An Ancient Tree

Almost two weeks ago my friend Mary and I went down to Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma. There are many old specimens, and this one is perhaps the most magnificent. It’s the Mountaineer Tree, a beautiful Douglas fir named for the Tacoma Mountaineers Club that placed an interpretive sign on the spot in 1949. The tree is over 92 inches in diameter and around 200 feet tall. When I visited in early February there were so few people it was hard to believe this was a major city’s park. More people were out this month, as spring approached. It is estimated the tree was born around the same time as William Shakespeare, in 1564. I love being around the ancient trees; their lives are separate from our concerns, although they depend upon our care for their survival.