Falling lightning damaged tulip tree

[buzz sawyer]

I have a lightning damaged tulip poplar next to a dirt road, heavily wooded on both sides. If it were not near the road which gets a fair amount of travel in the summer (campers) I would leave it alone. To assure it drops without hanging up, I plan to drop it diagonally on the road. Tree is about 18" dbh and about 60' tall. The crown spreads out at about 40' up and there is little lean if any. I've taken down my share of trees but none with lightning damage like this.
See photos - looks like the strike splintered the wood top to bottom. I am going to strip off the bark around the base to better evaluate the condition of the stem, but my initial thoughts were to run a long rope through a snatch block and just try to pull it over from the opposite direction. If this doesn't work, wrap a couple lengths of heavy chain (links are 3/8" diameter wire) above and below where I plan to cut and tighten with chain binders. Then after notching and making a moderate back cut, pull the tree over.

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

 

[smokechase II]

lightning

Pulling it has the advantage of being away from the stump.
But, you could create a splintered mess above your chains that might be actually harder to deal with.
I'd think about;
1) Rope in place,
2) Face cut in place,
3) Back cut part way in.
Then try pulling. Some, evaluate .....

Caveats. Lightning strike:
1) Has splintered, internal cracks probable most of its length, (from your account),
2) Depending on age of strike, may have rot throughout,
3) Loose stuff falling from above.

Stuff from above can happen even when you're just putting chains on.

Keep glancing up, maybe even set up a lookout buddy with a noise maker warning for your work at the base.

Forgive my memory, but an unobstructed limb falling from 50 feet can take less than 2 seconds to reach the ground and is going 40 miles an hour.
Death usually comes from above, for the faller.

 

[Sprig]

Buzz I think you are thinking on the right lines, personally I would put several seperate wraps up to about 10-15ft up the trunk, then a real skookum one below your cut, then leave lots (I figure three times what it would be to fall it to be safe) of holding wood and pull from a safe distance (long strong cable), safest way I can see of doing it, bloody dangerous thing be careful mate and think as far ahead as possible, expect the worst and do the best. Smokechase makes very good points on this, kudos, I had forgotten the rot factor. I would not attempt to just drag it over without anything else done, I think that is pretty strong wood imo.
Good luck and take some pics eh!

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

I used a 5/16" steel cable a while back, applied with a 40" piece of pipe, like a tourniquet, to stabilize a cracked pine that was leaning over my house. Wrapped it in two places to hold it, and by torquing on the pipe was able to draw that crack together visibly. We're talking about a 3' crack down from the crotch of co-dom stems. The tree was about 60' high, 14" DBH, and the crack started about 10' above ground. Once I dropped it and took off the cables, I found they had sunk into the bark about a half inch, so it was pretty tight. There's no way to be sure, but I think that kept the tree together long enough to get it on the ground without dropping on my house. It was an, "I had to do SOMETHING!" moment.


Might be worth considering something similar for this tree.


Or would it make sense to try to secure the trunk in a few places (like, maybe, half a dozen) with steel strapping like this stuff?

http://www.uline.com/Browse_Listing_2904.asp?desc=Strapping+-+High+Tensile

Using the proper tool for it, you can get that stuff very tight, and if you use the 1 1/4" stuff, it's pretty strong. 5,500# breaking strength, and if you have multiple straps, it should add a lot of strength.


Whatcha tink? Might add a bit of insurance to a dangerous job? Anybody ever try it?

 

[buzz sawyer]

Thanks for the responses and the safety cautions. I should have mentioned this was a recent strike so there is no rot yet and even though none of the other branches appear to have been affected, I know nothing's for sure. I do plan to wear a hardhat and have a lookout (lookup?) standing by.

BlueRidgeMark, neat idea with the cable. I may try that to draw the tree together before applying the chains.

Sprig and Smokechase II, glad we agree on the sequence. I'll be taking photos after I strip the trunk and maybe a video of the drop.

Thanks again!