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Consider last week's hunt for the tallest known western white pine in the nation. Ace MT photographer Roy Musitelli and I headed out in search for it late Wednesday morning for a Monday story on Oregon's big tree registry. Advertisement We're talking about a towering tree 242 feet tall with a trunk nearly 21 feet in circumference. You'd think finding it would be a walk in the park. What's more, telling me where to go was Jeff LaLande, the longtime archaeologist/historian for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Park. He was the fellow who nominated the tree for the state registry in 1994. He gave directions any Bozo could follow: Head northeast on Highway 140 to Fish Lake, then go north on County Road 821 leading to Butte Falls for about a mile until you see the "Big Western White Pine" sign on the left. From there you go roughly a half-mile west on U.S. Forest Service Road 3735, then hang a right on a spur road. Just follow the arrow on another tree sign for several hundred feet until you see the humongous pine with a rail fence around it. Yesirree Bob, a stroll through the park. Meeting us at the county road sign for the leisurely walk was Cindy Deacon Williams, a scientist with the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy who figures prominently in Monday's article. At this point I should observe that Roy and Cindy are both bright, pleasant people. But they apparently have hidden mean streaks, judging from the fact they listened to me when it came to following Jeff's directions. You should also know the snow was knee deep. We had to park along the county road and hike in. Our progress was slowed by my penchant for making snow angels. To cover my love of the snowy art, I cleverly pretended to fall headlong in the snow. It was an easy ruse. One step would find you on the surface, the next breaking through the crust up to your knee. After slogging for hours, we came upon a spur road heading to the right. "That's the road," I declared before pitching forward to make my umpteenth snow angel. We trudged several hundred feet more until we came upon a handmade "Giant Western White Pine" with an arrow. But the nation's tallest western white pine was nowhere to be seen in the largely fir forest. We searched in an ever-widening arc from the sign. Nothing. Making snow angels was getting old. No doubt the heavenly creatures were also getting weary of my muffled expletives every time I landed face first. During one of my headlong lurches, I found myself staring at a pair of sunglasses peering up out of the snow. Fortunately, there was no frozen face behind the glasses which are now on my desk waiting to be claimed the owner. At one point, Cindy decided to make a snow angel. Her cell phone rang within seconds. It was an emergency dispatcher inquiring about a 9-1-1 hang-up. She informed the dispatcher there was no emergency, that she had fallen in the deep snow and apparently bumped her phone. The dispatcher again asked if she needed help. Cindy politely repeated the explanation. But she did call Jeff, explaining that we were at the sign but couldn't find the tree. We were all baffled. I was beginning to wonder if it had moved like an Ent, one of the walking trees in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Perhaps the big pine reached down with its branches, picked up the fence and moved to another grove in the dark of night. We slogged back to the paved road, unable to find the known tallest tree of its kind. The next morning Cindy was back, this time with Brian Ballou, an Oregon Department of Forestry employee who had been to the tree a decade earlier. Turns out Jeff had been referring to an official Uncle Sam sign, not the homemade sign that some dented soul had stuck up along a trail that can only be seen when the snow is gone. Without me to lead them astray, Cindy and Brian walked down the Forest Service road until they saw the official sign, then took a short jaunt along the spur road to the giant tree surrounded by lesser firs. She then called me at the office. Roy and I were soon gazing up at Oregon's king western white pine. The giant tree is worth seeing. But you may want to wait until spring before venturing out there. And don't even think about asking me for directions. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or at [email protected] Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help