My wife and I went looking for a Christmas tree in the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest in northern Wisconsin. We thought it might be fun to find an “authentic” Christmas tree as opposed to one groomed for the occasion. For $10, you can get a permit from the county to cut a tree in a state forest provided you don’t clear-cut the woods in the process.
Eric Frydenlund We parked the car on the highway and walked down a logging road into the heart of the forest. My first impression was of the sheer beauty of the Northwoods. A light snow had fallen the night before, and the trees were decorated with white trimmings.
The scene was like the cover of a Christmas card delivered to us in this most authentic of moments. My second impression was one of astonishment at being overwhelmed by the utter volume of trees to choose from. If you’ve been to a Christmas tree lot, you know the difficulty of finding the right tree among dozens of choices.
Now imagine the task when presented with thousands. It’s like trying to pick the winning lottery numbers. People are also reading.
.. Of course, a state forest is not a Christmas tree farm.
Trees are not impeccably shaped or stylishly groomed. Could this one pass as a Christmas tree if we put enough lights on it? But we reminded ourselves that the widely spaced branches are actually ideal for hanging ornaments without them getting lost in the clutter. All the trees are $10, so you have the pick of the litter.
And you don’t n.