Aspens in Michaux?

[Lauriep]

We had a visitor in ATC HQ a few days ago who recalled encountering a stand of aspen trees on the A.T. in the Michaux State Forest (PA) about 25 years ago, and would like to visit the spot again. He didn’t remember anything about the location of the stand.

I called a forester in the Michaux and he said wasn’t aware of any dense stands but had not walked all of the A.T. in the Michaux. He was aware of some areas with big-tooth aspens mixed in somewhere north of Shippensburg Rd. He also thought the Tumbling Run area would be a good place to find them. I've already asked PATC's naturalist Bob Pickett.

Can anyone out there definitively confirm or deny whether such a spot currently exists on the A.T. in Michaux?

Laurie Potteiger
ATC
[email protected]

[emerald]

Sorry I can't help with your question, lauriep. I would think the particular stand about which you inquired may no longer exist.

Readers who didn't know may be interested to learn there are 2 species of aspen native to Pennsylvania, quaking aspen (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POTR5) and bigtooth aspen (http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POGR4).

Quoted below are a fact about each from Textbook of Dendrology, 6th ed, p. 229 and p. 230 respectively.


Quaking aspen is the most widely distributed tree of North America. It is fast-growing, relatively short-lived and commonly attains heights of 50 to 60 ft and diameters of 1 to 2 ft (max. 120 by 4 1/2 ft).


Since these two species, especially bigtooth aspen, will produce under management in Michigan more wood per acre per year than any other tree native to the state, much effort has been made to develop effective silvicultural procedures.

Locations mentioned in the OP would likely be places where hikers might observe Pennsylvania's state bird (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=458&q=161241).