RandyMac
Stiff Member
We called those Locomotives.
Falling pics 11/25/09
- Thread starter Burvol
- Start date
Help Support Arborist Forum:
We called those Locomotives.
Well, I haven't hit any of those yet, except a fence and that was with the owner's permission. But my record is only because my almost 40 years of cutting would likely involve fewer trees of substance than what you guys have fallen in a week. And just maybe because I don't have to deal with mini van driving turkeys like Bob described. Ron
nothin quite like parking a 40" dia. hemlock between a house a shed and a fence, grand total of clearance 3' on each side:msp_ohmy:
Yup...and then you just stand there, looking cool and highly skilled, until your pulse rate falls back down below stroke level, the dry mouth goes away, and you start taking normal breaths again.
We have a Bob here who is good at making things look easy. His saying is, " I just have to miss it, it doesn't matter by how much."
That's a good saying.
TreeGuyHR
ArboristSite Guru
Like this?
View attachment 276577
I missed the drift boat AND the home (cedar window-wall lodge type thing). I probably shouldn't have tried to drop it at all, and just broken the top out with the rigging rope and the felled what was left. a chunk of it actually flew over my truck in the background and landed on the far side!
Last edited:
Then there is the light headed maybe gonna vomit or pass out feeling, after hitting some power lines, because you failed to see just how tall this trees is, as you spend the next hour and 45 mins watching the top scrape the pole and you're just sure its time to pack up and run like Hel and why couldn't you just come back tomarrow when you were fresh and not dog tired after fighting ivy all day a crap I'm going to jail on this one, who the hel do I think I am falling trees anyway, and what was I thinking not tying this one off it looked easier than that
But then for some reason the lines don't break, and the tree is on the ground, and everthing is ok
Total lapse time from last beat of the wedge to tree hitting the ground maybe 5 seconds, time taken off the life expectancy of my ticker 3 years
But then for some reason the lines don't break, and the tree is on the ground, and everthing is ok
Total lapse time from last beat of the wedge to tree hitting the ground maybe 5 seconds, time taken off the life expectancy of my ticker 3 years
redprospector
Addicted to ArboristSite
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Look anything like this?
Andy
It didn't get off that easy. The tree hit it right in the driver's side door, pushed it in to tranny hump, the inertia carried the Chevy over the bank, a 30 foot ride to the bottom. The body and frame could still be there, the engine/tranny were salvaged.
Yup...and then you just stand there, looking cool and highly skilled, until your pulse rate falls back down below stroke level, the dry mouth goes away, and you start taking normal breaths again.
You ain't a kidding about that!
Mr. HE
OlympicYJ
ArboristSite Guru
Honestly.... I have hit some crap that I'm none too proud of. Well only one really.
Building fourby trail on private property.... luckily no big trees on anything but whippy cascara hit a few hoods. Biggest thing was too many people crowding in too close. Everyone finally backed off (after my explanation of what I needed to keep them safe) :bang: and let me work ahead of them dropping trees and brush with a safe working distance.
The onces that got dicey were when folks got wedged right next to nice 12-14" fir and couldn't move. I told em up front I was not responsible for any damages. Everything turned out okay and no damage to the rigs. That adrenaline rush when you're scared crapless is somethin else....
Worst dry mouth incident was on a thinning job and I was chunking one down and had it head towards the water line where a freeze drain stuck up.... I avoided thinning near there after that one. This was really a commercial thinning but got cut up for firewood. Had a few good sized ones I took down. Unfortunately alot of it wouldn't fall and had to be chunked down. I wished it had been PCT size.
Building fourby trail on private property.... luckily no big trees on anything but whippy cascara hit a few hoods. Biggest thing was too many people crowding in too close. Everyone finally backed off (after my explanation of what I needed to keep them safe) :bang: and let me work ahead of them dropping trees and brush with a safe working distance.
The onces that got dicey were when folks got wedged right next to nice 12-14" fir and couldn't move. I told em up front I was not responsible for any damages. Everything turned out okay and no damage to the rigs. That adrenaline rush when you're scared crapless is somethin else....
Worst dry mouth incident was on a thinning job and I was chunking one down and had it head towards the water line where a freeze drain stuck up.... I avoided thinning near there after that one. This was really a commercial thinning but got cut up for firewood. Had a few good sized ones I took down. Unfortunately alot of it wouldn't fall and had to be chunked down. I wished it had been PCT size.
tramp bushler
Addicted to ArboristSite
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2007
- Messages
- 3,376
- Reaction score
- 633
When cutting a strip a guy is hard pressed to hang onto his timber sometimes. If I'm close to something man made that can get destroyed I put on the belt and spurs. I split the back off a spruce on time where a bunch of people were standing around. Thank God , I got er into the lay I had picked out. But I was soooo stressed I was cross eyed for the rest of the day. Felt like it anyway. After that I just say forget it. . Pull em or get someone else.
I know your feeling, I was thinking the same just two weeks ago. Since it was a dead snag, I was also repeating to myself "you ain't RandyMac." It went down after 30 minutes or so of popping and groaning. Using your math, I guess my heart is among the oldest in any man still alive. Ron
Never been so scared by a tree as that time I had a burning tree collapse on its stump and go 120 degrees from its intended lay, across a road and into a powerline... and scatter my crew. I think my crew being scared freaked me out more than even the powerline snapping. I've told that story before so I won't go into detail here, but that was a HAIRY few moments. It woulda been on film but my "cinematographer" dropped his camera when he ran. I guess it broke or something.
s.v tmbrjak
ArboristSite Lurker
Nothing scarier then cutting off your far corner and seeing that four footer come right at ya.that will keep ya on your toes
tramp bushler
Addicted to ArboristSite
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2007
- Messages
- 3,376
- Reaction score
- 633
I was cutting in Seward in March of 92 . There was 4' of snow standing in the woods. I was falling a cottonwood that was a bit over 48" on the stump. I Mis judged the lean because of a big limb. The Dutchman I had put in turned into the same as cutting the far corner off. .
When the tree came at me I chickened out and ran up my trail I'd packed down. I was wearing 14"x48" Snowshoes. I had about 1 month on that Ace Morgan hopped up 394 . If I remember right that mistake cost me 1037 $ .
When the tree came at me I chickened out and ran up my trail I'd packed down. I was wearing 14"x48" Snowshoes. I had about 1 month on that Ace Morgan hopped up 394 . If I remember right that mistake cost me 1037 $ .
Last edited:
Samlock
Addicted to ArboristSite
Just forget the saw and #### off, that's right thing to do. It does look scary when it comes at you, but you have plenty of time to take a couple of necessary steps to the side. Tree falls slowly, at least it looks like that. Well, a pair of snowshoes on your feet makes it a whole different deal.
They still haven't sent me a bill for the streetlight that I twisted in October with a tree I almost had on my lap. You won't see me complaining.
TreeGuyHR
ArboristSite Guru
Thought you might like see these -- friend of mine, was the hazard tree faller on lots of fires. I think these are from the North Cascades. Couple of big, smoking, hollow cedars. Looks like he and another guy were cutting on the same tree at the same time?
View attachment 276798View attachment 276799View attachment 276800View attachment 276801
