The crew that had done the planting to replace the harvested elder firs had inserted prickly spruce seedlings, now ankle high. It might seem odd not to replace the subalpine firs they’d taken down with more subalpine firs. But spruce wood is more valuable. It’s tightly grained, resistant to decay, and coveted for high-grade lumber. Mature subalpine-fir timber is weak and punky.
