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The Biggest Burl in the World
On a walk along the southern stretch of the Bay Circuit Path in
Duxbury, I happened upon the "biggest burl in the world".
(Unsubstantiated claim)
For those who have found the caches in my Tree Anatomy series,
burls are a special peculiarity. A burl is a tree growth in
which the grain has grown in a deformed manner; resembling a
bulbous tumor, usually along the trunk. The growth seems to
do no harm to the tree, which otherwise lives a normal life.
Craftsmen harvest burls to make wooden ornaments or utility items,
such as bowls. the wood grain is hard and convoluted, making
an attractive product.
The largest burls tend to be found on the largest trees; this
particular burl is huge in proportion to its host tree; an ordinary
white oak.
The cache is 250 feet east of the burl, which has a waypoint of
its own. (The burl was too close to another cache.)
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Parking is to the south, at Crooker Park. Walk west on Elm
Street approx 0.2, until you come to the Tinkertown sign, and a Bay
Circuit Path sign will be nearby. Don't park here though;
it's only OK to walk in; not drive in.