treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
I got a phone call from an old customer yesterday. Even though I haven't climbed since my accident last year (well, I've climbed twice), I've been feeling pretty strong and agreed to help him out.
Bill had a dead tree (16" DBH laurel oak) in his back yard that had snapped at the roots and lodged in another tree on the other side of the screened in pool . I had a couple other trees to work from, but they were skinny lil thangs.
First, I set my lifeline and a handline in the largest tree near the base of the broken tree. I cleared a couple limbs out of the swing area, then came down and started working my way out the broken tree. The top was wedged well, so I felt confident it wouldn't roll out on me. I got out about 25' and tied off the trunk with the handline. Then I continued up the broken tree taking off the limbs until I got across the pool screen into the other tree where it was wedged. Using another handline, I worked down the top back to the point where it was wedged. Then I tied off a 10' chunk of the top while instructing my customer to take 3 wraps on the rope tied to the trunk. I made my cut and lowered the top piece, then came down to get the trunk (which was hanging from the rope now). I worked about 8' off the bottom of the trunk in order to stand the trunk upright, then lowered it down into the yard. Was on my way home in just over an hour! Dang, it felt good to be back in a tree again, especially in a difficult situation requiring tricky rigging.
Bill had a dead tree (16" DBH laurel oak) in his back yard that had snapped at the roots and lodged in another tree on the other side of the screened in pool . I had a couple other trees to work from, but they were skinny lil thangs.
First, I set my lifeline and a handline in the largest tree near the base of the broken tree. I cleared a couple limbs out of the swing area, then came down and started working my way out the broken tree. The top was wedged well, so I felt confident it wouldn't roll out on me. I got out about 25' and tied off the trunk with the handline. Then I continued up the broken tree taking off the limbs until I got across the pool screen into the other tree where it was wedged. Using another handline, I worked down the top back to the point where it was wedged. Then I tied off a 10' chunk of the top while instructing my customer to take 3 wraps on the rope tied to the trunk. I made my cut and lowered the top piece, then came down to get the trunk (which was hanging from the rope now). I worked about 8' off the bottom of the trunk in order to stand the trunk upright, then lowered it down into the yard. Was on my way home in just over an hour! Dang, it felt good to be back in a tree again, especially in a difficult situation requiring tricky rigging.
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