how does one reduce a conifer

[clearance]

Nick-you should know better than that, old growth rainforest. Trees here can take brutal events and live, I have seen big co-doms that had one stem ripped right off by the wind or another tree that fell. I mean like a tree with half of its branches gone with the co-dom stem. Catfaces over 40' that have healed or are healing, trees topped by the wind that would have been way over 200' but are now 150' with a 4' top, living. Trees that have been side limbed ground to sky by falling trees, doing great. Red cedars that are hollow with rot, catfaces all over, spike tops, alive. These trees that are windfirmed really only have to live untill the understory grows up, 20 years? As far as spurs and caulks, forget spurless climbing, some of the branches don't start for 80' and on cedars they all droop down, good luck. And you have to, by work laws, wear caulks. Any one that wouldn't wear caulks in the bush, on logging slash, logs is stupid anyways. Look into it educate yourself.

 

[1I'dJak]

the windfirming i've done has been in 2nd growth doug fir blocks( we firmed the dominant trees along the cut blocks, and though it may hurt the tree a bit, it sbetter than the thing blowing over.... these trees are 120-200' tall and pretty skinny for their size, since are all of an even age and competing for sunlight.... the ground they are growing has been comprimized by harvesting, the they uproot fairly easily....I've tree planted beside these trees in high winds and it can look pretty sketchy....though i've only done this job for a few weeks it was awesome... made a man of me.... you climb the tree, work your way pretty much to the top (we only topped hemlock and just delimbed 30-50% of the upper canopy of the rest of the species)... then, to avoid climbing up and down trees all day, you tie into the tree, pull out your trusty grapple hook, chuck in onto the limbs of your next target tree, use your ascender to get the line taught (which is secured to your d-rings as well), and once she's tight, you release on your taughtline/blake's and zing towards that tree, hoping your grapple doesn't release! One guy favorite thing to do (who was noted for his pretty long grapple swings) would be to push the button on his radio, so we could here his rope zinging! After doing this, i came back to res and I had much more confidence, which was good for my learning curve..

 

[BigJohn]

I would cut it down and strart from new.