Joshua Tree trip III (2012): Return of the Crackers

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I was in Death Valley a few weeks ago and met a couple who had flown over from England to find the tree. The guy was wearing a U2 shirt so I asked if that was the reason they were there. It was, and he showed me his pictures.

Apparently, the tube has been replaced by a fairly large green box. There was an Irish flag wrapped around the trunk of the tree (which hopefully someone will remove) and he also said it looks like someone has sawed off a limb. It was hard for me to tell because the pics were on his iphone so they were pretty small so I'm not sure.

I take three or four trips to Death Valley a year but I haven't been to the tree in a long time. Hopefully, as more people make their way out to the site, the area stays intact so fans (who aren't interested in disturbing the area) can enjoy it for years to come.
 
Sawed off a limb? :sad: wtf. It's hard to believe that anyone who loves U2 enough to actually make the effort to find the tree would also do stupid stuff like that. But I guess you never know. That really sucks. Also it didn't need anything more left there than the small tube.
 
bonocomet said:
Sawed off a limb? :sad: wtf. It's hard to believe that anyone who loves U2 enough to actually make the effort to find the tree would also do stupid stuff like that. But I guess you never know. That really sucks. Also it didn't need anything more left there than the small tube.
Click to expand...


Great. So some 'tool' now has a limb of the tree hanging in a shadowbox at his home? :mad:

Do we go add paint to a Monet? No. You leave it the fuck alone and respect it.

Hopefully there will be something still left to see and others will be respectful of it's meaning to fans.
 
beegee said:
I was in Death Valley a few weeks ago and met a couple who had flown over from England to find the tree. The guy was wearing a U2 shirt so I asked if that was the reason they were there. It was, and he showed me his pictures.

Apparently, the tube has been replaced by a fairly large green box. There was an Irish flag wrapped around the trunk of the tree (which hopefully someone will remove) and he also said it looks like someone has sawed off a limb. It was hard for me to tell because the pics were on his iphone so they were pretty small so I'm not sure.

I take three or four trips to Death Valley a year but I haven't been to the tree in a long time. Hopefully, as more people make their way out to the site, the area stays intact so fans (who aren't interested in disturbing the area) can enjoy it for years to come.
Click to expand...

the green box has now been replaced by a gray box. It's filled with notebooks, pens, postcards, books, cds. Kind of cool actually.

We tried to take the flag off the tree trunk because it really annoyed me that it was there. But it was tied really tight and I couldn't get it off. It's pretty faded and just looks like a rag wrapped around the trunk.

Finally...a limb was indeed sawed off. So upsetting that someone would take a piece. I almost cried when I saw that. It's such a long journey to get there and I'd hate to see someone drive all that way to find nothing is left of the tree because of selfish people that think it's ok to take something like that.

580b8814.jpg


8f244364.jpg


1095b32b.jpg


:sigh: the missing limb....
5fc74dd4.jpg
 
arw said:
We tried to take the flag off the tree trunk because it really annoyed me that it was there. But it was tied really tight and I couldn't get it off. It's pretty faded and just looks like a rag wrapped around the trunk.
Click to expand...

The tree is perfect as is and needs no adornments! People can be so stupid and selfish.


arw said:
Finally...a limb was indeed sawed off. So upsetting that someone would take a piece. I almost cried when I saw that. It's such a long journey to get there and I'd hate to see someone drive all that way to find nothing is left of the tree because of selfish people that think it's ok to take something like that.

:sigh: the missing limb....
5fc74dd4.jpg
Click to expand...

THAT IS FUCKING HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! I'm revolted!
 
FitzChivalry said:
The tree is perfect as is and needs no adornments! People can be so stupid and selfish.




THAT IS FUCKING HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! I'm revolted!
Click to expand...

it was very upsetting....

we were in Joshua Tree park the day before. Their newsletter, which states the rules of the park, said that 1.25 million people visit JTNP a year and imagine what the place would look like if all 1.25 million people took a rock out of the park, there would be nothing left. This was my 6th time to JTNP and I will admit I've taken rocks out before. But after reading that it made me rethink that choice and I decided not bring one home this time. So while looking at the missing piece, I thought about that statement. Imagine if every single U2 fan took a piece of the tree home. There would be nothing left.....
 
There was another very large portion of one of the biggest limbs that was gone. I couldn't tell if it had finally washed away on its own as it was the one limb that was right on the edge of the little wash that runs near the base of the tree, or if it had been taken. I didn't see any pieces of it anywhere though. :(

In general, I'd say the tree is definitely dwindling, when I compare it to the first time I saw it years ago. I know that's to be expected for a tree that's died and is making it's way back to the earth, but still, it's sad to know it won't always be there for U2 fans.
 
:sad: This is so sad! Leave that poor tree the frell alone, people!!! I hope there's something left when I finally get to go on my own JTree pilgrimage, where I will not be bringing a saw with me! :angry:
 
Here's a bit of comparison on the branch I noticed missing. I don't know if it just vanished naturally by being washed away or not. Guess we really can't know. (The large branch that was to the left of the base of the tree was partly gone.)

This photo taken in Jan. 2009
JT1-11-2009sunset2.jpg



Jan. 2012
JT1-2012CP71.jpg
 
:sad: :sad:

Oh, man, that's fucking awful! :no:
ghads :angry: How uber selfish!!!!

And here I was seeing the thread and thinking- "Oh, yeah! Comet and
others were going to visit the JT tree!" :happy:

And then see this news.... :fist:

I have no plans to go - but for those who want to .... :( Bah!
 
After looking at all of my pictures, I really wish we would have cleaned up the place a little and put everything in the box. I thought about it but honestly I was so overwhelmed with finally being there that I couldn't focus on anything.
 
arw said:
After looking at all of my pictures, I really wish we would have cleaned up the place a little and put everything in the box. I thought about it but honestly I was so overwhelmed with finally being there that I couldn't focus on anything.
Click to expand...

Same here. I was thinking that too, but then I also feel weird about messing with other people's stuff. Looking back though, I think the best thing to do is keep everything that can go in the box, in. If I go in May, I'll do it. ;)
 
Fitz, YES. I completely agree.

bonocomet said:
I was thinking that too, but then I also feel weird about messing with other people's stuff.
Click to expand...

If people don't feel weird about messing with the environment then I don't feel weird about messing with what is basically litter left in the desert.
 
FitzChivalry said:
If I go back, I'm DEFINITELY cutting off that stupid, effin' red flag. I'll put it in the keepsake box . . . but it does not belong on the tree!
Click to expand...

:hmm: hi, Fitz :wave:

I'd say to whom ever returns there first and has the inclination to take the flag off>>>
try an Exacto Knife with a #2 Balde. It's a bit thicker & stronger than the most well known #11 blade- and is designated for linoleum, med-soft woods, plastic... I think that'll work because there's a good chance it'll be thin enough to slip under the fabric/cord of the flag.

good luck! :up:
 
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