The friends gather (usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving), we load up the pick em up trucks and the dogs (the trucks and dogs are required red neck accessories) we don't have dogs, we have to borrow one and several years ago we bought an old beater truck for just this purpose. We can tell the transplants from other states, they go up in their Jeeps, Subaru's or even their mini vans - city folk

Throw in the snow gear, the chopping gear, the drinking gear and a picnic lunch and head out.
First stop, the convenience store on the hwy. just over the NV/CA state line in Hallelujiah Junction

that sells the Forest Service tree permits - $10 cash so the forest service can pocket the dough! Get the permit and the map. Proceed up into the mountains in N. California (near Doyle) and start looking for that perfect tree. Everyone has their "spot" unless there is a lot of snow we usually have no problem getting to our spot.
I like the noble firs which are at the higher elevations. When the perfect tree is found, cut it down, slap on the permit, haul it back to the fleet of trucks, have lunch and head back down the mountains.
Arrive home and realize that the "little" tree in that big ol'e forest is way tooooo big to get into the house. Proceed to chop off several feet until the desired 12' with the perfect top is reached.
(Okay, we have gotten smarter over the years, we take a tape measure with us

)
My BFF will come outside every year and say the same thing - "Dang, TreeZilla has arrived". Then she goes back into her house and decorates her 6', prelit, doesn't smell good but always looks perfect, plastic tree
Oh, now I am excited!