Re: why that (cedar) tree?
philomath said:
What was the reason for lighting a fire under that cedar tree - and not somewhere else?
I understand the cedar was at the limit of the forest in the valley very exposed to the wind and elements…
why not choose another spot more protected and sheltered deeper in the forest?
Cedar trees – because of resin – burn more easily than birch trees or other bushes – and often their lower branches are less green / drier…and therefore more apt to burn, but I understand there were other (smaller) cedar trees in the vìvicinity
I’m asking because the reason could have that THAT cedar tree – because of its prominent location and height - was the obvious and optimal beacon / observation point to signal / be seen and/or see the campsite (although only from the higher branches) and/or the path down from it into the valley…although in a moonless dark night?!?…if it was night time…
The cedar was prominent for being 'bigger' than the immediately surrounding trees. The cedar site was found because search party members saw it from a distance as a landmark at which to evaluate a new campsite they would need once they'd located the Dyatlov tent. When they went to the prominent cedar, they found the first 2 bodies and signs of a fire beneath it.
This has always bothered me ... If the cedar is that prominent / obvious a landmark in the daytime, how much coincidence is required to have the Dyatlov folks end up there in the dark?
The 1959 search party photos indicate a gap or 'bay' (of relatively clear ground) in the down-slope scrub vegetation that extends toward the cedar. The least vegetation-obstructed path down-slope would therefore lead one toward the vicinity of that cedar.
The ground around the cedar is relatively flat, and this was one of the features that attracted the search party members looking for a campsite. However, the cedar site is unsheltered by surrounding slopes toward the west, so it would have been relatively exposed to the strong westerly winds that night and the following day.
There is a small brook or creek that must be crossed to get to the cedar site from the tent site (similar to the 'ravine' stream farther to the east). I've often wondered how they got to the cedar site in the dark (having discarded a flashlight) without anyone having problems crossing that stream bed. On the other hand, it might help explain the choice of the cedar site if one or more people had gotten wet crossing the stream (e.g., breaking through ice). The cedar is relatively close to that first brook / stream bed, and any suddenly wettened feet would demand an immediate fire.
