A story only a tree can tell

“This tree’s still here, which is really unique,” said Anna Freedman-Peel, a student at Western Washington University who helped interpret the tree’s history. “As far as we know, this is the oldest tree we’ve found over here.”

The mystery came to light in 2013, when dredging on the Bow property of Joan and Loren Dahl unearthed the root-wad of a tree measuring more than 6 feet in diameter stuck in the mud.

“(Loren) never remembered there being trees around here,” said Joan Dahl, whose husband’s family had been in the area for about a century.

About 17 feet of the tree was recovered from the Dahls’ property and donated to Wes Smith and Andrew Vallee, co-owners of Smith and Vallee Woodworks and Gallery in Edison.

“We thought this could be 100 years old, (which was) cool,” Smith said. “But when we found out it was that old …”

Everyone seemed to agree that the tree was special. But how special?

“You never really know what a log will be like on the inside,” Vallee said.

After using two saws to cut through the more than 14,000-pound Douglas fir, Smith and Vallee said the uniqueness of the wood began to shine through.

“Its color is very different,” Vallee said. “Within 20 minutes it oxidized to blue.”

In an effort to discover the log’s age and its history, a cross-section (known as a “tree cookie”) was cut and donated to Western Washington University.

“You can find out a tree’s life history by looking at (its) rings,” Freedman-Peel said.

Because the tree’s roots were still intact, it’s assumed the tree was uprooted.

And because of the condition of the wood — which showed relatively little decay considering how long it had been buried — it predicted a natural occurrence, such as a landslide, brought the tree down and quickly covered it, removing oxygen from around the tree and essentially “pickling” it, Vallee said.

A sample from near the tree’s core was sent to a laboratory in Florida for carbon dating, Freedman-Peel said. There, it was estimated that the tree sprouted around 300 B.C., and fell between 300 and 350 years later.

It’s also assumed that in its three centuries of life, the tree apparently did a lot of living, Vallee said. Some of the rings show an extraordinary amount of growth.

“It was well fed,” Smith agreed.

A tree that size probably wouldn’t have moved very far from its sprouting point, possibly within a half-mile, Smith said.

It’s also likely there may be others buried under the fertile Skagit soil. But finding them may be difficult, unless another unexpected find brings them to light.

In the meantime, the history of Skagit Valley dating back beyond recollection can only be told through what’s left of the single, giant tree.

A table on display at Smith and Vallee Gallery clearly reveals all the tree’s rings, the story of its life. The wood, which is very soft, is easily scratched. Each scratch adds another layer to the story, Smith said.

Another table was donated to WWU, and another was sold to a company in Texas, they said. They’re in no hurry to get rid of the wood, and said they’d rather it go to the right people.

“It’s just super, super special material,” Smith said. “Each slab’s got its own character.”

Every piece of the wood is being used for something — even the bark is being turned into art.

The cross-section of the tree will remain on permanent display at WWU. Freedman-Peel and fellow student Jenny Smith have worked to make sure its history is easily accessible.

“We work to become experts on it,” Smith said. “It was getting the interpretive writing down.”

Another piece of the old tree has been returned to where it came from: the Dahls’ home. Topped with model tractors, the cabinet in the living room is a permanent reminder of what lies beneath.

“He’s kinda proud of it,” Joan Dahl said. “It’s something all our grandkids will know.”

— Reporter Kera Wanielista: 360-416-2141, kwanielista@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter: @Kera_SVH, Facebook.com/KeraReports