Wood from the Hood

My benchmate, Noah, came into some manzanita. He, Lymond and Chris sawed the logs into smaller pieces to begin the drying process. The wood is notoriously difficult to cure because it cracks against the grain. Regardless, it yields a beautiful, dense, red-brown wood, even if only in small chunks. 

The berries of the tree are edible, and the bark can be used to make a tea that alleviates nausea. Hikers also sometimes chew the leaves to reduce thirst. What a useful plant!