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cakewalk
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 512
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 9:47 am Post subject: Electro-cacti-cution |
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Im hiking a trail in T-bird park yesterday and something doesnt feel right, something is missing. A mighty saguaro, the sentinal of the desert, no longer stands guard. ( Yes, I know where every cactus is. )
I hike off trail to where the cactus should be, and realize that it took one for the team. Still emitting an odd odor that is beyond explanation, it lies half on the ground, its guts all over the place from an explosive lightning strike.
This is my first time seeing a recent stike resulting in the falling of one of the mighty ones. Just happened to have my camera with me, although the pics didnt really come out all that great.
Electro-cacti-cution |
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HUM469
Joined: 30 Jun 2004 Posts: 228 Location: Peoria, AZ
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 10:25 am Post subject: |
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That really is too bad. I know all about the smell they make when baked like that though.
Behind my old house, it took three strikes inside of two years to kill off an old fanned Saguaro. By that I mean the rare genetically mutated ones where the top is shaped like a fan. The first shot blew off the top, but left no more marks. Then next week another monsoon storm had put a big black gash all the way down it's 40 foot height. The very next year, the monsoon only got to hit it once, and that time it blew completely to pieces, splaying it's ribs out in a perfect spoked wheel shape, and throwing meat clear against the side of my house more than 100 feet away. One of the arms even had to be fished out of my pool. There really is no describing that smell though, is there? _________________ -Dylan Anderson
(602) 628-4327
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Special Projects Manager, AZCDE.com |
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cakewalk
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 512
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 9:37 pm Post subject: |
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I suppose if that cactus wasnt there, the lightning could have went for your house huh? Assuming your house was the next tallest object. |
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HUM469
Joined: 30 Jun 2004 Posts: 228 Location: Peoria, AZ
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 10:03 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe, but I doubt it. It's not really the tallest structure that always gets hit, just the most conductive. There was a tree about halfway between my house and the saguaro that was nearly twice the height and it never got hit. I always said I should lay a mining claim right under that cactus.. must have been a pretty strong ore vein there.... _________________ -Dylan Anderson
(602) 628-4327
Consultant
Real Estate Executive to AZ
Special Projects Manager, AZCDE.com |
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Nighthiker
Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 1714
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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Check the area around the saguaro and look for fused sand (glassy looking), result of a stike. They are also called fulgarites and some of them are pretty cool looking. |
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cakewalk
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 512
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Posted: 8/17/2006, 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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There was no evidence of a ground strike near my cactus. I actually looked for fulgarites.
Would be pretty cool to find a strike in soft deep sand, could score a major fulgarite trophy. |
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IGO
Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 12:21 am Post subject: |
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Pretty cool that you noticed the missing patriarch in the first place. _________________ "Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them." John Muir |
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LongStoryShort
Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 402 Location: Doha, Qatar
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 7:55 am Post subject: |
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HUM469 wrote: |
That really is too bad. I know all about the smell they make when baked like that though.
Behind my old house, it took three strikes inside of two years to kill off an old fanned Saguaro. By that I mean the rare genetically mutated ones where the top is shaped like a fan. The first shot blew off the top, but left no more marks. Then next week another monsoon storm had put a big black gash all the way down it's 40 foot height. The very next year, the monsoon only got to hit it once, and that time it blew completely to pieces, splaying it's ribs out in a perfect spoked wheel shape, and throwing meat clear against the side of my house more than 100 feet away. One of the arms even had to be fished out of my pool. There really is no describing that smell though, is there? |
I wouldn't say it's too bad, just a part of nature. _________________ Happiness is being high on the food chain. |
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Davis2001R6
Joined: 12 Dec 2003 Posts: 5591 Location: Italy
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 11:05 am Post subject: |
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I wouldn't say it's too bad, just a part of nature.
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Natural Selection |
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kurthzone Thread Killer
Joined: 31 Dec 2002 Posts: 1097 Location: Peoria, Arizona
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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Davis2001R6 wrote: |
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I wouldn't say it's too bad, just a part of nature.
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Natural Selection |
It sucks being the tallest thing around when lightning wants to come down. _________________ ;o)> |
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evenstar
Joined: 03 Jan 2003 Posts: 5548 Location: SCW by way of CA
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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kurthzone wrote: |
Davis2001R6 wrote: |
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I wouldn't say it's too bad, just a part of nature.
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Natural Selection |
It sucks being the tallest thing around when lightning wants to come down. |
That's why the Dweebs stay close to you during a storm! _________________ John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902 |
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IGO
Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4144 Location: Las Vegas
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Posted: 8/18/2006, 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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kurthzone wrote: |
Davis2001R6 wrote: |
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I wouldn't say it's too bad, just a part of nature.
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Natural Selection |
It sucks being the tallest thing around when lightning wants to come down. |
When lightning's comin' down, I ain't the tallest thing around. _________________ "Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them." John Muir |
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