It was a hell of a ride...

[TheJollyLogger]

Thanks guys. Yeah, Glen, hanging in there for now. Place is warm enough. Just want to get this board hearing done and my wages corrected.

 

[scott augur]

Jolly, It is timely that I read your thread about riding one down. I'm operating in Cascadia....that's the west side of the cascade mountains in Washington State. I'm half way done with taking out 6 Douglas Fir from a small lot with a big cabin in a crowded neighborhood. The lot is on a corner, so there are primary high tension lines on two sides and the clients house on a third side and the neighbors house on a fourth side. I like the Douglas Fir for climbing and down rigging and such. However, we have a root rot here (phellinus weirii) and having worked in this neighborhood for a few years, it is well established. The first 3 I did last week were on one side of the house. No sign of rot running up into the stump on those. However, with this rot, the roots can turn into mush and the stump wood is still sound. The tree I'm loosing sleep over is on the other side of the place, right up against the house and leaning over the roof. It is what I call a "whip"...an understory tree that just couldn't quite keep up with the rest of the stand around it. It is 75-80 footer surrounded by taller, thicker trees. Relatively skinny D.B.H. compared to it's height. With the lean, I'm thinking the roots are punking out. I was planning on guying it about half way up wit two ropes at different angles and then going up to a small light top and having the wife (my groundie) pull the top away from the house. Now I'm thinkin' ...NOT! Just from looking at the picture you posted, it doesn't look like guying would have helped keep your tree up. Even in your photo I can see the funky wood grain that failed. Guying wouldn't have helped. The client asked me how I was going to do it, and I told him I was going to climb to the top, jump up and down, and get the tree to settle on the house, then ride it down the pitch of the roof and jump from the tree into his hot tub on the deck just before it falls on me. He didn't think it was funny, but my wife cracked up. Now, I have over laid your scenario on this tree and think I will monkey up far enough to put a pull line in it and have the wife use the pickup to pull it over. I'll have to block traffic and drop it in the street, but that will be easier than trying to unstrap my butt and fall into the hot tub. The cheapest experience one can buy is some one else's. Get well soon and thanks for posting your original...who knows...it could have saved my life. Scott

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Thanks, Scott. Sounds like you have a tricky one to deal with. If you've got room to drop it, that sounds like a good plan. Be sure and post some pics and an update. Jeff

 

[TheJollyLogger]

And by the way, I wouldn't reccomend the unhook and jump method. It happens way too fast, lol.

 

[tramp bushler]

The Tramp has pretty much been in Glennallen all year since I got back from the Slope at the end of April . Been putting in my winters firewood for a while. Getting things ready to go back up soon.

 

[mdavlee]

Don't be a stranger Glen.

 

[tramp bushler]

The site seems to be working so thats good . Spent the summer playing with my 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[hseII]

I'm just starting to get into climbing, but I've dropped at least 25 populars on our property, from 40' to 100' tall, and every single one of them had some hollow at the base.
Granted, some were worse than others, but not a 1 was completely solid.
Evidently that is the norm around here.

 

[tramp bushler]

Yup , gravity is a constant , relatively speaking . Tree health is not !!!!

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Glen, you'd best not swing through the banks on the way to the Slope without stopping by to say howdy!

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Bunch of AK guys in here huh?

 

[tramp bushler]

Garrentee I wont. will probably have a couple days there before my flight.

 

[tramp bushler]

yes Valley , there is several of us on here.

 

[HuskStihl]

I was on the road this weekend as well

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Looking forward to seeing that sign Jon.

 

[HuskStihl]

Figured you might be by now

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Well, looks like I may be a retired climber. 12% disability on the shoulder and the last doc x-rayed it and reccomended another surgery.

 

[pro94lt]

12%??? I've put the out riggers down on several that I normally would have went up since ready this thread. .. how do you feel

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I guess I should clarify. 12% is my whole body impairment rating, which the ins. cos use for compensation and retraining eligibility. my motion is 40-60% and strength is pathetic. Pain is chronic, mostly motion and weather related. It usually just feels stiff, but it can flair up pretty good.

 

[jomoco]

Bummer JL, sorry to hear such painful news mate.

Modern medicine's done good by me so far, knock on sound wood.

Chin up, then heal up, whatever yu gotta do to make a livin JL.

jomoco