A Twisty Hemlock Tree Story

The hemlock tree at the centre of this story has spent a hundred and more years growing into the twisted mass of towering vegetation that sits on the border of the neighbours and our property. Court began clearing by logging the acreage for our house almost forty years ago. Trees that weren’t mature or a danger back then have experienced a growing surge to fill the space left when the clearing was made.

This particular hemlock has loomed over the garage and shop over the years becoming more dangerous because of a spiral in the trunk that curves toward the buildings. Since the wind storms of the last two winters, hurricane force winds unlike any that have been seen in our time, the twisted hemlock has become an increasing threat. Given the four old growth trees that came down last year Court decided last summer to call an expert forester in to cut the hemlock down before it blew down.

The forester came, looked and never came back. This is one dangerous tree to cut, crammed in as it is in a grove of smaller trees. Court has spent hours, maybe hundreds waking and sleeping studying and meditating with this Hemlock. As winter has progressed, other trees have blown down in the hurricane force winds, keeping Court extra busy, first cleaning up the new blow down and then taking down other trees that are threats to blow down. He has jokingly called himself the “Inch Logging Company” because he’s working with a chain saw, a winch and a 1952 army truck hauling 120’ prime old growth fir, two inches at a time, out of the front yard.

When the wind started blowing a week ago Court had only one tree of the four he’d taken down in the front yard left to clean up. The burn piles full of tree debris have been burning off and all winter. One fire burned underground for three weeks. He was planning to finish the front yard before tackling the twisty hemlock behind the shop. Instead, as I sat listening to the winds from my office I heard the unmistakable crack of a large tree. I didn’t get up to look; I’ve had my fill of witnessing trees coming down. When I didn’t hear or feel the thump that always comes with a blow down I stood to look. The impossible had happened. The hemlock was hanging at 1:30 (on a clock) hung up in the grove of cedars it was surrounded by.

I called Court upstairs to look. He was like a man who feels better because his death sentence has finally been revoked. There is still going to be time to serve.

For five days the tree loomed larger than life in our lives. Court spent three days removing a storage building and its contents to prepare the area, so that when the Hemlock fell nothing would be damaged. I was shocked to discover stomach wrenching fear in my belly when I tried to help, and I couldn’t watch. I said a prayer and remembered that the tree will not, maybe can not hurt Court. I have Felt, Capital F his relationship with Trees, capital T. The mature Douglas fir that stands in the middle of the driveway related to me years ago, before we married, that Court is well loved by the trees of our forest. That fir tree relayed the feeling to me of Court as steward of the land. The trees surrounding the log house that Court built (without electricity or machinery), and our log house itself, love that they continue to co-exist.

Almost a week after the tree started coming down, it was time. As I headed out of the house with the idea of helping Court with the job I didn’t feel much confidence in my ability to be of assistance. As we stood looking at the job, Court talking about what he had decided would be the best approach, a good friend and capable woodsmen walked up. I was delighted to see somebody more capable of discussing this situation with Court, somebody with more practical knowledge than I. I headed back into the house thanking our blessed stars for our friend Walter and grateful that I didn’t have to watch the show.

After much discussion it was decided to take down a smallish cedar tree that the Hemlock looked to be caught up in. With Walter watching closely, Court cut down the cedar. The cedar swayed a little and creaked, it didn’t come down. They tied a rope around the cedar and repeatedly yarded on the tree with the truck trying to pull it down. No way. More discussion and a decision to cut another larger cedar tree, this a more dangerous tree not only because the Hemlock is caught up in it, but because its what local woodsmen call a “school marm” or forked topped tree.

From the house I could hear the chain saw cutting on the second tree. Again I waited for the crash and thud of the Hemlock hitting ground but hear instead a few branches crashing and a small thud. Sure enough, the two cedar trees that the Hemlock was hung up in are down but the Hemlock is still standing. The tree has outwitted the logger by resting its leaning trunk on the small tree stump of a cedar at it’s feet, a tree that Court cut down weeks ago. Right from the start, the idea has been to avoid putting a chainsaw into the butt of the Hemlock. The twisted spiral shape of the trunk of the Hemlock makes it impossible to fall in the direction you want with any degree of accuracy. The weight of the leaning tree has been enough to start pulling the roots out of the ground like a weed. Another decision, this time to cut the now exposed roots that are strained and creaking under the weight they’re holding.


Never has the sound of a tree crashing to the ground sounded so lovely. The people, buildings and forest around heaved a long sigh of relief. If you’ve counted, it took removing three trees to get at that fourth. In the end I’m convinced that the Twisty Hemlock and Court had an understanding, a simpatico created by Court’s many years of loving stewardship of the land. That simpatico was at the heart of this perfect ending to a situation otherwise overwhelmingly dangerous.

When Court finally cut into the trunk of the Hemlock to start the clean up, the tree had one last surprise in store. As soon as he finished the cut, the root ball plopped back into the ground standing the remaining trunk up ten feet in the air. I'll let you judge for yourself, it looks like a giant phallic symbol to me.