Up a Tree

Up a Tree

To a young park ranger, fresh out of training at the academy, Sequoia National Park was like playing in the big leagues. Six hundred and thirty-one square miles of dense forests on the side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains was Heaven to a man who loved the outdoors. A place where you can walk among majestic sequoia trees over three thousand years old. A place where trees over two hundred feet tall stretch into a brilliant blue sky. And a place where a person can find a kind of solitude unlike any other place in the country.

Josh Howard had been a Field Ranger for just a month and was still in awe of the place. Even after daily treks along the many trails he’d still only seen a small portion of the park. His first assignment was to watch over the main parking areas and trailheads used by the crowds of visitors. Many of the people were experienced hikers and knew the park rules. They were easy to deal with. It was the hoard of newcomers and know-it-alls that made his job a challenge. His training had earned him law enforcement powers but he hoped he’d never have to use them.

It was a crisp October morning and early enough to explore parts of the park he didn’t get to see when he was busy dealing with visitors. It was while he was walking through a fringe area of the forest that he saw it. If the angle of the sun and the object hadn’t been in perfect alignment he never would have seen it. In the middle of a large stand of sequoias, about a hundred and fifty feet up was an object apparently stuck in a tree. The reflection had caught his eye but he had to walk back into the stand before he could see much. The closeness of the surrounding trees forced him to look straight up to get a good look at it. It was circular and he guessed it was about twenty feet in diameter. A narrow ray of sun between the branches bounced off the shiny, silver surface. There was a long, metal rod protruding from the surface of the disc.

Josh knew it would be a long walk back to his truck but he wanted a better look at the object and his binoculars would make it easier. He knew he’d have to hurry to be back at the station before the morning duty assignment meeting. Twenty minutes later he was back under the tree, binoculars to his eyes, and staring at the strange object. He could see more details of it but not enough to answer the big question: What was it? There wasn’t enough time to study it further so he took a few cellphone photos and hurried back to his truck.

The Fall season was as busy as the Summer. As soon as he’d parked his truck he hurried into the meeting room to find out where he’d been posted for the day. The meeting was already breaking up and Sergeant Payne handed him a copy of the day’s work assignments. He went down the list knowing there’d be no time to talk to anyone about the object, not that he knew what he’d say about his discovery. His day was full of guided tours, a minor first aid event with a rambunctious seven-year-old and answering endless questions about the flora and fauna. A typical day in the forest and he loved every minute of it. A late day battery jump for a flustered young woman ended his official duties and by the time he got back to the station the shift change had happened. The skeleton crew who worked nights spent most of their time in the station and patrolling parking lots and main roads. Josh gave up on the idea of showing anyone his photos and headed for his cabin.

His roommate, Mark Sisson, was lying on his small bed scrolling through his phone and, without looking at Josh, said, “Hey, man, I didn’t see you at shift change. Some of the guys were heading to Visalia for dinner but I figured I’d wait for you.”

Josh dropped down at their shared desk. “Well, thanks, you didn’t have to do that. For me that’s a weekend drive only.”

“It’s sandwich night at the station mess hall which really means no one wanted to make an actual meal for us.”

Josh laughed. “A sandwich is better than nothing, sort of, but before we go, I wanted to show you something.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and found the photos. He handed it to Mark. “Check it out. I saw this thing up in a tree in the West Range this morning. I have no idea what it is.”

Mark scrolled through the photos and shook his head. “How in the hell did you ever spot that?

“Almost by accident. The sun was hitting it just right and it caught my eye. It looks like it’s about a hundred and fifty feet up.”

Mark studied the photos for a moment. “Any idea what it is?”

“Nope. I looked at it through my binoculars and still couldn’t figure it out. It could be just about anything.”

“Well, what are the choices? A piece of a plane? A weather balloon? Space debris from a satellite?” He paused then added, “It might be something from the military.” He handed the phone back to Josh. “I’ve been here at the park longer than you and I never heard anything about it. Maybe you’re the only one who’s ever seen it.”

“Based on where it is I guess that’s possible.” He looked at a photo and continued, “There’s no telling what it is and no telling how long it’s been up there. It could have been years ago or it could have been yesterday.”

Mark grinned. “Okay, I know you’re thinking the same thing I am. Maybe it’s a UFO!”

The assembly room was already crowded when Josh walked in the next morning. Things started right on time and he found a seat in the back row next to Mark. The Field Rangers sat and listened as Sergeant Payne handed out the day’s assignment lists. The routine question and answer period that followed was anything but normal. Tom Magnuson, a Senior Ranger, raised his hand, smirked and asked, “Who’s going to be in charge of the UFO today?”

Sergeant Payne tried to maintain a serious look while quiet laughter ran spread through the room. “I haven’t decided. Josh, who do you want to see looking after your discovery?”

Josh turned to Mark. “What the hell? Did you tell everyone about my photos?”

“Just a couple of guys but relax. Nobody thinks it’s a big deal.”

Sergeant Payne held up his hand to get everyone’s attention. “Josh, how about you and I head out to the West Range and have another look at that thing?”

The rangers all headed for their vehicles. Sergeant Payne called to Josh, “Come on, I’ll drive.”

As they drove, Josh tried to describe the object while Payne listened patiently. When they reached the end of the utility road Josh grabbed Payne’s binoculars and they got out. Payne looked at the photos while Josh tried to get his bearings. His first sighting had been made possible by the sun’s reflection on the object. Now he’d have to find it again by remembering his route between the trees. They walked slowly and carefully, watching the trail and looking up into the trees. Josh was relieved when he spotted one of his boot prints in the soft soil. “Okay, we’re getting close.”

He remembered that the tree to the left of the one with the object had a broken lower branch hanging down. When he saw it, he said, “Okay, Sergeant, we’re here.”

It took Payne a few moments of scanning the treetops before he said, “Holy shit, what is that thing?”

Josh went down the list of the things it might be. Every guess was a possibility, every guess except a UFO. As tempting as it was to believe a story like that both men knew they had to take a practical, professional approach.

“You know,” Josh began “I think we should get some of the yellow hazard tape out of your truck and string it around this general area. We should also set out a few traffic cones on the road to mark the trail.”

“I agree. We need to get some answers on what the hell that thing is and visitors aren’t supposed to be using this part of the road anyway.”

It took almost an hour to fetch the tape from the truck and string it in the area around the tree. They also strung several long sections along the trail back to the road. Three bright orange cones were set at the side of the road where the trail began. Finding their way back to the object would be a lot easier.

The drive back to the station was their chance to work out a plan for what to do. Payne suggested that Josh check a camera out from the equipment room so he could get close-ups of the object. Getting shots from multiple vantage points around the tree would be helpful as well. When they got back to the station and parked, Payne looked at Josh and said, “I think you should make this a priority. Whatever that thing is, it doesn’t belong in a three thousand year old tree. Let’s get some answers.” He paused then added, “And let’s keep this under wraps for now. We don’t need any more speculation and gossip.”

Payne was no sooner back inside the station when an older couple approached Josh as he was unlocking his truck. The woman seemed to be very excited. “Excuse me, can you give us directions to where the flying saucer crashed?”

Josh was taken aback. The only people who’d been told about the object in the tree were rangers and support staff. Obviously, one or more of them had been saying too much to the visitors. It was probably meant as a joke, but the story should have stayed inside the station. He managed a quick reply that he’d hoped would end the rumor. “Ma’am, somebody’s joking around with that story. There’s no flying saucer.”

The woman was persistent. “We heard that one crashed into the top of a sequoia and it’s still there.”

Josh tried hard to be patient. “There’s always some kind of crazy story going around here. Don’t believe it. Now can I help you with anything else?”

It was obvious the woman wasn’t satisfied with Josh’s answer. She turned to her husband. “Come on, let’s ask someone else.”

It took Josh the entire morning to photograph and document the tree and the object. He used a printed map of the park and marked it with the approximate location. The zoom lens of the camera helped him see more detail than the binoculars had. He couldn’t wait to process and enlarge the photos. The answer was in them somewhere.

The next morning’s team assembly took a different tone than normal. Sergeant Payne quickly handed out copies of the day’s assignments then turned the meeting over to the Assistant Chief. Captain Ray Martinez was a stern, no-nonsense kind of guy. Josh turned to Mark and whispered, “Uh oh, something’s up.”

Ladies and gentlemen”, Martinez began, “I’m here at the Sergeant’s request to make you aware of a problem. What started out yesterday, I’m sure as an innocent joke, has grown into a situation that we need to get control of, and I mean NOW! You’re all aware of the object lodged in a tree in the West Range. Ranger Howard discovered it. It should have been a simple matter of photographing it, mapping its location and then bringing it to me to investigate. Instead, your joking about it with visitors has created pandemonium. Ranger Howard reported a conversation with a couple wanting to know where the flying saucer was. Three other Rangers were asked the same thing.”

The group was silent. Josh whispered to Mark, “I think I know where this is going.”

Martinez continued. “Last evening I received a phone call from the shuttle service in Visalia. They told me that everyone on both shuttles to the park had been talking about the flying saucer. One of them even speculated there’s some kind of big cover-up going on.” He waited a moment for that to sink in, then added, “If that wasn’t bad enough, this morning I got an email from a reporter at the Los Angeles Times. He’d like to bring a camera crew here and do a story on the whole thing. Folks, just imagine the chaos and hazards to the trees that could bring to our doorstep.”

Payne leaned in. “Captain, if I may, I’d like to say something very loud and very clear. The joking around caused all of this. Starting right now, you will tell every single visitors that the story about a flying saucer is not true. Tell them it’s just a joke that got out of hand. If they ask to see the tree tell them it’s in a part of the park not open to the public. Our sequoias are precious and they’re vulnerable. Our main job is to protect them. All over the park we’re seeing signs of damage to them from people trampling the roots. If you see anyone heading toward the West Range stop them immediately and follow them back here to the station. I know you don’t usually have to use it but remember, rangers have law enforcement power. Don’t be afraid to use it!”

When the meeting broke up the nervous rangers headed out to their assigned spots. They knew the day was going to be challenging. There was already a line of cars at the main entrance. The Visalia Shuttle was unloading two dozen curious visitors. Sergeant Payne had grabbed a megaphone and was doing his best to steer people to the proper checkpoints. In the midst of the chaos, Captain Martinez came out and worked his way through the crowd toward Payne. When he was in earshot he groaned, “Get ready, I just talked to that reporter at the Times. He’s got a helicopter heading our way for what he called a treetop view of the saucer. Trouble is coming.

That day, Josh made his first arrest as a ranger, a belligerent man who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Rangers made four other arrests and steered more than a dozen people away from the road leading into the West Range. Payne contacted the shuttle service and ordered them to halt any more trips to the park. Sequoia National Park, one of the most beautiful and serene places on the planet, was sheer bedlam.

As sunset neared the crowd finally began a slow exit. Josh was standing near the main gate when he saw a car approaching. “One last visitor to turn away” he thought. He waited for the car to reach the gate and when he saw the window rolling down he approached the driver. The old man behind the wheel said nothing at first, he just handed Josh a large, tattered black and white photo. Josh looked at the man, then the photo and he felt a chill. It was a photo of the object. Not stuck way up in a tree. Not partially hidden by foliage. It was bright, shiny and sitting on four metal legs. Before Josh could say anything the man asked him, “Is that your flying saucer?”

Josh nodded. “Yeah, that’s it.” He paused before he asked, “What is this…and who are you?”

The man picked up a stack of photos from the seat beside him. May I get out and explain things to you?”

Josh stepped back. “Sure.”

The old man opened the door and slowly, awkwardly got out. Josh reached to help him but the man said, “I’m okay. I’m George, by the way.” He leaned against the car as Josh flipped through the photos, each one a different view of the object and people standing near it.”

“Young man, that’s the object stuck in your tree. It’s a model of an alien spacecraft that my father built for a science fiction movie. You’re probably too young to remember Invasion from Mars. It was a movie from 1958 and my father made the Martian ship for the studio. Special effects were pretty crude back then, but the movie audience saw your object flying around and attacking the US Army.”

Josh was fascinated as the man told him how the saucer was built and how the studio managed to make it look real. “So, I see what our object is, but how did it get into one of our sequoias?”

“Well, from what my father told me it was too big to fit into a truck and another studio wanted it for a scene in one of their movies set in Death Valley. They got a guy with an old Army helicopter to transport it for them but the rigging broke during the flight and it fell into your park.”

“Was it ever reported? How come nobody came to claim it?”

“It’s kind of a weird story. Both of the studios said they had the rights to the saucer’s design. My father said the rights belonged to him. It was never settled so they all decided to just leave it in the tree.” The man seemed to know about the chaos at the park and said, “I hear you’re in a real jam here with all the craziness. Keep the pictures, maybe they’ll help.”

Josh nodded and sighed. “George, I can’t thank you enough. Your photos are going to save the life of a magnificent old tree.”