Big tree fall down go boom

This is the “Buttress Tree” which fell without warning on June 3, 1959.  It was a clear day, with no wind.  Sequoias can lose their balance and topple for no apparent reason, other than that their shallow root structure has been compromised by fire, erosion or very wet soil.  Something for me to ponder as I walk and drive among them for the next few days!

This tree was 272 feet tall and was estimated to have been about 2,300 years old.

Let’s take a look under the hood and see what makes’er tick (well, made her tick…)

You can see in the photo below that the roots were somewhat slanted and not perpendicular to the trunk, although I would have thought it would have fallen the other way.

If no one was in the forest at the time, I wonder if it made any noise??