Be careful what you climb!!!

[ropensaddle]

GOOD POINT! I did have a sense the tree was in trouble. That's I why urged to HO to take it down. But, I had no idea it had a hollow that extensive. So, I pieced out the top in small bits to avoid impact to the stem.

I setup a speedline 70 degrees off the lean to avoid the house, impossible terrain and other trees. As stated in the OP, there was no access for a bucket or crane. The speedline is 250 ft of 1/4" steel cable (100 ft to a another anchor tree, 150 ft to LZ) with a snatch block and haulback. The stem was also anchored opposite the lean with 5/8 steel cable holding line. Seems excessive, but as it turned out ... it pays to be cautious.

Lookin good up there sj

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That's the truth.

But I was in a dead beech today.

I did a hickory the other day, with a lot of crooks in it, sharpened the tips before putting them on, and it still was a brass plated bee-ich. I did sharpen them right, because the boxelder I did first they sunk in too much

 

[ropensaddle]

I did a hickory the other day, with a lot of crooks in it, sharpened the tips before putting them on, and it still was a brass plated bee-ich. I did sharpen them right, because the boxelder I did first they sunk in too much

They dern hickory's suck everything about them almost as bad as dead black jacky lol

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

SJ, personally I think some of these guys are minimizing the risk involved with that tree. I survived a good ten years on my own climbing whatever came my way (unless obviously way too dead) before I got my bucket. I'll tell you I was freaked about many trees - its what keeps us alive! tough talk on a pc is one thing but lets keep it real here. You cant tell me heartwood doesnt add a significant amount of strength to a tree.

I wouldnt be putting the unnatural forces that a speedline does on that tree though. But I'm really not a speedline guy so...

I get what you're saying about "minimizing the risk". I've heard a lot of big talk and can usually filter it to some useful level.

I could bomb some of the pieces on the uphill side of the tree. I planned the notches and snap cuts so the stem felt very little shock and sway But, the risk of hitting the house was too great to bomb any of the downhill pieces.

About the speedline setup: Since no other tree was close enough to use in this case, it was rigged in the least stressful way to the stem. First, the stem had a BIG holding cable against the lean. Then the speedline was set so it could slide freely through a natural crotch with both ends anchored to different trees. It was loosely tensioned so there was almost no down force and zero side forces to the stem. None of the piece-outs were over 200lbs. Several of the pieces I lifted onto the line and the haulback/snatch-block controlled the descent so I got vertually no shock to the stem.

Rigging a speedline in this manner actually puts much less load on the stem than lowering. In fact, I got more movement from the wind than anything I was doing. I was able bomb uphill the last piece, the working TIP, and felt hardly any sway. I dropped no more than absolutely necessary in order to put the stem between two adjacent trees. It was time consuming, but I don't think there's a safer way to rig a speedline in a stem.

That being said: I used almost every trick I know to save those two adjacent trees ... BUT ... had I known the condition of the stem, I would have dropped the two healthy adjacent trees in a hearbeat. That would have given me a clear shot to drop the whole tree without risking the house.

I thinks there's some of good lessons here ... excuse the long post

Jack

 

[lego1970]

They dern hickory's suck everything about them almost as bad as dead black jacky lol

When it comes to Shagbark Hickory I agree, the first 20' sucks, gaffs don't like them, the buckstrap gets hung up on all the bark, and the older ones seem to always have a lot of decay, however once I'm up high, I feel pretty secure in a Hickory, especially ones growing in a stand instead of in the open. As far as trusting small branches, up high, the Hickory, Pin Oak, Osage Orange, and Honey Locust are some of the trees that I trust the most. The Mockernut and Bitternut Hickories on the other hand are a nice and smooth and I like those, however they seems to be a little weaker up high compared to a Shagbark, but they may be just in my head.

 

[Rftreeman]

anybody know how to tell when a tree is to dead to climb......













it's already on the ground.............lol

 

[ropensaddle]

When it comes to Shagbark Hickory I agree, the first 20' sucks, gaffs don't like them, the buckstrap gets hung up on all the bark, and the older ones seem to always have a lot of decay, however once I'm up high, I feel pretty secure in a Hickory, especially ones growing in a stand instead of in the open. As far as trusting small branches, up high, the Hickory, Pin Oak, Osage Orange, and Honey Locust are some of the trees that I trust the most. The Mockernut and Bitternut Hickories on the other hand are a nice and smooth and I like those, however they seems to be a little weaker up high compared to a Shagbark, but they may be just in my head.

I did not mean there modulous of rupture. I meant they suck lol. Chipping, trying to lower,knarly sog's hang up, heck most times forget the rope your going to have to cut the sob into sticks anyway lmfao

 

[ropensaddle]

anybody know how to tell when a tree is to dead to climb......













it's already on the climber.............lol

fixed it fer ya lol

 

[lego1970]

I hear ya, I just couldn't get my fingers to stop rambling. To much caffine. I need a beer to counter that,

 

[ND_ash]

Most of the tree's we are taking out of the city park look like that. Ash tree's will get a fungus or mushroom looking spot and it will be hollow from there up and sometimes down. I won't climb them, we have been either dropping them were they fall or trying to steer them with ropes to other trees.