Unique trees?

[Mortenson]

Kinda looks like a butt cheek right in front of the feature, so obviously it's a tail.

 

[KDdid]

After Ikeman's post it got me thinking about our "knee" tree so I started checking out what the internet had to offer on the trail marker tree's. This Guy Dennis Downes seemed to have devoted a lot of time and research to the topic over the years and had written some books on it even founding a group that researches them. So I found his link to the Great Lakes Trail Marker Tree Society who I guess are experts on that sort of thing and sent them a pic and some brief info on our tree just to see what they thought.
Within a couple days they emailed me back asking for some more information on our tree along with more specific pics and a measurement, the wife and I went out last weekend and collected the requested info mostly pics and I sent it back to them yesterday.
They replied right away;

"Stan,
Thank you for getting back to us with additional photos and information. It definitely has the size and characteristics to make it a likely Native American Trail marker Tree.
What a cool tree! It is sad that age and other factors are getting the best of many of these trees. We hope that it continues to stand for years to come.
Dennis is hoping to make it to Ohio within the next year for a lecture, maybe if it is within the area of your tree, would you be willing to show him the tree in person?

Thank you again!
Liz Fox
Downes Studio
Great Lakes Trail Marker Tree Society"

I gave them my contact info and next year we will see what he says. The least this has been is an informative learning process and we may in the end even have a living piece of American history in our woods?

The bad thing is that the back side of the tree is starting to get a hollow spot with age so it's days are definitely numbered. One thing I had never noticed on the tree (because I never really paid close attention to it other than walking by) was that the knob on the knee part kind of looks a little like a face if you look at it like you look at cloud formations.

With my wife right next to the tree it gives a better idea of the size of it.

Also a couple links on the Ft Recovery stuff I cited in my previous post, it's an interesting read on American history and happened twenty miles from my house.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Clair%27s_Defeat
https://armyhistory.org/the-battle-of-the-wabash-the-forgotten-disaster-of-the-indian-wars/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Recovery

Thanks for sharing this history. The previous rout of the Americans under Josiah Harmar happened at Kekionga, site of Fort Wayne. I used to hunt arrowheads on a farm north of the city, where Kentucky militiamen under Hardin were ambushed along the Eel River.


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[H20fwler]

Ran across this one the other day

 

[H20fwler]

Found this one in our woods about fifty yards behind my favorite stand.

 

[H20fwler]

Found another goofy one along south side of woods bunny hunting this weekend.

 

[BobinCt]

I’ve always been amazed at how strong the roots are of trees. It’s a good thing cuz I’m in them every year.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Found this guy in Yellowstone over the Holiday. Guessing from the crushing snow levels.

 

[Bill]

I was out at our woods today walked past our “Knee” tree and I remembered your Indian marker tree comment. It got me thinking about the tree it’s a white oak so I imagine older with the size of it and the knee does point towards Ft Recovery twenty miles away where two really big Indian battles were fought. The Battle of the Wabash where over a thousand Americans were killed in the largest Indian victory in USA history and the siege of Ft Recovery a few years later that the Americans won. Lots of history with St Clair, Anthony Wayne, Little Turtle, Blue Jacket Tecumseh and others... the newly formed American country lost one third of its Continental Army in two days in the first battle.
There used to be an old tree about a mile outside of our town in a woods that was bent over pointing the way to Ft Recovery.
I looked up some Indian marker trees on the Internet and it is very interesting.

Hmm,

I found something oddly similar to your and IkemanTX’s Indian pointing trees. This one grew two new trunks and I have no idea how it is actually supporting it’s own weight.

 

[Bill]

This tree heard it was difficult to live with stream bank erosion and lots of roots are needed.
It’s been holding its own for years, but I suspect some day the stream bank will win.

 

[H20fwler]

Spotted this one yesterday in the Little Woods, hadn’t ever noticed it before.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Found this old boy on the AT. What an experience. Did 79 miles in 5 days. Can't wait to get back next year. Started in Georgia and plan to do a stretch every year till we hit Maine.

 

[Bill]

big ass tree!

 

[BuckSutherland]

Smokey mountain national park... On the way to to Ramsey Cascades waterfall. Cant miss it.

 

[Mtyhunter]

 

[Mtyhunter]

^^^don't know who i borrowed that meme from, (prob SD), but i couldn't resist reposting it on this thread

 

[Telemark]

These trees laid down early in their lives, and then the branches became the trees. Pictures can't do it justice; they were very tall. I believe they are Caledonian pine. Found in a forest near Loch Ness.