Dead Walnut Removal/Climbing

[burtim]

A question for the seasoned from a rookie.

Now don't laugh at me, I'm new.

I've got a dead black walnut with about 24" caliper adjacent to a private boulevard. I would estimate it at 40' height. Many broken limbs have fallen off the top (and landed on the ground) and a noticable lean to the south. Hasn't had a leaf for two or three years. Bark is intact, except for top limbs and bark missing in a ring about 3-6" off the ground. I believe that is from snow against the trunk. I could just drop it across the street and it would be a "no-brainer. Pretty open area other than high tension wires off side of the drop and too far away to be of concern.

I'm a new climber. You guys have done it for years. I'd like to piece it down for practice. One major limb on the side of the lean (south) about 12-15" caliper. Four or five smaller limbs above.

My plan was to spike up (since it is a removal) and drop the major limb with my Stihl 026. Then I would climb to the crotch where the other limbs meet and work my way around. Finally fell the remaining 20' trunk.

Question is: How do I know the tree is safe to climb since it is quite dead? How much is the loss of the major limb going to shake the remaining tree possibly causing upper limbs to come crashing down?

This is probably no big deal to you guys, but I am trying to do things right.

 

[Treepedo]

Practicing on dead trees is bad idea. Death.Unless you know alot about wood, decay, esperience in them and the complete history of the tree.

Its like climbing on top of fence and the post seem to be Okay at the ground until you start to wiggle and weight them, and all of sudden the fence is on the ground, can you imagine being in a tree and having the whole tree fail at the ground or any where else along length.
Do a full tree hazard inspection before anything.
1st get caution tape and barriers etc to make sure no one or vehicles come at a minumum the distance of the height of tree, most will say that and another 1/2 just to be clear of the bouncing dead wood.

Then i would start throwing lines up into the tippy tops and see what can be broken out or shaken out from the ground with you and buddies weihgt pulling on the rope from the same distance mentioned above.

Next is to visually inspect root flare all the way up and around for decay.

If you see any bending and wiggling. Look out you could die if you try climbing.

Years of experience is necessary to trust a tree as your only life support.

Walnut tends to be pretty good at maintaining wood in integrity. Still mother nature is hard to predict
Any adjacent trees you can use as your main tie in.
Probabley best off to leave it for a bucket truck or close the street off slam it down.
Good luck!

A question for the seasoned from a rookie.

Now don't laugh at me, I'm new.

I've got a dead black walnut with about 24" caliper adjacent to a private boulevard. I would estimate it at 40' height. Many broken limbs have fallen off the top (and landed on the ground) and a noticable lean to the south. Hasn't had a leaf for two or three years. Bark is intact, except for top limbs and bark missing in a ring about 3-6" off the ground. I believe that is from snow against the trunk. I could just drop it across the street and it would be a "no-brainer. Pretty open area other than high tension wires off side of the drop and too far away to be of concern.

I'm a new climber. You guys have done it for years. I'd like to piece it down for practice. One major limb on the side of the lean (south) about 12-15" caliper. Four or five smaller limbs above.

My plan was to spike up (since it is a removal) and drop the major limb with my Stihl 026. Then I would climb to the crotch where the other limbs meet and work my way around. Finally fell the remaining 20' trunk.

Question is: How do I know the tree is safe to climb since it is quite dead? How much is the loss of the major limb going to shake the remaining tree possibly causing upper limbs to come crashing down?

This is probably no big deal to you guys, but I am trying to do things right.

 

[Rickytree]

Treepedo is right. You should not practice on a dead tree. Not only is there things to watch for up top but what about below...ground. Depending on location, drainage, and history this tree could fall over with a strong breeze. Plenty of other, good trees will come along to practice on. Drop it and don't worry you'll get a sweat on cleaning up the mess.

 

[lync]

All good advise. 3 yrs dead drop it practice another day!

 

[flushcut]

Tippy tippy or use a bucket

 

[burtim]

You guys know, that's why I asked. An idiot would just charge up there and get killed.

I will throw some lines up and see if any of the loose stuff can be broken off. Then I'll just fell it to the southwest.

 

[beastmaster]

Every one is right. Dead tree are dangerous and hide many dangers. Even if it seems stable enough the roots could be rotten all the way through and it could fall over at the worse time.
About a year ago I removed A large vary dead multi trunk Walnut on a hillside, I got half way through the job, and decided to call for a crane.
Some of the lateral branches were just falling off and it had a strange fell to it that spooked me. I was riding down with the pieces. On one of the last trunks the top I cut broke in half as the crane was picking it up, taking out a fence and barely missing a large electrical box.(Changing it center of gravity and giving me a wild ride.) I can't help but wonder if it would of broke had I climb out there without using the crane.
If you can fall it, do it, then examine it on the ground, you can learn a lot and live to talk about it. Beastmaster

 

[Rickytree]

Every one is right. Dead tree are dangerous and hide many dangers. Even if it seems stable enough the roots could be rotten all the way through and it could fall over at the worse time.
About a year ago I removed A large vary dead multi trunk Walnut on a hillside, I got half way through the job, and decided to call for a crane.
Some of the lateral branches were just falling off and it had a strange fell to it that spooked me. I was riding down with the pieces. On one of the last trunks the top I cut broke in half as the crane was picking it up, taking out a fence and barely missing a large electrical box.(Changing it center of gravity and giving me a wild ride.) I can't help but wonder if it would of broke had I climb out there without using the crane.
If you can fall it, do it, then examine it on the ground, you can learn a lot and live to talk about it. Beastmaster

Don't you just hate the people that will leave the tree till it's stone dead. I was thinking about using a rope to say protect a fence by tying it to two sources in parallel with the fence to absorb the tip branches. Does anyone one of a knot that undoes in succession to absorb energy? and so the rope doesn't break?

 

[Treepedo]

It most likely won't be a knot but m/b better to use two ropes or double the rope and twist them together. Knots decrease rope strength upto 60%.
I did exactly this ahead of a communication cable and it worked fine but definitly tired out the rope.

Don't you just hate the people that will leave the tree till it's stone dead. I was thinking about using a rope to say protect a fence by tying it to two sources in parallel with the fence to absorb the tip branches. Does anyone one of a knot that undoes in succession to absorb energy? and so the rope doesn't break?

 

[Rickytree]

It most likely won't be a knot but m/b better to use two ropes or double the rope and twist them together. Knots decrease rope strength upto 60%.
I did exactly this ahead of a communication cable and it worked fine but definitly tired out the rope.

I am thinkin a series of slip knots, like maybe 5 or 6 at each end. or maybe through a porta wrap just to cause fiction would work.

 

[rarefish383]

Don't quite see where that will work. Any slip knot will slip instantly, not in progression. Maybe a daisy chain, good luck, Joe.