Ground Guys that go oops

[deadeye]

Ya know those trees where those no real good place to tie in?

Well, I was about 50' up in an elm, maybe 20' out and only 10' or so lower than where I was tied in. Had my foot anchored in a crotch, leaning way out so that body and climbing line were almost horizontal with the ground. No way that branch could sustain my weight.

I fired up the old 020 and nodded to the ground man to take up the slack on the down line. All of a sudden I'm standing straight up! He had yanked on my climbing line instead! Crack! The branch I'm on breaks! Crack! The one below that breaks! When its over I'm hanging upside down with my back against the trunk, faithful 020 still running in one hand!

Happened 10 or so years ago and that guy's still a friend of mine. He blushes a deep red if I mention that day!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey!

You didn't drop your saw!!!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by deadeye
He blushes a deep red if I mention that day!

And you do it at least twice a year just for general purpose

 

[2ndgclimber]

Has anyone come up with a way to get the attention of your groundmen when your up the tree and they have the chipper running.I ve needed to do this a few times but i just cant yell loud enough and there never seems to be a nice stick around to throw at them.

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[NeTree]

a BB pistol might do the trick



Super-Loud whistles as Nick mentioned might be more preferable though.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Or this...

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Sherrill sells the Fox40 whistle. You can also get them at sporting goods stores. I carry an orange one on my saddle and most groundmen will hear it as long as they are not within 4'-5' of the chipper. More professional than yelling, also.

That is what I use, but make sure that you cover your own ears, it is super loud, but very effective. $5 dollars a pop.


Carl

 

[topnotchtree]

Stupid groundmen are not always new guys, my near death experience was caused by the boss with 20 plus years of experience! I was just starting treework and I was to hang a tag line in a pretty large maple so we could pull it over with his pick-up. As i was tying in, he started to notch the tree. I thought this was dumb, but what did I know? The boss forgot more about trees than I knew at this time. The notch was completely cuy when a repelled to the ground. I unsnapped from my line and took 3 steps when the tree fell over! It fell over a pole to pole bell wire(the big fat ones) I couldnt believe it didnt break any poles but it flipped the tree off to the side and laid it in a sidestreet.Luckily there were no cars there. Thats my experience of a go-get-em bossman in a hurry. I quit about a week later.

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by topnotchtree
[B... I unsnapped from my line and took 3 steps when the tree fell over! It fell over a pole to pole bell wire(the big fat ones) I couldnt believe it didnt break any poles but it flipped the tree off to the side and laid it in a sidestreet.Luckily there were no cars there. Thats my experience of a go-get-em bossman in a hurry. I quit about a week later. [/B]

I think that I would have buried my fist in his face, and boot in his arse =ing instant termination. The only good thing was that he knocked the poles over, serves him right.


Carl

 

[topnotchtree]

Sorry lumberjack, no poles were broke.

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by topnotchtree
Sorry lumberjack, no poles were broke.

Oh, it laid the TREE in the street, not the poles. Still woulda done my best to show how displeased I was with his actions.

Carl

 

[topnotchtree]

I was a more forgiving person back then. I really didn't know any better. Plus a was too freaked out to do anything for awhile.

 

[Lumberjack]

How high did you go in the tree?

Carl

 

[topnotchtree]

25 or 30 feet maybe

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by topnotchtree
25 or 30 feet maybe

Well not as bad as say 50-60, but 30 foot is still a ways to fall. What happened with his notch for it to go over backwards? Was it too deep, hollow, what?


Carl

 

[topnotchtree]

Kinda funny I have done line clearance for over ten years and I had a little over a year with this private contractor, the 2 scariest moments in my life were working for the private contractor. The second scary moment was not really his fault. The brakes went out on the 73 ford 1 ton that was our chip truck while I had the pleasure of driving it down a curvy hill with a stop sign at a busy road waiting for me at the bottom. Truck was so full chips were spilling out the back, and I was pulling a medium sized self feed brush bandit, with of course, no chipper brakes.I was able to make a right turn at the stopsign and pulled right to the shoulder and stopped.Luckily there was nobody comming. But as I sat there smelling the mess in my pants, I couldnt help but notice all the gravel trains that kept zooming by.

 

[topnotchtree]

the tree was rotten on the backside. He was in too much of a hurry to walk around the tree for inspection.

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by topnotchtree
But as I sat there smelling the mess in my pants, I couldnt help but notice all the gravel trains that kept zooming by.

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_2_16.gif' border=0></a>
That sounded like the butt puckerer factor went through th roof. The trains coulda stopped you, a few miles down the tracks.


Carl

 

[Scars2prove-it]

This just happened today. My bucket truck gets stuck in an icy mudpuddle at my shop. I position my pickup in front of it and hook a chain to it. I tell my groundman to get in the pickup and pull me out. He jumps in, puts it in reverse, and FLOORS it. This is gonna hurt the old wallet.