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Here is a link that might be useful: link

Kent, I hope you had an enjoyable trip. Most of the high altitude fir would be White fir. Douglas fir is generally further down the west side of the Cascades. I think picture #18 is Lodgepole pine (P. Murryanna?), which is predominant. Of course the largest pines (on the east side of the Cascades) are Ponderosa.
zube

Zube, I had a very experienced plants person from the area with me and if I remember right we saw Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Lodgepole Pines, Western Pines, Mountain Hemlock and Western Hemlock. It was a wonderful trip. I was out there from the St. Louis Mo. area to do some nursery visits. I went to Iseli and Stanley and Sons and a few others conifers nurseries. I saw some awsome trees. What a beautiful place. If anyone is interested they can see the photos from the nurseries on the conifer gallery.

Kent

Sounds great Kent. The Western hemlock are a prominent tree everywhere west of the Cascades, as are Doug fir, Western Red cedar, and Sitka spruce. Noble fir are a high altitude tree, as are the White fir. There are a few other pines in eastern Oregon like Sugar pine, and some larch (tamarack). I've never heard the term Western pine. A type of Lodgepole pine is native to the coast, where it's called Shore pine (P. Murryanna 'contorta'?).
Take care,
zube

Kent,

Great looking pictures...its so beautiful to see some great photo's like that...it makes me miss home! Although, the chicago is awefully flat...I mean I miss the U.S.!

I went to Mt. Fuji the other day and took some similiar pictures I will share when I get home at then end of the month.

My time here at Mr. Kunio Kobayashi's bonsai museum, 'shunka-en' has been very nice, but I do miss home very much. Soon enough!

And Zube, I would have to say that one day you crossed my mind for a moment as you I was repotting several large satsuki after they were done flowering. Kobayashi is very well known for satsuki, so we have to work on them often.

Will be sure to post some pics when I get back, I got permission from him..so its ok.

Well...take care, thought I would drop in say hello..its been a few months. Hope everyones bonsai is growing well!

Matthew Ouwinga

Matt, you crossed my mind as well. I was wondering (with envy) how your trip was going. I have looked at Kobayashi-san's satsuki online, they are amazing. Perhaps you won't see this until you return home, but take care,
zube

Zube,

Got the message, thanks. Everything has gone well here. I finish up in just 5 days from now. The work days have been long and time is slowing down a lot now. We ussually work from 6-7a.m. ish start...to anywhere from 7-10 p.m. finish. Some very long days!!!

I spent at least 1 week, maybe close to 2 weeks, solid with the other apprentices JUST repotting satsuki. Recently we just finished de-candling all of the black pines. And now we are working on maples..YES! my favorite, too bad it came toward the end of the trip but at least I can leave with those close to my finger tips.

Best regards,

Matt

P.S. I have a laptop in my apartment.

More than insperation, WHERS MY SHOVEL!!

Matt, subjecting ones self to slave labor is a true indication of an "offical bonsai nut"!!

James

james, pictures 164-168 were taken on the east side of the mountain that is still covered with ash from the last eruption 150 years ago. throughout that whole area the trees are bent, twisted and stunted from the rough growing conditions. the bonsai choices are limitless. picture 160 is a lodgepole pine that was very nice. the mountain hemlocks were so inspiring. well, the whole experience was.

kent

kent

Kent, my guess would be that the ash is from Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980. It covered everything for miles. Very common for people to still have volcanic ash in their gutters 20 years later and 100 miles away. I heard the eruption in 1980, and I live about 80 miles away, as the crow flies. I did a little research on line, Mt. Hood's events in 1859 and 1865 were minor, steam escaping and such from what I could tell. When St. Helens erupted, I believe they estimated that 1 cubic mile of material was blown from the side and top of the mountain.
Take care,
zube

Zube, in picture 0165 I was told that this is where the run off from the snow melt came through on the east side of the mountain. The other pictures of the dwarfed trees are from the same area. So, do you think from the things you read about it being a minor eruption there probably wasn't any snow melt and run off? The rocks in this area were very light in weight compared to their size. I can't imagine the base of ash from this site being from the Mt St. Helens eruption. By the way, they showed a great program last night on National Geographic about the Mt. St. Helens eruption. I think it was called Seconds from Disaster.

Kent

Kent, I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but you saw the place firsthand, and if the ash came from a deeper source it could certainly be from an earlier eruption.
I camped and hiked at Spirit Lake several times in the late 70's. Many of the trails were covered with pumice. Three days after the eruption large amounts of it were washing up on the beaches here.
Take care,
zube