Scarr 08/04/2008

Supercell

I took the backroads into work yesterday morning hoping to catch Djouce snow but it was cloud bound at that time however Scarr was simply stunning.

These pictures really don't convey how the orange sunrise on the Scarr snow looked, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Scarr under shadow...



Then the sun came out, the snow had a wonderful orange glow, it was amazing.


As I drove further on the logging have reveals a fantastic view south, there is snow on the same mountains still today. This was taken after Djouce wood on the old Roundwood road south toward Eniskerry. No idea what the waterfall name is.



I was half asleep , these were taken around 7AM so sorry for crappy composure and exposure.

Snowbie

Super shots Longfield. I like the second one as the cloud is clearing the mountain.

arctictree

Lovely pics Longfield. I think the waterfall is powerscourt waterfall. Yes, I never noticed it before from that road. Must be the logging.

A

Danno

Beautiful pictures. The best I have seen on here yet. Well done Longfield. You could win some awards with them. You should send them to the BBC and Bord Failte.

Paddy.1

Splendid scenery. I am saddened to see the forests being chopped though. There is something disgusting about the way they do this. It is the same around here. Any forest that grows is chopped down into tidy little squares that does nothing to enhance the natural beauty of the area. Even in the unspoilt landscape of the Wicklow hills they destroy without thought. Money over quality.

Mothman

Indeed Powerscourt Waterfall

Supercell

Thanks for the nice comments. Bet that view of Powerscourt waterfall hasn't been visible for a while so, the logging really is stripping the mountains bare.
At the current rate they are going Wicklow mountains will be totally barren rock and heather in a few years

Mothman

I have a different take on this logging.
In the past I've grown annual crops. To me, this forest is another crop, though its decades rather than annual. It just so happens that a huge amount of this was planted in the 50s/60s. Since then jo public has after generally having no interest, now views it as an amenity just at the time it is all mature.

I'm not sorry to see this blanket sh1t (Mostly Sitka Spruce) being removed if it is replanted with native woodland. It is not the natural landscape, and the planting of this blanket has destroyed it. While the bulk of replanting is with confiers, there is much more of a mix of native, though probably less than 20%
Also I think by the time the generation of planting to mature, continuous cover management will be the norm.

My advice is get onto to your local representatives and try influence the future planting plans.
No point in giving out to coillte (I know no one had done so here). This is a commercial company that make money growing crops of trees.

Supercell

Mothman wrote: »

It is not the natural landscape, and the planting of this blanket has destroyed it. While the bulk of replanting is with confiers, there is much more of a mix of native, though probably less than 20%
Also I think by the time the generation of planting to mature, continuous cover management will be the norm.

I do understand your point Mothman, but I wonder about the replanting.

I think, before mankind was around, Ireland would have been under mostly forest, so barren rock isn't really natural either which seems to be how the Wicklow mountains are trending currently.

I see little evidence of planting (on my Sunday drives around the mountains I can think of only one place where new trees have visibly been planted, then again if they are only planting seeds while logging I guess nothing would be visible yet..hope thats the case), though have no knowledge about forestry so hope that its happening, I only know the hills do look terrible when they have been logged Sitka Spruce or not.

My hope is that its being replanted as fast as its being chopped. If not its kind of ironic (but unsurprising imho) that Ireland is busy chopping its forests whilst at the same time paying ever increasing CO2 charges.

Hmm, is there a forestry forum on boards?

Mothman

Forestry forum

Absolutely for sure it's replanted. Generally the brashings are shoved into lines to clean the area, and its replanted with whips, which are about knee high. It does take 2-3 yeasr before tress are noticeable because the weeds grow as quick. Probably main issue these days are deers which are probably in much greater numbers than 40 years ago and they take there toll on young forests.

Anything that has just been felled will be planted next winter.