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The Story of The Ladder Tree

  • The Story of The Ladder Tree

THE STORY OF THE LADDER TREE

THE STORY OF THE LADDER TREE

The Ladder Tree Story

When preparing to publish The Old Men it was recommended to me that I put up a website to offer the book for sale direct. I struggled to come up with a website address that had meaning to it. I thought, sought counsel and prayed for wisdom. Nothing came to mind for weeks that worked.

Then one morning my mind wondered way up high into the mountains where my family has spent decades chasing bear with hounds. I begin to think of places and landmarks that were significant and appropriate. One place stood out to me – THE LADDER TREE.

The ladder tree sits high on a mountain ridge that basically splits two major mountain drainages. At or in the ladder tree you can hear a hound for miles. In the early 70s several local bear hunters began using the ladder tree as a listening place. Although several men played a prominent role in the development of the ladder tree I’m told it was a legendary bear hunter named Carson Landers who came up with the idea of fixing wooden steps on the tree. Other men known to be involved where Hugh Lamb, Lamon Rice, and Dolphus Cutshaw.  Countless other bear hunters have heard many a race from that very spot.

One of my favorite hunting memories is pulling up to the ladder tree just before daylight one morning and finding my dogs treed on a ridge just below it. My hounds Crow, 50 and Gideon had treed the evening before and had remained treed on a bear there all night. From the ladder tree I could hear them still hammer down in the morning darkness.

In remembrance of the old mountain bear hunting ways I decided to publish my book The Old Men under the designation of Ladder Tree Publications. I love the symbolism of a remote place, high in the mountains where old men went to “be quiet and listen”. A time before modern technology when a man found his dogs with his ears. Listening is a lost art.

If a man is going to amount to anything in life he has to learn to listen. Solitude is important. Altitude is important. Attitude is important. The Bible makes a huge deal out of the importance of hearing. Jesus put it this way….

Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Ladder Tree Publications aims to point men toward Jesus Christ and publish things important to our Appalachian way of life.

Ladder Tree Publications
“Higher Ground for Listening Ears”

ladder-tree-450x600
ladder-tree-450x600

The Ladder Tree Story

When preparing to publish The Old Men it was recommended to me that I put up a website to offer the book for sale direct. I struggled to come up with a website address that had meaning to it. I thought, sought counsel and prayed for wisdom. Nothing came to mind for weeks that worked.

Then one morning my mind wondered way up high into the mountains where my family has spent decades chasing bear with hounds. I begin to think of places and landmarks that were significant and appropriate. One place stood out to me – THE LADDER TREE.

The ladder tree sits high on a mountain ridge that basically splits two major mountain drainages. At or in the ladder tree you can hear a hound for miles. In the early 70s several local bear hunters began using the ladder tree as a listening place. Although several men played a prominent role in the development of the ladder tree I’m told it was a legendary bear hunter named Carson Landers who came up with the idea of fixing wooden steps on the tree. Other men known to be involved where Hugh Lamb, Lamon Rice, and Dolphus Cutshaw.  Countless other bear hunters have heard many a race from that very spot.

One of my favorite hunting memories is pulling up to the ladder tree just before daylight one morning and finding my dogs treed on a ridge just below it. My hounds Crow, 50 and Gideon had treed the evening before and had remained treed on a bear there all night. From the ladder tree I could hear them still hammer down in the morning darkness.

In remembrance of the old mountain bear hunting ways I decided to publish my book The Old Men under the designation of Ladder Tree Publications. I love the symbolism of a remote place, high in the mountains where old men went to “be quiet and listen”. A time before modern technology when a man found his dogs with his ears. Listening is a lost art.

If a man is going to amount to anything in life he has to learn to listen. Solitude is important. Altitude is important. Attitude is important. The Bible makes a huge deal out of the importance of hearing. Jesus put it this way….

Matthew 11:15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Ladder Tree Publications aims to point men toward Jesus Christ and publish things important to our Appalachian way of life.

Ladder Tree Publications
“Higher Ground for Listening Ears”