Big Trees in Colorado/Cutting and Hauling ?'s

[Cheese]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, it made sense to me.

I am currently located in Fort Collins, Colorado and am trying to locate some trees for use as climbing poles for our Logging Sports Team.

The trees need to have an exposed climbable distance of 50 ft. plus another 5-10 so the last rope flip doesn't go over the top. They also need to have 10-15 ft in the ground, still trying to determine how much exactly.

This means 65-75 foot trees no smaller than 12" diameter on the small end.

I have tried some local contacts with little luck so now I'm turning here.

How would a guy go about trucking these? I assume there is some over length permitting since that would make for a long trailer.

Anyone have a close-ish source or other advice on how to make this work?

Have had generous offers in Montana, it is just a long ways away and will likely increase price if it can be done at all.

Thanks.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Just call a few regular trucking companies. These guys haul everything under the sun, and if they couldn't do it, they would probably know who could.

Or if you don't mind being on the phone for awhile, might try calling your local electric company. Might try purchasing department. Find out who they buy their utility poles from. Then call there and ask who they have truck them.

And you are going to need some sort of crane at each end to load/unload the logs. Try cranes in yellow pages.

Then electric utility companies often "subcontract" utility pole installation work to other conpanies which specalize in this work. So there would probably be an electric company in your area which does this work for your electric company and you may be able to hire them to drill the holes and install your trees. And their equipment also may be able to lift the trees off the truck. Be sure to tell them the diameter of the trees.

If that does not work, there are large businesses and rural properties which have their own electric utility poles installed. And they would have an electrician or electrical contracting company do this. So just call around and ask...

 

[elliott]

The electric company idea is a good one, but if that doesn't work out, then go to this link: http://unitedwoodproductsinc.com/products/firewood.html

Scroll to the bottom and it will tell you to call Dennis in Walden, CO for tree length logs. Dennis and his partner, Don, did the logging of a ranch I worked for near Steamboat Springs. They might be able to help you. I don't think it would be too much trouble to pick out some good trees, throw them on a log truck and run them down to you. Both Don and Dennis are really nice guys. If you call and talk to Don, ask him if he remembers Elliott from Hideaway Ranch on Lynx Pass. Tell him I said Hi! Good luck!!

 

[371groundie]

one of the colleges up here got 'retired' poles from electric company. and cheap! and i think they got the installation for free too.

 

[Cheese]

Thanks for the leads.

I understand where to find cranes and similar, the yellowpages are not new. Cold calling people on this, as some people in this business are not immediately accepting of newbies asking what may be stupid questions, is a waste of many people's time.

Calls to make, thanks.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Well if a business does not want to help me and answer my questions, then CLICK! I'll find another business!

It is called "customer service"!

I was always taught that if a customer comes in and you don't have that product or service, you refer that person to someone who has what they are looking for. Even offer to call the other business for them, write down the address, etc.!

Then the customer remembers that and when they need your products, they remember how helpful you were and go there first!

 

[Cheese]

Some good news.

We have two sources for poles.

Some bad news, neither of them are in town.

I called one of the local power places. The person I spoke to in the call center insisted that the company only did gas and that they no longer took walk up customers. I said, I see powerpoles in the back and trucks that would be used to install them. Is there a number I can call to actually talk to the people in side? Guy on the phone said no, they only do gas and there is no way to reach the people.

Trying another walk in tomorrow to see where that gets.

On a 70 foot tall, free standing tree, is 15 feet in the ground enough? The University is talking about getting an engineering plan. I wondered what was so hard about a hole and a pole.

Thanks.

 

[Tacodriver]

When I excavate for power poles the code up here is 10% of total length plus 2 feet doesn't matter whether 40 footer or 80 footer. Most of the time the linemen are up the pole before I am done backfilling the hole.

 

[Billy_Bob]

...The University is talking about getting an engineering plan. I wondered what was so hard about a hole and a pole.

There they go!

Next they will want an environmental impact study...

Don't tell the FAA, they might want a flight pattern study and red blinking lights mounted on the top!

 

[bullbuck]

Some good news.

We have two sources for poles.

Some bad news, neither of them are in town.

I called one of the local power places. The person I spoke to in the call center insisted that the company only did gas and that they no longer took walk up customers. I said, I see powerpoles in the back and trucks that would be used to install them. Is there a number I can call to actually talk to the people in side? Guy on the phone said no, they only do gas and there is no way to reach the people.

Trying another walk in tomorrow to see where that gets.

On a 70 foot tall, free standing tree, is 15 feet in the ground enough? The University is talking about getting an engineering plan. I wondered what was so hard about a hole and a pole.

Thanks.

not sure what you are planning ,but power poles might not agree with your racers,creosote slivers are not good for a guy,i would look for a local logging company,maybe get some red fir,it seems to last a long time without treatment