[treeswarper]

I bet the people filming this had no idea of the danger they were in. If the wind is blowing and you see the earth around trees doing this, get the heck out of the forest. The trees are about to blow over. https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/wind-causes-forest-to-start-breathing-sacre-coeur-quebec-canada-october-2018/115245

[Bernardo]

Don't mean any disrespect, but how do you know?

[RumiDude]

Yea, that was was a waaaaay dangerous situation. Those trees were rocking and rolling. Rumi

[PorcupinePhobia]

That's an insane video

[moonspots]

[BigBrunyon]

It might be cause there's a bear den down there

[Schroder]

Up on the Canadian Shield the topsoil is pretty shallow on top of rock. The roots don't go very deep. I've spent a lot of time up there but never seen this phenomenon.

[treeswarper]

[MyFootHurts]

That's graboid country

[Hiker Mama]

Oh man! That would be terrifying. Yeah, not breathing, more like you're going to get crushed by a tree falling over any second now.

[Bernardo]

Those trees might be Ents. If not, how often can that happen and trees not fall down? In some cases (certain types of trees and environments), any movement might mean collapse. In other cases, maybe the root network is designed to give. Seems like bending, not breaking could be a survival mechanism. Maybe these trees are still standing today? Are they now weakened? Or is this typical for them? Once in my life I saw a tree move and then it fell. Conversely, I have never seen a tree move at its base and not fall. We've all seen evidence that trees moved and fell after the fact. This video is very interesting because it shows trees moving that do not fall. If that is possible, I've learned something new. I know that Treeswarper knows a lot about trees so that's why I was interested in her expanding on her first post. Thanks Treeswarper for posting the video.

[treeswarper]

Not being from that area, I can only guess that the wind was not quite hard enough to tip them over. Also, roots of trees can be intertwined. In our part of the country, if two trees are growing close together and one goes over, it's a good bet that the other will soon follow. So, if it is close to something dear, it is a good thing to have somebody come and fall it in a controlled way. Trees are prone to blowing over after a commercial thinning operation. Then, after a couple of years, their roots strengthen and they are less likely to topple. That's why we cross our fingers after opening up a stand and hope there are no wind events for a bit. There have been youtube videos of trees in BC doing a similar wobble. But they don't stay up. They blow over.

[RumiDude]

The take-away is simply leave the forest if this starts happening. The risk of not just trees toppling but branches falling is great during a wind event. Personally I avoid going into the forest if the sustained winds are 20-25 mph. I get antsy if it gets 15 mph. Rumi

[Mikey]

Note that limbs and trees fall even during no wind and during dry conditions. Toddler, 2 Others Injured After Tree Falls At Twin Falls State Park Aug 27, 2017 Three people including a toddler were injured when a 100-foot cedar tree toppled and fell on them at Twin Falls State Park Sunday Aug 27, 2017 morning, according to the King County Sheriff's Office. One of the victims was taken to Harboview by helicopter in critical condition, according to Eastside Fire and Rescue. The 16-month-old boy was with his father walking along a trail when a large old-growth tree fell across the path. A woman walking nearby was also hit by the tree. The fire department said that the infant was taken to Harborview first, but was not listed in critical condition. The hiker who was critically injured was airlifted. A rock slide followed, but what caused the cedar tree to fall is still unclear. One should avoid hiking during high winds. I have hunted deer and elk during stormy weather because the hunting seasons are short and I have seen limbs and entire trees fall in my vicinity. Deadly Windstorm Hits -- Hiker Killed By Tree Near North Bend Oct 27, 1999 A hiker was killed this Wednesday morning (Oct 27, 1999) when a tree knocked down by high winds fell on her near Rattlesnake Lake south of North Bend. The woman's death is the result of a strong storm that hit the state this morning and is expected to continue in the area through tonight and into tomorrow morning. The communities in the Cascade foothills were hit the hardest by the storm because the winds were out of the east. Gusts at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were clocked at 40 mph this morning. Trooper Tracy Foster was driving in North Bend about 7:30 a.m. when a tree fell across the windshield of her patrol car. Several trees fell across state Highway 18 near the Issaquah-Hobart Road interchange, closing the road for 45 minutes. There is a term "Widow Maker" which is a common phrase in the logger community. The term "widow maker" came to be as a morbid reminder for people working in the woods to avoid situations that can both cause death and profoundly affect the family. The short definition of the term can be translated into the phrase - "any loose overhead debris such as limbs or tree tops that may fall at any time. In my hiking experience, I have seen many more "widow makers" in the way of falling limbs from both evergreen and deciduous trees than falling trees.

[Malachai Constant]

I have been in eastern forests in Canada and the US and if I ever saw this I would be out of there faster than if the Blair Witch was after me.