Joey. Very cool stuff.

Mike

 

[tx river rat]

JD
Thanks for the trip. The ole swamper sounds like it is doing the job.
Ron

 

[Wannabe]

Thanks Joey,
Doesn't matter if that boat in in Piper's yard or on the water, it is still pretty.
Bob

 

[jdupre']

The Swamper is still doing a great job. I missed paddling her while she was in "dry dock" getting varnished. She's a good design for around here. Goes in 99% of the places a pirogue can and quite few places where a pirogue doesn't belong. I wouldn't change much about her.........maybe a well for an ice chest like the TV.
I noticed something in a couple of videos that Piper took. She throws almost no wake from the the bow until the widest point of the hull. That skinny bow section really cuts through the water.

Joey

 

[Kayak Jack]

Coming from the Canadian Shield country here around the Great Lakes, it's hard to imagine waters like you paddle, Joey. Even after I've been there with you, it's still so different from what I'm used to that I forget just how different it is.
BUT - we share deep admiration for Nature's works, no matter where we find them. Thanks for the trip.

 

[swampfox]

It is sad what they did to the woods back then. And yes that's the only reason they left it, was because it was hollow. I have been in the swamp my whole life and they didn't forget it, that was alot of money for that one tree. I have seen a few that are about 4 foot in diameter, and the old timers at my camp said that's just the ones that started growing the same year it was logged. (or you know, around that time)

Cypress does rot and get bugs it just takes alot longer. Some of the 4-5' diameter stumps that are 4' high and solid, that I sat on 15 years ago to hunt from, are gone now. So it doesn't take as long as you think.I do have a few theries to your question about the top of that tree. If it was knocked out and was able to dry it could have floated off in the next high water. Sometimes they will split in half and just be buried under the mud. Also when that happens sometimes trees and knees will grow over it. If you pass there again look if there is a perfect line of trees (straight as a arrow) close together.

I have lots of pics with cypress's laying in the water and are still over my head 5'10''. But they are all takin before I got a waterproof digital camera.
Thanks for the video its nice to see big ones, hollow or not.

 

[jdupre']

Swampfox, my experience has been it takes a LOT longer than 15-20 years for a chunk of cypress stump 4 feet in diameter to decompose. I used a piece of fence post for my pirogue that was cut back in the early 1900's. It stood as fence post in my grandpaw's yard for 60 plus years and then in the open behind my shed for 20 plus years. The end that was in the ground was decomposed about a quarter of the way, but the exposed end was just a bit weathered on the surface and solid and perfect a quarter inch below the surface.

I would love to have seen a stand of virgin cypress before the loggers came. Must have been a sight to see.

Joey

 

[swampfox]

It was a bit of exaduration..lol. To clairify- I was meaning not solid, 100 years of being there cut, but solid enough were I could climb up it, shake, or do anything and it would not shake at all. Also these are in the swamp where the bases are in water 11 months of the year.

The closest thing I've seen to what I think it may have looked like was the river walk in San Antonio. There is some big cypress trees there.
I'm going home in a few weeks, I might try to find some of the pictures I took. If you find some more take some pictures or video again, I love seening that.
Thanks again!

 

[ezwater]

Back in the 1600s and 1700s, Italian harpsichords were made of cypress---even the soundboards. The resistance of cypress to rot and woodworm meant that an unusually large number of Italian harpsichords survived to modern times. Italian harpsichord cases were like pirogues, thin and light, and an Italian instrument could be carried by one man. Northern European harpsichords were made more heavily of "lime," sometimes of oak, with thick cases and spruce soundboards. During the unusually cold winter of 1814, many French harpsichords were broken up and burned as firewood. This seems strange, as surviving French harpsichords are outstanding instruments, while Italian instruments are good only for continuo backup.