Extremely Fabulous Tree

I headed out to a couple state parks today located a bit northwest of Atlanta and once again experienced a bit of wonderment as I wandered through a couple more forests I'd likely never have seen if David hadn't gotten me started in geocaching.  I found the caches... one located in a very small cemetery located inside one park and the other located pretty deep into the forest.  But in addition to finding the caches I saw the most fabulous tree in the world!  Along the trail in this forest, located in Hard Labor Creek State Park I saw some really massive oaks, 4 deer go scampering by just moments after I said to myself "I'm surprised I don't see more wildlife," and the tree below.  The tree was located not far from the cache location so it kind of hit me in the face.  This thing is not dead... it's growing!

I stepped down a bit and took this shot of what was likely the main roots at one time.  I'm thinking that sometime a hundred years ago or so this tree fell over.  There are a great number of trees that have fallen over in all the parks we've visited.  Plenty of trees that have broken, but many that have just fallen over bringing up and exposing their root system.  The cache found at this location was actually hidden in just such a root system of a fallen tree not too far away.  Between where the walking sticks are and the backpack there is another obvious root system that nature let take hold.  The tree started growing up again at that point.  How fabulous is that?!?!?

Now you can see that this is a BIG tree.  The straight-growing trunk in the middle is not part of this fallen/growing tree but the other two trunks are.  Each of them is as big as a 'regular' tree and each has it's own leaf canopy way up there.  I know... I know... I've never been one to get all involved in nature and all that but this stuff is kind of growing on me... no pun intended :)