"I definitely think it could be any day, in my opinion, just because of all the odds against it," she said. Other than that, it was pretty much the same."Īnd we don't know how long it'll hang on.
So maybe, you know, the roots are getting closer to the ground, which means maybe either the ground is eroding around it and it's falling down towards the coast a little bit more because it sits up on a bluff. It doesn't look like it should be alive, but it continues to be alive in this super harsh environment," Andros said. So I think that it's exactly what it's supposed to be at this moment, and we need to appreciate it and enjoy it as long as we can."ĭo others ask how the tree has managed to hold on for so long? "We're asked: 'Why doesn't somebody go in there and help the tree? Why don't they put braces on the tree or try and fill the tree?' And I said, 'Well if those things were done, it would not really be what it is now, which is a very resilient anomaly in nature. Just appreciate it as long as we canĪndros says they field plenty of questions wondering why the tree has been left alone. Nichols is now taking time lapse photography of the tree over the months and years to document its fight for survival and for keepsake if the tree succumbs to gravity. This is why I visit it as much as I can, it is such a beautiful landmark, I want to have memories of it in every light imaginable." "It is such an oddity that every visit feels like it could be the last. "Something about its strength to hold on by just its roots despite all odds seemingly being against it, just really drew me in," Nichols said.
One of those people is photographer Mathew Nichols, who has spent years along the beach and visiting the Tree of Life. It's really meaningful to a lot of different people." They've taken family photos in front of it. And they're taking engagement photos in front of it. "Here in the visitor center, we tell just about every single visitor about the Tree of Life and how special it is to us, and that if they do have a chance, maybe to go down and enjoy the Tree of Life while it's here. "It's an amazing tree that's very resilient." Story of Survival InspiresĪndros says the tree is now a destination attraction. "Now it's the tree everybody 'roots' for," Andros said. "That heat dome damaged a lot of trees in our area," Andros said. A historic heat wave last June broiled the northern coast with temperatures well over 100 degrees - a gauge just inland from Forks registered a temperature of 118 degrees on June 29. But even the summers have taken their toll. "Every storm we wonder: 'Is this going to be the storm that takes it out?' " Andros said. Nearby Forks receives nearly 10 feet of rain per year. Wind gusts over 60-70 mph occur multiple times a winter.
Fall and winter storms fueled by a supercharged jet stream crash into the bluff unabated from the Pacific Ocean. All the odds are against this tree, but yet it still seems to hang on day-to-day, and it's alive."Īside from King tide, the Northern Washington coast is among the harsher climates you'll find in the United States. And then there's a waterfall thing behind it. But the times we've had some terrible King tides that have really eroded the area around the Tree of Life. "Everything is undermining it," Andros said.
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