Christmas tree harvest

black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
edited November 4, 2018 in Other Cool Shots

If you've never seen it, it's hard to imagine the vast acreage throughout the entire southern Appalachians that is devoted to Christmas tree cultivation. In some cases, these trees seem to stretch from horizon to horizon.....consuming one mountain range on top of another.

These shots show some of the trees being processed by field crews. After selecting appropriate tress, they are cut and loaded on the trailers you see here. They then go to these staging areas for final grading and processing. Keep in mind that scenes like these are being repeated all over those mountains. When the trees are finally ready, vast herds of semi-trucks show up, ready to load them and get them to markets.

I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.

Comments

  • StumblebumStumblebum Registered Users Posts: 8,480 Major grins

    Sweet fall colors above!! Cheers Tom!

  • JonaBeth RussellJonaBeth Russell Registered Users Posts: 1,065 Major grins

    Love it!

  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @Stumblebum said:
    Sweet fall colors above!! Cheers Tom!

    Thanks, Taz. The fall colors this year in southern Appalachia followed a strange pattern. Late hurricanes ( Florence and Michael ) had an effect even in the high country as some leaf coverage disappeared early. Considering a general warming trend and late really cold weather, the " big show " was about 3 to 4 weeks late in appearance. As always, though, certain areas experienced colors that were breathtaking.

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @JonaBeth Russell said:
    Love it!

    Thanks. Does this stuff bring back memories for you?

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • toragstorags Registered Users Posts: 4,615 Major grins

    @black mamba said:

    @Stumblebum said:
    Sweet fall colors above!! Cheers Tom!

    Thanks, Taz. The fall colors this year in southern Appalachia followed a strange pattern. Late hurricanes ( Florence and Michael ) had an effect even in the high country as some leaf coverage disappeared early. Considering a general warming trend and late really cold weather, the " big show " was about 3 to 4 weeks late in appearance. As always, though, certain areas experienced colors that were breathtaking.

    Interesting area for Christmas trees... thanks for the info Tom... I didn't know that (and I'm a New Yorker)

    Fall colors? Last week in Sept I took a train along the Canadian Rockies for the color;winter came a month early.... No color.. Nada.. Zero...

    Jasper was cold as a witches (t...censored)

    The glacier was closed... How can you close a glacier because of cold weather??? (because they couldn't plow the parking lot...)

    Rags
  • JonaBeth RussellJonaBeth Russell Registered Users Posts: 1,065 Major grins

    @black mamba said:

    @JonaBeth Russell said:
    Love it!

    Thanks. Does this stuff bring back memories for you?

    Most certainly my friend!

  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,967 moderator

    Sweet colors and interesting subject.

    My Pics
  • roaddog52roaddog52 Registered Users Posts: 1,323 Major grins

    Great captures Tom. I can smell the evergreens, and fall air.

    Phil

    I don't know where I'm going, but I'm going anyway.

    Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity!
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @torags said:

    @black mamba said:

    @Stumblebum said:
    Sweet fall colors above!! Cheers Tom!

    Thanks, Taz. The fall colors this year in southern Appalachia followed a strange pattern. Late hurricanes ( Florence and Michael ) had an effect even in the high country as some leaf coverage disappeared early. Considering a general warming trend and late really cold weather, the " big show " was about 3 to 4 weeks late in appearance. As always, though, certain areas experienced colors that were breathtaking.

    Interesting area for Christmas trees... thanks for the info Tom... I didn't know that (and I'm a New Yorker)

    Fall colors? Last week in Sept I took a train along the Canadian Rockies for the color;winter came a month early.... No color.. Nada.. Zero...

    Jasper was cold as a witches (t...censored)

    The glacier was closed... How can you close a glacier because of cold weather??? (because they couldn't plow the parking lot...)

    Thanks for looking in, Rags. The Christmas tree business in those mountains is huge. The use of chemicals to ensure profitable crops, however, is a rising concern. A friend and I once considered buying a 100 acre site that was under tree cultivation. We intended to convert the site to some beautiful residential possibilities. Knowing sources, however, advised us that once the tree cultivation was ceased, a 3 to 4 year period should be allowed for the land to lay fallow so that those chemical levels would trail off to a level that would accommodate our plans. Scratch that deal.

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @Richard said:
    Sweet colors and interesting subject.

    Good to hear from you, Richard.

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @roaddog52 said:
    Great captures Tom. I can smell the evergreens, and fall air.

    Phil

    It's funny you say that, Phil. The fall air scent was everywhere. When I pulled up to this site, however, the overwhelming aroma of all those cut trees practically took me to my knees. Geeeze...it was great.

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • willard3willard3 Registered Users Posts: 2,580 Major grins

    The sky treated you well in no 1, Tom.

    It is better to die on you feet than to live on your knees.....Emiliano Zapata
  • moose135moose135 Registered Users Posts: 1,420 Major grins

    Nice! I've seen the tree farms up that way, but haven't come across them being cut. You're right, though, they are all over that area.

    The Moose is Loose!
    http://www.moose135photography.com
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @willard3 said:
    The sky treated you well in no 1, Tom.

    Yes it did, Jeff. Pure luck that day. I just spent a month up there and the skies were a crap shoot......clear skies about half the time, funky the rest. Typical mountain weather.

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins

    @moose135 said:
    Nice! I've seen the tree farms up that way, but haven't come across them being cut. You're right, though, they are all over that area.

    Good to hear from you, buddy. If you got up there this season, you know that it was a strange year for color. The change came a lot later than usual. Not enough cold weather early in October to jump-start the color change on a normal time frame. Early November saw some good color but it's already gone. Any time in the mountains, though, is a great time. See you.

    Tom

    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
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