I can’t imagine traveling without a GPS now… and that’s because we allow technology to absorb our lives. It is not uncommon for the brain to be connected to the Internet recently… Maps can also be a very useful guide, but what happened before we had maps or GPS? How did people find the right path in the forest before technology came along? It seems that there are hidden secrets in nature and it has something to do with the twisted trees You can find strangely shaped trees all over the United States. Their trunks have strange twists or bend at strange angles. While some of them may simply be natural curiosities, most of these trees are actually waymarks that helped indigenous peoples navigate. Native Americans bent young trees to create permanent signposts that marked safe paths through rough terrain and guided travelers to water, food, or other important reference points.
Over the years the trees have grown and retained their original form, but their purpose has been almost forgotten as modern life has flourished around them. Today we may no longer need these “landmark trees” to guide us, but their role in history makes them invaluable. Imagine the stories these trees could tell. Yes… we know that there are many curved trees and strange shaped trees created by Mother Nature, but there are few things that were done by the Native Americans that made them different from those created by Mother Nature, and lost hikers could recognize the man-made ones. For example, many trees in the forest can bend naturally, like the one shown in the picture above.
But decades ago, trees bent by Native Americans had a noticeable marking, such as a protruding nose or notch at the end of the bend (as shown below). This was accomplished by placing a piece of the tree in a hole and allowing the tree to grow around it. In addition to the nose, there is another small detail that can help distinguish the wonders of nature from the trees bent by humans. If you look at the upper part of the inner trunk you can also see the scars where the straps were placed when the trees were young. Many of these trees are between 150 and 200 years old, but as we know, there are many things we do as humans that are massively destroying nature.
One of them is population growth, and probably these trees will be cut down in the near future… That’s why the Mountain Stewards website was created. The site has mapped more than 1,000 bent trees across the country and documented exactly where they are! Hopefully young and old will rush to see these incredible pieces of American history before they disappear! This is fascinating!”
