Krummholz - Twisted wood in the Canadian subarctic

Photographed near the Klondike highway just northeast of the US border.

The German word krummholz means "twisted wood" in reference to the stunted, contorted branches and trunks of trees found in subalpine and subarctic landscapes.  The trees I found near Skagway, Alaska, had both aspects in common.  The scraggy trees were located high up on the Whitehall pass, some 600 miles south of the Arctic Circle.  The long, cold winters combined with the punishing winds prevent much in the way of vertical or balanced growth.

There were hundreds of examples of the bent forms all around me; I could have spent hours photographing the varied contortions I witnessed.  As it was, I only had a few minutes to explore the bent figures.  I was on an excursion.  The thick fog prevented us from seeing much as we drove along the Klondike highway.  It wasn't until we reached the end of our trip that the fog began to lift.  I was the first one off the bus and the last one on.

The harsh conditions cause the trees to develop spiral grain which strengthens the wood.  As well, tree growth is very slow; this produces denser wood because of the tight annual rings.  The combination allows tall, spindly forms that are twisted, as the German name suggests.

You can see a few other photos below.

Two other photos I took within moments of each other at the same location.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com