Adventures in Trace Fork #2: Interesting Trees

I always carry a camera with me in the woods, and have seen a lot of interesting things, like this massive fallen Red Oak. I was actually standing on this thing while I took the photo:

At the spot where the trail from my mom’s property enters the park, this beast has fallen. My measly 16” chain saw would be no match for this monster:

Lots of lightning hits. This one is all the way down on the canyon floor:

(Every time I pass a big Beech, I wonder if there is a bear in it.)

Another lightning strike. This tree actually survived the blast, but I don’t know how it is still standing:

I see lots of trees with galls, but this one is huge:

This tree reminds me of an Anaconda. It is still very much alive, even laying on the hillside. Any takers on the species? I was thinking Green Ash due to its soggy location, but not now. The leaves haven’t developed enough to tell, but it looks like they are alternate and compound:

Some nice burl. I’ve never found burl larger than about 6” wide on a fallen tree, but I’m keeping my eye on these:

Finally, a couple shots of something I think is in the Aesculus (Buckeye) genus just coming out: