The size of this root structure is impressive – at least twenty-five feet across and twelve feet high, still attached to the full length of the fallen tree. This urban forest is filled with thousands of tall pines growing closely together. A tell-tale sign of trouble for such trees is the presence of several huge boulders left over from the days of the glaciers. Rocky ground means shallow earth. It seems likely that roots would have to spread out rather than go deep and one day prove inadequate to the task.
Any one of several factors could have brought this tree down. – lightning, a fierce windstorm, or the insupportable weight of the canopy. But the evidence is clear. The widespread belief about the shape and size of tree roots – that what is below ground mirrors what is above ground – is nothing more than an artist’s wishful thinking.
“Only when a tree has fallen can you take the measure of it. It is the same with a man.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Location: South Surrey, British Columbia
Date: February 2026
Source: Pentax ME Super film camera with 50 mm lens
