Closest Call?

[arbor pro]

All too close for comfort:

1) Many many years ago, I was removing a dead cottonwood. Cut a branch about 20' up with a top-handle stihl (older model - can't remember what it was for sure). The tree shook and a widow-maker fell from 20' up, hit my still rotating chain and knocked the bar into my right knee. I'm amazed that I only have a 'jelly' knee from nerve damage instead of a completely useless knee. It could have cut much deeper.

2) Many many years ago, I was removing a dead cottonwood (see a trend here). I had just finished topping the trunk out at 30' up when I noticed that I had cut all but one strand of my non-wire-core lanyard while doing my hinge cut on the back side of where I was positioned. I looked down and the numerous sharpened beaver stumps below me and said a little prayer for GOD saving me from certain impailment had I hit that last strand. I now climb with a wire-core flipline.

3) Many many years ago, I was pruning what appeared to be a deteriorating but still relatively-healthy willow. I was tied in with my climbing rope several feet up from where I was cutting off a dead branch and lanyard into the 10" branch that I was standing on a few feet below the dead branch. As the dead branch let go, it hung up just slightly on the branch I was standing on and took it with it (rotten inside). I was the object of a tug-of-war between my tie-in point above and the hanging branch below. There was no way for me to reach my climbing line knot to lower myself and the limb down so I just hung there being tugged by what felt like about 300-400 lbs. My groundie finally hooked another saw to my climbing rope and after what seemed like 15 minutes of agony, I managed to get the branch cut free enough to release my lanyard.

I don't climb rotting softwoods anymore. Bucket truck only for me when they get to that stage but, as my next close call proves, even then, you can't always predict what dead wood will do.

4) Removing a dead cottonwood tree many many years ago. Bucket truck was set up 90 degrees - maybe even a bit to the back side of where I wanted to fall a 24" dia branch. Had a loader and bull line guiding the branch over and an inexperienced loader operator doing the pulling. He pulled too hard and broke the branch after I barely began my back cut. The branch fell butt first straight down, got slack in the pull line and spun and fell right on the chip box of the forestry truck. Flattened it like a pancake and sent me (in the bucket) on one heck of a wild ride as the truck rocked and rolled for a few seconds from the impact.

Too many dumb things happened many years ago and most of them dealt with dead or rotten soft wood which we all know is very very unpredictible (except that we can now in our experienced years predict that they will be unpredictible and better plan for what 'could' and likely 'would' go differently than what we would expect to happen.

I get to take a huge dead willow and 5 dead poplars down this saturday...

 

[Blakesmaster]

Last Saturday we had a monster willow to piece down. Wide open landing zone, just had to get up in 'er and blow the branches and tops out. No roping. A climber's dream, groundy's nightmare. She was in rough shape, had a 30 inch lead blow out in the last storm and there were quite a few hopelessly dead and decaying branches in the canopy. Still, cakework.

I got about 40 feet up and had to spike up an old rotten stub a couple feet away from the main lead to blast out a 10 inch diameter lateral with my 200 that was attached to the rotten stub. I don't often set a line on removals and will normally flipline and spike my way up till I reach a good TIP and go to work from there. Nothing different that day.

I had my lanyard around the rotten stub I was on, undercut the 10 inch diameter ( 25 feet long or so ) lateral and began my top cut. It was at this moment I realized what a dumbass I am. As the branch started to load up I just revved that 200 like a madman trying to get the branch to snap before the stub did. Luckily the branch came off, I shut off the saw and hit myself in the head a few times saying, "Stupid, stupid, stupid.", and continued on my climb. I've found a few intentional whacks to the head can really help you focus on the rest of the job.

 

[asthesun]

I've found a few intentional whacks to the head can really help you focus on the rest of the job.

so does illegal drugs, doesnt mean you should do it tho

 

[pdqdl]

Yeah, those dead trees are on my "don't climb" list too.

I was about 25' up a large dead elm, very early in my climbing career. No bark, no small branches still attached to the tree, so it was really, completely dead.

I didn't want to climb any higher, and I thought I could swing the 10" diameter limb away from the fence beneath. About 1" into the angled top cut, the whole thing snapped off and fell like a rock onto the fence.

After I recovered from nearly loosing control of all my vital functions, I finished the tree and resolved to NEVER get in a dead tree like that again.

And I haven't, either.

 

[BlackenedTimber]

One time about 5 years ago: I had rented a bucket truck from a local equipment rental place. It was a GMC Topkick with a 52-ft Lift-All two-man bucket. The guy at the rental place assured me, over the phone, that the truck and boom were in good condition, and that the boom had recently been tested. Sight unseen, I ordered the truck for next day delivery to my jobsite. I had several different removals to do in one housing development (rich people from NYC with their several-million-dollar homes out in the middle of the woods...) and planned on using the bucket for a dozeen different removals.

When the truck showed up, it was a POS. Being young and dumb, I signed all of the paperwork and got busy dropping pines. Spent the whole day in the bucket winging limbs and dropping tops.

Last 3 trees of the day were 3 dead pines in a woman's backyard, about 30 feet from the house. I pulled the truck around back, set the stiff-legs (outriggers) and climbed in the bucket. Limbed the first tree all the way up, until the boom was fully extended, and had no more height. I decide to top it, with about 25 feet left above me. I face the tree, and begin my back-cut. I notice that the bucket seems to be dropping, as I started with the saw at about a foot above waist height, and now, it's at shoulder level. I grab the joystick, and pull up, thinking that maybe the boom had lost some hydraulic pressure, but the boom is still fully extended. I look down at the rear end of the truck, and realize that there is hydraulic oil spewing from one of the stiff-legs. Now on my tippy-toes, I crank the saw for all its got, finish the back-cut, and grab the joystick and throw the bucket towards the ground.

Did I mention that this house was on a lake? Did I mention that the back yard sloped downward towards the lake? Did I mention that the stiff-leg that lost pressure was on the down-ward slope?

The check-valve on the hydraulic line to the stiff-leg was not functioning properly, and one of the old, rotted hydraulic lines hidden underneath the truck body had busted, causing the stiff-leg to drop.

I was not a happy camper, and called the rental place, espousing all kinds of expletives. I did not pay for the truck rental, and I never rented another piece of equipment from that place again.

I climbed the last two pines, and had to remove all of the hydraulic-drenched soil in HO's back yard, and replace it, and the grass, at my cost. At least I was alive.

 

[arbor pro]

One time about 5 years ago: I had rented a bucket truck from a local equipment rental place. It was a GMC Topkick with a 52-ft Lift-All two-man bucket. The guy at the rental place assured me, over the phone, that the truck and boom were in good condition, and that the boom had recently been tested. Sight unseen, I ordered the truck for next day delivery to my jobsite. I had several different removals to do in one housing development (rich people from NYC with their several-million-dollar homes out in the middle of the woods...) and planned on using the bucket for a dozeen different removals.

When the truck showed up, it was a POS. Being young and dumb, I signed all of the paperwork and got busy dropping pines. Spent the whole day in the bucket winging limbs and dropping tops.

Last 3 trees of the day were 3 dead pines in a woman's backyard, about 30 feet from the house. I pulled the truck around back, set the stiff-legs (outriggers) and climbed in the bucket. Limbed the first tree all the way up, until the boom was fully extended, and had no more height. I decide to top it, with about 25 feet left above me. I face the tree, and begin my back-cut. I notice that the bucket seems to be dropping, as I started with the saw at about a foot above waist height, and now, it's at shoulder level. I grab the joystick, and pull up, thinking that maybe the boom had lost some hydraulic pressure, but the boom is still fully extended. I look down at the rear end of the truck, and realize that there is hydraulic oil spewing from one of the stiff-legs. Now on my tippy-toes, I crank the saw for all its got, finish the back-cut, and grab the joystick and throw the bucket towards the ground.

Did I mention that this house was on a lake? Did I mention that the back yard sloped downward towards the lake? Did I mention that the stiff-leg that lost pressure was on the down-ward slope?

The check-valve on the hydraulic line to the stiff-leg was not functioning properly, and one of the old, rotted hydraulic lines hidden underneath the truck body had busted, causing the stiff-leg to drop.

I was not a happy camper, and called the rental place, espousing all kinds of expletives. I did not pay for the truck rental, and I never rented another piece of equipment from that place again.

I climbed the last two pines, and had to remove all of the hydraulic-drenched soil in HO's back yard, and replace it, and the grass, at my cost. At least I was alive.

short of something basically brand new that's rented out from an actual manufacturer or licensed distributor of that type of boom, I'm not sure I would ever rent an actual bucket truck. Towable lift, yes - but I would check it out first. Same goes for crane or anything else that my life or someone else's life or property could become in jeopardy should the equipment fail due to poor or improper maintenance.

Makes me thing though - time to get my 2005 genie towable inspected before I rent it out again.......