This is a shot up to the jungle canopy from the line.
Having trekked into the spot in the jungle where we were going to work there were fair amounts of hurry-up-and-wait activity. Having arrived at the location and determine where to flush in the explosives and where to set the geophone spread for the LVL, we had to wait while the holes were flushed and the spread laid, connected and tested. With everything ready to go it was time to clear the site, insert the detonator into the charge, rod the charge down the hole to the required depth, tamp in the soil and dirt above the charge, retire to the trigger, make sure no-one was close to the shot and then, Bang!
This image is typical of the jungle canopy – all the branches and leaves of the tallest trees at the same height at the top of the trees and barren trunks all the way to the ground. Unlike many forest trees, the need for sunlight forces all the leaves to rise as the tree ages, there being insufficient light coming through the jungle canopy to sustain branches closer to the ground.
What I found interesting was the separation between the trees. I guess this is because the trees rub against each other at they move with the wind and the friction breaks the new growth at the periphery which leads to these channels between the trees.
With these trees being so top heavy, its not surprising that the ones with trunks hollowed out by bugs would sometimes snap in high winds. There was some discussion about the protection the hard hat would provide if the top of one of these trees came crashing down. My own personal view was that the hard hat would provide that millisecond of recognition that you'd been hit on the head by a falling tree before it caved in both the helmet and your skull and everything went dark, forever. Fortunately, no one was ever in a position to find out. Occasionally the vibration from the detonation would dislodge a rotten branch or two but I don't recall anyone being hit, certainly not on my crew.
I don't recall any snakes either. We made far too much noise for any wildlife to hand around. I did glimpse an orangutan once but as soon as he saw us getting out of our trucks he was off.
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