That tree

The beloved Springdell tree is no more.
If you know the tree I'm talking about, I don't need to explain how beautiful and dramatic it was, standing alone atop a hillside north of Route 841, near Chapel Road. The often-photographed tree was just always there, reliable, majestic and comforting -- until this morning, when it blew over, crashing down to the east. At 10:39 a.m. I got a text message from the Sharp-Eyed Friend: "Omg. The tree fell down. That tree." I pulled on my boots, grabbed my phone and raced over.
It was a steep climb up the hill to the tree and it was a sad one. Instead of standing proudly, the tree was lying on the ground, pointing toward Blow Horn. Some of the limbs

were twisted apart, and smaller branches had been blown all the way down the hillside. There was a crater, with rocks in the bottom, where the roots had been; now they stuck up grotesquely toward the sky.
Looking down over the valley I could see a few cars stopped down along the road and other motorists were going very slowly and, I'm sure, gazing up to where the tree used to be. I immediately posted a photo online and my phone started "binging" once a minute with shocked and dismayed reactions. All day people were talking about how devastated they were to hear the news. One woman even called to make sure I was going to write an obituary.
Until today, I didn't realize how much that beautiful, inspiring tree meant to me and to lots of others. Our affection toward it was a bond that united the community. All you had to do was say "that tree," and people knew what you were talking about. We all lost a friend on Thursday morning.

Update #1: Initially I thought the tree had been hit by lightning because I saw a black crease down the trunk, but apparently that was earlier damage, and the strong winds were the culprit.

Update #2: I received the following note from blog-reader Dana: "Although I am no longer living in the area, I reminisce about the many times that tree served as my muse each time I passed it on morning rides (horseback and bicycle). It made each season more beautiful and I will miss it each time I return to my old neighborhood."

Well said.
Update #3: I was told on Friday that the landowner plans to put in a new tree in the same spot!
Update #4: You'll notice I've just been calling it "the tree." Some say it's a Hickory, but I strongly believe it's an Ash (it has opposite leaflets rather than alternating ones). I'm playing it safe and going with the generic.