Advice on climbing a leaning tree

[freekiezeek]

I've got a red maple, in apparent good health, about a 14" trunk and maybe 40-45 ft. tall, but it leans out over my pole barn at 10-15 degrees. I could use the extra sunlight back there and I'm afraid a storm's going to blow it over one of these days and ruin the barn. I'm used to working with chainsaws, gas and electric, and I plan to climb it with spikes/belt and strap, at least to top it out first and then cut the trunk down in short sections to avoid the roof. I plan on practicing the climb several times first but is there any advice out there for working in a leaning tree? It seems that staying on the high side might make the lean back on the strap difficult, is the underside the way to go up and then move around to a side to work? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I could use the extra sunlight back there and I'm afraid a storm's going to blow it over one of these days and ruin the barn.

Statisticly, a leaning tree is no more likely to fail than one that grows straight. And by the time the wind blows the tree over, I'd guess the barn would be gone.
But then you need the sunlight, and those dang trees just suck the oxygen out of the air anyway, so cut the stupid tree down.
It's your first time on spikes, I can't think of a thing that could go wrong, except if you cut your extension cord...

 

[Timberhauler]

I've got a red maple, in apparent good health, about a 14" trunk and maybe 40-45 ft. tall, but it leans out over my pole barn at 10-15 degrees. I could use the extra sunlight back there and I'm afraid a storm's going to blow it over one of these days and ruin the barn. I'm used to working with chainsaws, gas and electric, and I plan to climb it with spikes/belt and strap, at least to top it out first and then cut the trunk down in short sections to avoid the roof. I plan on practicing the climb several times first but is there any advice out there for working in a leaning tree? It seems that staying on the high side might make the lean back on the strap difficult, is the underside the way to go up and then move around to a side to work? Thanks for any advice.

I always climb a leaning tree on the backside if the lean.It makes for an easier climb.If you try and climb against the lean,it will be tough.As a rule of thumb,I never go up any higher in a hardwood than where the trunk is bigger in diameter than about four inches,but that usually depends on the situation.Without standing under the tree myself,it would be hard to give much sound advice.If I were you,I might consider getting an experienced climber to look at the tree with you and give you better advice.Just about any experienced climber on here will probably tell you the same thing.Another factor is that when cutting the top of a leaning tree,the cut mest be made just right,otherwise it can bend back as the top is falling and "slingshot".That is not an experience you want on a first climb

 

[M.D. Vaden]

When there is no emergency, sometimes it's nice to wait for summer if there is room to get a lift or bucket to those kinds of trees.

 

[minderaser66]

try tying into a tree above it or even tie into 1 tree on each side of it. this should allow you to safely work on the leaner without worrying about slipping or your spikes kicking out. works like a charm , if theres other trees around.
hope this helps , be safe!

 

[mpatch]

is there room to put a rope in it and pull it over away from the barn???
(this normally should be judged by someone with a lot of experience)

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i'm with MM. It would be most proper to assess the risk more reallistically.

Look at the lean and the opposite as a loaded axis; then inspect the security of the tension/pull roots on the opposing lean side and the buttressing/pushing roots on the lean side. The healthier and stouter they do their job, the safer barn is. Wulke even went so far as to say; that a pure vertical tree would have more chance of failure in wind or splitting a codom; than a slight lean. That with no lean they didn't get fully exercised to respond with good rooting etc. And the most drastic, impacting change in loading would be from Zer0 to the fist few degrees of lean.

It is your tree, but also walking up the staircase of lean from the top side is best if you go up; as previously stated unless SRT up. And quiet frankly if you have to ask that; there are so many other things to know; we could be setting you up for death or injury; answering any more questions!!

 

[Husky137]

Make sure to lean the other way or the tree might fall over.

 

[winchman]

consult a certified arborist

would be my advice. if you haven't worked on spikes before, you shouldn't start with a chainsaw, on a leaning tree, over valuable property. my first time on spikes was over six years ago, and i still on occasion kick out with one or the other leg. red maples don't allow deep climber penetration, especially at the 14" dbh that you mentioned, and you are likely to find this out the hard way even with the practice runs you mentioned.
no matter how easy gaffs make our work look, to the inexperienced climber, they are not for everyone. they take a lot of practice, and give beginners a sense of false security. call a certified arborist for an opinion (usually free) on whether the tree needs to come down at all, and furthermore, to do the work for you before you hurt yourself.
this is all supposing that you haven't spiked before, which you might have, and in that case, sorry for the advice. good luck.

 

[beowulf343]

I'm used to working with chainsaws, gas and electric,

Are you used to working with saws 40 feet in the air?

at least to top it out first and then cut the trunk down in short sections to avoid the roof.

???? How do you plan on doing this? Do you know how to rope? Do you the know the cuts to make so that you can hang your saw and then handle the piece?

How did this end up in commercial tree anyway?

 

[Dadatwins]

is the underside the way to go up and then move around to a side to work?

Welcome to the site, please have someone video tape this procedure as I am interested on how you do this also, it sounds easy enough.

That said, 3 words - Yellow pages, please

 

[Tim Krause]

leaner

call a pro!!! it won't be as expensive as your headstone

 

[Magnum783]

I with the rest. I knew what I was doing had some experiance and still ended up in the hospital. Let alone if it was my first time and had little to no experiance. Please do you and your family a favor and call a pro. At least for advice. Then if you still must get the book THE TREE CLIMBERS COMPANION not a complete gospel on climbing but should give you some good advice and know how. Good luck if you try it.
Jared

 

[freekiezeek]

Thanks to all.

You are all obviously much more experienced in this matter than I am and I do appreciate the time you've taken to lend advice, and your concern for my safety (high on my priorities as well). If I do attempt this, still undecided, I'll definitely look into it more and hire it out if I feel outmatched by the tree, which is entirely possible. My apologies if this post was placed into a forum area suited to more commercial work and not newbie questions.
One last note, to Mike Maas, don't trees typically suck in CO 2 and give off oxygen, this side of the Mississippi at least?
Cheers.

 

[mpatch]

dont climb up the back side!! and if you do good luck getting back around esp. since you are a virgin!!!

 

[046]

don't do this for your first job in the air. start low and slow...

find a pro to do this! don't get killed... we are not trying to be mean, just don't want see you in the headlines.

You are all obviously much more experienced in this matter than I am and I do appreciate the time you've taken to lend advice, and your concern for my safety (high on my priorities as well). If I do attempt this, still undecided, I'll definitely look into it more and hire it out if I feel outmatched by the tree, which is entirely possible. My apologies if this post was placed into a forum area suited to more commercial work and not newbie questions.
One last note, to Mike Maas, don't trees typically suck in CO 2 and give off oxygen, this side of the Mississippi at least?
Cheers.

 

[Tree Machine]

those dang trees just suck the oxygen out of the air anyway, so cut the stupid tree down.

to Mike Maas, don't trees typically suck in CO 2 and give off oxygen, this side of the Mississippi at least?
Cheers.

Yea, Mike....explain why the cutting down of the dang stupid oxygen-sucking trees is good. In the meantime, freakie, does your tree lean like this? Sometimes a tree has such a lean as to present a hazard to structures and human life. In that case, it is decided, for safety sake, that the tree must come down. We hate losing the tree, but in being able to 100% predict that a tree will continue to get bigger, the perceived risk from the homeowner, or neighbors, keeps growing over time. Paranoia becomes a way of life whenever the wind blows strong and the clients move their childredn to a far room whenever there's a weather alert. With a leaner, the people just wonder when it's going to topple. It may, it may not. But the fear is always there, so if you don't take it down, someone else is going to. We can not predict if or if not a tree will fall. Risk is ultimately the tree owner's call.

 

[Tree Machine]

Here's a couple more shots.

 

[Blinky]

I haven't been doing this all that long but it seems to me, the FIRST thing you need is an educated assessment of how much risk the tree poses... assuming shade alone isn't a death warrant. For that you should get a consult from an experienced arborist.

It sounds like a nice tree to me, 10 -15 degrees isn't a huge amount of lean if the roots are adapting and healthy. If it was mine and judged to be safe, I'd keep it.

15 degrees is, however, just enough lean that you will find it tricky to balance on gaffs and keep your lanyard adjusted right, and start the saw, and make a kerf... and then a backcut... hmmm, your gonna want a tie in point above you on another tree, two with an angle between them would be better. Your also looking at having your rigging point below the cut which is not favorable for your first technical takedown; without a skilled ground person you're likely to take a few rough rides as you piece it out, maybe get jerked off the gaffs; your legs and feet will be at risk too. Really beefy equipment that isn't made for handling that sort of dynamic loading could still fail... a 4' section, 9" in dia. will weigh nearly 100 pounds. Think about dropping 100 pounds and stopping it cold after the slack runs out... it's a real jolt. Rigging down hardwoods usually includes a few surprises too, that's why there is such an emphasis on safety in the tree care business... you have to be prepared.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do it, but you should get some knowledgable help. Best of luck, whatever you decide.

 

[treeseer]

Jim I like your post but I think something is missing.

We hate losing the tree, but in being able to 100% predict that a tree will continue to get bigger, the perceived risk from the homeowner, or neighbors, keeps growing over time. ... But the fear is always there, so if you don't take it down, someone else is going to.

What about risk mitigation? A tree will lean a lot less, and people will worry a lot less, if its sprawl is reduced. Shorten or remove the limbs that contribute most to the imbalance, and the tree is safer. Let the owner see that there are no or few aggravating defects, and that you will be there to inspect it regularly, and the kids can stay in their rooms when the wind blows, and the tree can stay to provide all those benefits.

Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to calculate and clearly communicate to the owners the risk associated with their tree, and what they can do about it. “Risk” means danger, the possibility of suffering loss. The reality is, everything carries risk. A “defect” has been defined as a visible sign that a tree has the potential to fail. However, since every tree has the potential to fail, the questions of how visible, and how much potential, remain. Any harmless feature of a tree that looks unfamiliar to the inexperienced observer can be called a defect that creates a “hazard tree”, defined as a tree with an unacceptable level of risk to a target. The question is, what can be done about it? All risks can be lowered (abated, mitigated, lessened), but when arboricultural options are not carefully considered and clearly communicated, the owners cannot make an informed decision. Quickly labeling “defects” and “hazards” can lead to the needless removal of valuable trees, when more conservative actions may have been more reasonable.