AFTER THE STORMS - CECIL WILLIAMS

  

                      RENE DONALDSON                                                  TIM LAWSON

A large limb from an exceptional Arizona white oak fell upon the Portal Road at 11:00 AM this morning, January 2, 2019. This magnificent tree stands beside the road just below Portal, at the intersection with Wandervogel Way. The limb that broke off hung out over the road. The cause  of the fall was a rare, heavy accumulation of snow on the old and twisted branch of the tree. Snow was, and had been, falling steadily since the previous night. There was little wind, so the tiny flakes had piled themselves several inches deep atop limb and leaf of all vegetation.

That morning I was out walking in the snowstorm. There was very little vehicular traffic because of the icy condition of the road. The branch, piled on the road as high as a small tree, made it impossible to pass without driving off the slippery road. Within several minutes Shane Burchfield came along and went to work with his chainsaw, cutting up and clearing the road for traffic. 

I had taken a photo of the tree, my favorite of all trees in and around the  Chiricahua Mountains, just before the limb broke and fell. Minutes afterward I took another photo. As you can see the beautiful symmetry of the ancient tree has not been lost, only changed a bit. I do have a lingering concern about the wound left on the living tree where the large limb was wrenched off. I can see no evidence of internal structural weakness from disease or decay on the exposed surface of the break, but I am not an arborist. I would hope that the wound can be inspected, and if necessary treated, to ensure that people arriving in Portal may continue to be greeted by this glorious old oak for many years to come.

Reed Peters         President                                            Other Board Members