Yamadori Shore Pine, Western Hemlock, Alaska Yellow Cedar and Sitka Spruce in S.E Alaska Muskeg

[River's Edge]

You are giving a lot of excellent advice in this thread. thank you.

I have some larch and black spruce in Alaskan muskeg bogs tagged for collection next year. I can make posts next spring to document if that would help.

Information is always welcome, full disclosure based on my experience I avoid peat bogs. Prefer those created with clay underlays and run off throughout the year. Healthier more aerobic environment for root formation and a higher chance of collection survivability! That is why I suggested exploring other zones with more variable topography.
But I do not want to discourage others from seeking progress!

 

[Gr8tfuldad]

Awesome pictures and story, thanks for sharing.
It reminds me of a place down the road from me, the Pigmy Forest of NJ.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Highbidjj - wow, those are incredible trees. Well worth figuring out how to collect them.

 

[Highbidjj]

Information is always welcome, full disclosure based on my experience I avoid peat bogs. Prefer those created with clay underlays and run off throughout the year. Healthier more aerobic environment for root formation and a higher chance of collection survivability! That is why I suggested exploring other zones with more variable topography.
But I do not want to discourage others from seeking progress!

Thank you so much for all of the insight. I hope to put it to good use.

 

[Bu-Jetjet]

Greetings everyone,
My skills are not such that I would try to tell anyone about their trees or mine, but I do have a story to tell that might interest.

Three weeks ago, I went hunting yamadori in the Muskeg on Chichagof Island (Hoonah) Alaska. I live in the Seattle area so a flight to Juneau is shorter than to Los Angeles. From there I caught an Alaska Seaplanes flight to Hoonah, where I was met by my guide, Jeff Skaflestad, Jeff is really a bear guide and the danger of the massive brown bears there is very, very real. DO NOT go out in the muskeg of Alaska without a well armed local to watch your back. While you look at the little trees on the ground, the bears are always watching you.

The muskeg is thousands of years old and runs as deep as 30ft. The high acid and water levels stunt the trees, Not 100ft away, on solid earth, the same species grow to full height. Jeff took me to 7 biomes in 2 days. The different elevations and weather made for very different tree types and contortions.

I cannot imagine a better 2 days hunting trees. Because I was bringing everying home on the plane, I only collected three small trees, a pine, a western hemlock and a sitka spruce. They are not too special. Altough cool in their own small ways, this trip was to learn about the trees. There are world trophy trees everywhere there and until Jeff and I work out how to ship and aclimate better, I would not risk them.

I will share some images here. I am happy to send a dropbox link as well, to anyone interested. I have videos as well as images of the tiny town. Hoonah is a cruise ship port and so visiting the muskeg could be part of a port call if you got up there that way. Feel free to ask for images.View attachment 408054

It was a great experience and one I can highly recommend to anyone.
View attachment 408046View attachment 408047View attachment 408048View attachment 408049View attachment 408050View attachment 408051View attachment 408052View attachment 408053View attachment 408055

magnificent scenes! Definitely need to put this place in my bucket list for yamadori. Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[ghues]

A great experience I’m sure. Many of these types of environments on Van. Island.
Did you get permission to collect.?

 

[August44]

A great experience I’m sure. Many of these types of environments on Van. Island.
Did you get permission to collect.?

Besides you, who even cares?

 

[ghues]

Just curious is all.....some have ethics.

 

[mrfish33]

Greetings everyone,
My skills are not such that I would try to tell anyone about their trees or mine, but I do have a story to tell that might interest.

Three weeks ago, I went hunting yamadori in the Muskeg on Chichagof Island (Hoonah) Alaska. I live in the Seattle area so a flight to Juneau is shorter than to Los Angeles. From there I caught an Alaska Seaplanes flight to Hoonah, where I was met by my guide, Jeff Skaflestad, Jeff is really a bear guide and the danger of the massive brown bears there is very, very real. DO NOT go out in the muskeg of Alaska without a well armed local to watch your back. While you look at the little trees on the ground, the bears are always watching you.

The muskeg is thousands of years old and runs as deep as 30ft. The high acid and water levels stunt the trees, Not 100ft away, on solid earth, the same species grow to full height. Jeff took me to 7 biomes in 2 days. The different elevations and weather made for very different tree types and contortions.

I cannot imagine a better 2 days hunting trees. Because I was bringing everying home on the plane, I only collected three small trees, a pine, a western hemlock and a sitka spruce. They are not too special. Altough cool in their own small ways, this trip was to learn about the trees. There are world trophy trees everywhere there and until Jeff and I work out how to ship and aclimate better, I would not risk them.

I will share some images here. I am happy to send a dropbox link as well, to anyone interested. I have videos as well as images of the tiny town. Hoonah is a cruise ship port and so visiting the muskeg could be part of a port call if you got up there that way. Feel free to ask for images.View attachment 408054

It was a great experience and one I can highly recommend to anyone.
View attachment 408046View attachment 408047View attachment 408048View attachment 408049View attachment 408050View attachment 408051View attachment 408052View attachment 408053View attachment 408055

Wow, those are amazing trees.