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BoostedBrandon
BoostedBrandon Dork
7/2/13 4:19 p.m.

This hasn't happened yet, take a look at the date on the press release.

Javelin
Javelin GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
7/2/13 4:21 p.m.
BoostedBrandon wrote: This hasn't happened yet, take a look at the date on the press release.

LMAO!!!

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado UltimaDork
7/2/13 4:35 p.m.

VIR released a pic on FB.

Oh, and thanks for fixing my link, SCARR. (insert thumbs up icon here)

Fletch1
Fletch1 HalfDork
7/2/13 4:38 p.m.

Don't tell these people: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_JPcBwYGmo

noddaz
noddaz GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
7/2/13 8:49 p.m.
friedgreencorrado wrote: Panorama one of my worker buddies took a couple of years ago: (you'll need Quicktime or equivalent) http://www.yopics.net/Panos/VIR Oak Tree Flag Station Pano.html EDIT: Okay, I've edited the formatting three times and it still doesn't work. Sorry, guys.

Works fine. takes a long time to load... I can almost see the cars going by... Nice tree... Thanks for taking the time to do that.

nervousdog
nervousdog HalfDork
7/2/13 8:52 p.m.
Fletch1 wrote: Don't tell these people: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_JPcBwYGmo

This guy handles it a lot better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=332SqqV-buk

Brett_Murphy
Brett_Murphy GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
7/2/13 9:09 p.m.

I get a bunch of oak tree saplings in my yard.

I was going to offer to bring one up to them, but then I remembered that transporting live trees across state lines is a no-no due to disease.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid
SyntheticBlinkerFluid UberDork
7/2/13 9:12 p.m.

I've never been to VIR, but I have known about the Oak Tree.

I hope they replace it.

Also, Does anyone know how old the Oak was?

Derick Freese
Derick Freese SuperDork
7/3/13 2:04 a.m.

Looked about 70 or 80 years old. If it's like the oaks we have here, it was likely rotting from the inside for the past couple of decades. When they break at the base, that's usually the cause. Probably a lightning strike 10 or 15 years ago is the real cause of death.

Depending on the health of the tree when it fell, there may be less salvageable wood than you would expect.

I never got to see it myself, it was one of those things that you never expect to go anywhere.

For you Floridians, The Senator likely isn't dead at all. I've read that it still has a live root system, so while the trunk is gone, the root system, and therefore the tree, still lives.

tpwalsh
tpwalsh Reader
7/3/13 7:02 a.m.
Brett_Murphy wrote: I get a bunch of oak tree saplings in my yard. I was going to offer to bring one up to them, but then I remembered that transporting live trees across state lines is a no-no due to disease.

It's ok. It's almost impossible to get to VIR WITHOUT crossing a state line. :)

Seriously, you have to go WAY out of your way in order to get to VIR and stay in VA the whole time.

tpwalsh
tpwalsh Reader
7/3/13 7:05 a.m.

I expect it's older than 80 years. Here's a pic from just before the track was built which is the mid 50's:

whenry
whenry HalfDork
7/3/13 8:16 a.m.

I hate that the Oak Tree is gone but I have to say that I never noticed it when I was on the track. Too busy trying to nail the apex so I can get on the throttle for that long straight.

wbjones
wbjones PowerDork
7/3/13 6:07 p.m.
Derick Freese wrote: Looked about 70 or 80 years old. If it's like the oaks we have here, it was likely rotting from the inside for the past couple of decades. When they break at the base, that's usually the cause. Probably a lightning strike 10 or 15 years ago is the real cause of death. Depending on the health of the tree when it fell, there may be less salvageable wood than you would expect. I never got to see it myself, it was one of those things that you never expect to go anywhere. For you Floridians, The Senator likely isn't dead at all. I've read that it still has a live root system, so while the trunk is gone, the root system, and therefore the tree, still lives.

I've read estimates of 300 - 400 yrs old

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
7/3/13 6:12 p.m.

I'm no tree expert, but say 80 years sounds too young. We have a bunch of Live Oaks, and my tree guy says they're at least a hundred years old. I like them.

wbjones
wbjones PowerDork
7/3/13 6:52 p.m.

what it looked like before it came down

this is how it looked in the '50's

the first pic is 55+ yrs older than the second pic ... so the estimates I've heard of 300 - 400 yrs seems a bit on the high side ... maybe 100 - 150 ???

DeadSkunk
DeadSkunk SuperDork
7/3/13 7:20 p.m.

Someone will count the rings ,no doubt. My neighbour lost an oak that was about that size and his was at least 230 years old.

friedgreencorrado
friedgreencorrado UltimaDork
7/4/13 2:12 a.m.
noddaz wrote:
friedgreencorrado wrote: Panorama one of my worker buddies took a couple of years ago: (you'll need Quicktime or equivalent) http://www.yopics.net/Panos/VIR Oak Tree Flag Station Pano.html EDIT: Okay, I've edited the formatting three times and it still doesn't work. Sorry, guys.
Works fine. takes a long time to load... I can almost see the cars going by... Nice tree... Thanks for taking the time to do that.

All credit for the panorama goes to my old friend Mo Overstreet, IIRC, he actually worked VIR before it closed, and was very enthusiastic about getting back there once the place was restored.

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