Van Wagner hiked a half mile up the Susquehanna Trail at Elk Mountain Ski Resort to the highest point in Susquehanna County.
The slope was green, no snow. Not a cloud in the blue sky at 2,700 feet elevation.
Wagner looked for a tree to climb.
"I've spent my life in the woods, and I love being in the woods. And every hike is different. But this goes to a like new level," he said. "It's like being above the forest and in the canopy on a windy day like this. It's an entirely different way to experience the forest. I love it.”
The educator from Danville was on his 49th climb.
He plans to climb 67 trees on 67 mountains in 67 counties. His climbs are more than just a chance to get a bird’s eye view of the state, they’re a way for Wagner, an arboricultural and forestry professional, to bring awareness to the state's natural resources and remind Pennsylvanians that they are part of the conversation of forest management.
A red pack meant for backpacking held his gear: climbing harness, climbing ropes and a helmet.
"I carry everything that I need to make the climb with me," he said.
Wagner's friend, Marc Lewis, his dog, Silva, and Ashley Sexton, from the Northern Tier Hardwood Association, ascended the peak alongside Wagner.
Wagner settled on a red oak nestled in a patch of trees. It was tall, sturdy and would give him a view of Susquehanna County into the Catskills in New York.
But there were electrical wires nearby.
"I kind of have to go with this one and accept it," he said while looking up into the trees.
Wagner may climb trees but he’s not unsafe about it.
He has no timeline to finish his 67 climbs.
“I really want the focus of this project to be on the trees and our forest. So to me, it's not about the view. It's about the connection to the trees in the forest," he said. "It's about raising awareness about the trees in the forest, the careers that go with that, but also the threats that go with that.”
He teaches agriculture at Danville Area High School. He discussed invasive species, like the emerald ash borer and spotted lanternfly, and plants as well as sustainable foresting.
"I don't have the solution to these, all I can say is, and maybe this is the teacher and me, I think education and awareness is a step in the right direction, just making sure people know that they're part of this conversation. Please don't just sit back and be like 'Oh, the experts are on top of this'," he said.
Wagner used a slingshot to cast an orange throw line over two branches connected to the trunk. Then he threaded up his climbing rope. He put on his harness and helmet.
He used a stationary rope technique to climb. He appeared to walk up invisible stairs to get to the branches. The climb took under 10 minutes. He sat in the tree, took in the view and recorded it on his GoPro.
Different trees pose different challenges.
"I love climbing all the oaks. The exception might be a pin oak ... a pin oak is filled filled with branches and they're just they're really difficult to climb in but they're sturdy. All the oaks are real sturdy," he said.
Wagner said all of his climbs have been unique and rewarding but he does have two favorites, the ones he climbed alongside his two sons.
"Nothing spectacular about those climbs just the idea of like wow, I'm sharing this with my sons and here they are going up a tree and I will tell you experiencing the forest from up there is totally different," he said.
Wagner's project recently got the attention of the state. He climbed a tree in Blue Knob State Park in Bedford County alongside Russell Redding, the PA Secretary of Agriculture.
Now other state officials are asking to join him on a climb.
"That's exactly what I wanted with this project. I wanted people to get excited about the forest, maybe in a new way, and so it's got people talking about trees and about forests and talking about high points, and kind of connecting the dots," he said.
Van says when he was a young logger living out of state he was afraid to climb a tree.
When he came back to Pennsylvania, he worked in timber harvest. Wagner would get asked for help with a tree that needed to be climbed.
“It's close to our church. It's close to a power line, whatever it might be. And I'd always say no, that's not really my thing," he said.
He wondered: "why am I saying no. What am I so afraid of?"
"So I made myself try something I was afraid of. And it's been a very rewarding experience," he said.
After Elk Mountain, Wagner headed to Wayne County for his 50th tree climb. He had more planned the following week.
Mount Davis in Somerset County is the highest point in Pennsylvania. Wagner might save that one for last.
