The Big Cut refers to extensive logging in Pennsylvania and the near-total deforestation of large areas, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mom’s family lived in Clarion County, western PA, where the young men were involved in the mid-to-late stages of The Big Cut. Trees were cut and logs were floated to Pittsburgh on the Clarion River (95 miles) and then the Allegeheny (72 miles).
The walk back was shorter because the rivers meander, the roads less so. The log-trips ended in the early 1920s when the Piney Dam was completed. In a straight line, the Dam is just 4.5 miles down river from where I was raised. Meaning, growing up, I knew the river as a (polluted) reservoir. Up river there is an old-growth forest near the town of Cooksburg with a State Park and a place called the Forest Cathedral.
A search with “Forest Cathedral, Cooksburg state forest park” can get to info and images.
Back to the Naneum Fan: My big cut!
Bob Ross (The Joy of Painting) would not have used this as a “happy little tree”!
I planted Ponderosa Pines and other trees shortly after moving to the place. The area is near both forest and dry-land plants. With lots of early care the pines develop roots that reach sustaining water. At 30+ years they are 10 to 15 inches through above the flare near the ground.
Trees frequently do not grow the way I think they should. The tree in the photo was one such. [I’ve also cut lower branches off to support their fire resistance.]
A limb on the (south) sunny side took over the growth. That’s the limb on the ground in front of the chainsaw. Called lateral branches, these cause imbalance. {More below.} In this case, this side growth was reaching toward the driveway. For many years I’ve been contemplating cutting it down. The larger the side-wise growth the more dangerous it looked. And, the bigger the tree, the greater the issues become in taking it down.
I would rather it not fall on the driveway but because it was over weighted in that direction, that was the safe and obvious choice. I cut the green parts away so the structure is visible.
Reaction wood in trees is a mechanism to help a misshapen tree to compensate. PennState Extension has a page on “Reaction Wood in Trees”. 
When a lateral limb curves upward the growth rings adjust, in conifers this is called compression wood, typically on the lower side of the bend, while in hardwoods, it’s known as tension wood, found on the upper side.
The photo shows what happened in my Ponderosa Pine. This is about 18 inches after the separation from the original main trunk.
The top (1st) photo was taken about Thursday Noon. After lunch I cut all the limbs off. Freshly cut, I tree will be about half water. It is very heavy. After cut to firewood size it will take a year or two to get to about 15% water. This tree won’t be ready to burn until about February 2027. Cutting, splitting, and stacking is good exercise.
I saw a small bundle of wood for sale today. It was $6 for 0.75 sq. ft., or about 10 pieces of a 3 inch thick tree limb. Ouch. Folks that actually heat with wood don’t buy it that way.
I went to a scholarship lunch at CWU on Friday. There was a very small group. Just before Christmas (& quarter end), university folks get very busy.
Washington is at the beginning of three “atmospheric rivers” or what once were called Pineapple Expresses. I guess because the Hawaiian Islands are no longer major pineapple producers the name is no longer relevant. During the next two weeks, higher elevations in western Washington may get 20 inches of rain. Mountain tops will get snow. Some rivers in the Puget Sound basin will flood. News stories will be appearing. Snoqualmie Falls, 70 miles NW of me, will become a “must see” event. Here is a link:
Weather was nice today, although a bit breezy.
Keeping Track
on the Naneum Fan
John