Good day all.
I thought I would share my "stoke" for this industry with everyone here.
About a year ago a close neighbor of mine, who also is the owner of a local tree company had an emergency and needed an extra grounds person to finish a job so, being a person who loves good honest hard days work I decided to give him a hand.
Well I loved it and decided to stay on as a part time "3 days per week" grounds person as my main source of income was still needed to pay the bills. Over the year I grew into the role and watched with the most keen eye on everything that was being done around me. I purchased all my own climbing equipment and started to do some recreational climbing when I had free time.
I got my air ticket so I could drive the large boom trucks. learned how to sharpen a saw to the point that the climbers could hand me there own saw and be confident I would hand them back a perfectly tuned machine.
The owner knew I was training on my own and that I was keen on getting into the tree's but I kept my mouth shut and never asked for the chance as I knew it would come and I was learning to be the best grounds person that I could be.
Then last weekend there was a small/medium hemlock that needed to come out of a back yard, the owner came on over to me as I was grinding a large cedar stump at the other end of the yard and signaled me to grab my equipment and follow him.
He gave me the rundown on what he wanted to see from me. He knew I already now how to make the proper cuts as I had been dropping large 30-40 foot logs on a regular basis with no problems. I was told to keep both hands on the saw or I would be removed from the tree "his fear for my wife and kids that I might hurt myself"
So here I am with the largest smile on my face and going up a tree for the first time with spurs, as all the rec climbing I did was with no spurs. The job took about 1 hour to take the tree down and I had a blast. I did have a few slips with the spurs not being at the right angle and did the bear hug around the tree. The guys on the ground said they never seen a guy laugh and smile when that happens before. I knew it was going to happen and was expecting it so I did not get to scared when It it did happen.
For all the grounds people who want to climb don't rush it... Learn to be the best grounds person you can be and when you get the chance to starting working in the tree's you will be all that much better because you will have had the experience on the ground and once in the tree be able to keep your own wingman on the ground safe and productive.
So here I am, a guy who's main job for the last decade has been computers / high tech and I have found my new career and am in the process of moving over full time now.
I could not be more stoked!
Here are some pictures of the first non rec climb.
I thought I would share my "stoke" for this industry with everyone here.
About a year ago a close neighbor of mine, who also is the owner of a local tree company had an emergency and needed an extra grounds person to finish a job so, being a person who loves good honest hard days work I decided to give him a hand.
Well I loved it and decided to stay on as a part time "3 days per week" grounds person as my main source of income was still needed to pay the bills. Over the year I grew into the role and watched with the most keen eye on everything that was being done around me. I purchased all my own climbing equipment and started to do some recreational climbing when I had free time.
I got my air ticket so I could drive the large boom trucks. learned how to sharpen a saw to the point that the climbers could hand me there own saw and be confident I would hand them back a perfectly tuned machine.
The owner knew I was training on my own and that I was keen on getting into the tree's but I kept my mouth shut and never asked for the chance as I knew it would come and I was learning to be the best grounds person that I could be.
Then last weekend there was a small/medium hemlock that needed to come out of a back yard, the owner came on over to me as I was grinding a large cedar stump at the other end of the yard and signaled me to grab my equipment and follow him.
He gave me the rundown on what he wanted to see from me. He knew I already now how to make the proper cuts as I had been dropping large 30-40 foot logs on a regular basis with no problems. I was told to keep both hands on the saw or I would be removed from the tree "his fear for my wife and kids that I might hurt myself"
So here I am with the largest smile on my face and going up a tree for the first time with spurs, as all the rec climbing I did was with no spurs. The job took about 1 hour to take the tree down and I had a blast. I did have a few slips with the spurs not being at the right angle and did the bear hug around the tree. The guys on the ground said they never seen a guy laugh and smile when that happens before. I knew it was going to happen and was expecting it so I did not get to scared when It it did happen.
For all the grounds people who want to climb don't rush it... Learn to be the best grounds person you can be and when you get the chance to starting working in the tree's you will be all that much better because you will have had the experience on the ground and once in the tree be able to keep your own wingman on the ground safe and productive.
So here I am, a guy who's main job for the last decade has been computers / high tech and I have found my new career and am in the process of moving over full time now.
I could not be more stoked!
Here are some pictures of the first non rec climb.
