progressing into the industry

[Bermie]

The 200T was the first thing I went for and the boss said "nope I don't want you with a saw that will have you thinking about one handing yet"

Plus I like the husky so its all good.

Fair enough...Points to the boss for instilling good work habits early on!
My training started with top handles, but it was pounded into us from day one not to one hand them...our tutor's favorite phrase, usually preceeded by some grisly picture or personal anecdote of bad practice was...

"...and then you die."

We made a T shirt out of it.

 

[silk]

Today was kinda of a rough day. I was helping a climber buddy of mine take down a tree in a back yard. It was the worst looking pine I have seen, about 60 or so tall.

Finished the main job but after 4 hours in the tree my buddy was tired and did not want risk it. So I gave it a go to try to get down the last of the tree, to only find out how difficult this tree was. I made it maybe halfway and could not continue do to the size of the nubs that were in my way

"and very new experience with a scare strap"

So I had to Jam out, I was not feeling it for sure. I felt like a dog when I got the ground, But good to know that I have a limit that I need to respect.

Here is the picture of what I did attempt to climb. You be the judge on degree of difficulty.


Cheers.

 

[lumberjack333]

Not that being scared or or in a dangerous situation is funny at all... but i laughed a little when i saw that, gotta be the most gnarly looking stem I've ever seen silk! Glad you made it out ok in the end, days like that you really learn what your limits are but grats for pushing through!

 

[tree MDS]

Yeah, that is one ugly piece. I think a steel core would be nice for "flippin" up that piece.

 

[randyg]

Today was kinda of a rough day. I was helping a climber buddy of mine take down a tree in a back yard. It was the worst looking pine I have seen, about 60 or so tall.

Finished the main job but after 4 hours in the tree my buddy was tired and did not want risk it. So I gave it a go to try to get down the last of the tree, to only find out how difficult this tree was. I made it maybe halfway and could not continue do to the size of the nubs that were in my way

"and very new experience with a scare strap"

So I had to Jam out, I was not feeling it for sure. I felt like a dog when I got the ground, But good to know that I have a limit that I need to respect.

Here is the picture of what I did attempt to climb. You be the judge on degree of difficulty.


Cheers.

Silk, I just want to say WELCOME ABOARD!!!!!!!! Attitude sounds "most desireable" just HANG IN THERE!!!!!!!! Some days are not a lot of fun, but I find most days are, and I'll bet you will too. Above all else, stay safe.

Degree of difficulty on that pine not real high. Can be very scary though, trying to plant climber below bumps when the plant is "in the blind", so I lengthen out buckstrap quite a bit and can then see under. You then hip thrust into the stem a bit and can take a big swing of the strap up and over several stubs. I think thats why it's also called a "flip" line.


Thanks for shareing your excitement with us.

 

[oldirty]

Yeah, that is one ugly piece. I think a steel core would be nice for "flippin" up that piece.

that right there is the reason i own steelcore fliplines.

what is that a spruce? look at the gnarls on that thing! lol



so you spiked out huh? first few times that happens to you the pucker factor is high that much is true. you'll learn as you climb that every move you make needs to be as balanced as possible on all points of contact so that if one point slips you wont go too far. you keep climbing you'll see what i mean.


onto the flip line technique. so your staring at the tree with the flip wrapped at about chest high and your leaning back, as straight as possible, at about 30 degrees. keep your ass tight, dont let it lean out and back away from the tree. if your doing it right your face should be the farthest part of your body from the tree.

now take 1 step up and as you take your next step up lean forward enough to take pressure of your flip and and flip it about neck height and continue it up the tree. as you get higher you are going to need to tighten it up a bit but you can do this all as you move up.


now about them gnarls. usually when i flipline up a tree like that i'll leave slack in the line behind my hands to where the flip connects to the belt. that way i can compensate for the amount of flip i am going to need to get over or by the obstacles. of course never leave an unsafe amount of slack though, just like when you are ascending tree and youre already tied in. you dont want to go to far should something go wrong.

good luck.



and of course if anyone sees any holes in what i said fill them in please.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Not a hard climb, but one heck of a nasty looking tree. It looks to me like you have enough nubs to always keep your gaffs spiked in above one. Not a rookie climb though. Just take your time and place every step in a safe spot. That would be a challenging free climb. Thanks for the pic.

 

[gremlin]

I envy you silk!!! I wish i could make the transition into the business full time. Good luck to ya and listen to these folks.

 

[silk]

My problem was getting the extra slack in the flipline to be able to flip it over the snarls. Some were so big that I felt unsafe with the amount of slack needed to advance. The picture above shows a very large one near about 10 ft above the roof. That is where I ran into trouble.

If I had to attack again next time for sure I would have used the ALT to get over the larger snarl and keep moving up.

Also this pine had so much pitch pouring out of it that I could have almost used that to keep attached to the tree. ropes and flipline are a real mess today.

I am used to having a line tied in and always secured to, so I can move freely without danger. Just having a flipline and nothing else is still taking some time for me to adjust to.

Tuesday we are doing some spiral pruning on some large hemlocks. It should prove to be a good day.

 

[gremlin]

My problem was getting the extra slack in the flipline to be able to flip it over the snarls. Some were so big that I felt unsafe with the amount of slack needed to advance. The picture above shows a very large one near about 10 ft above the roof. That is where I ran into trouble.

If I had to attack again next time for sure I would have used the ALT to get over the larger snarl and keep moving up.

Also this pine had so much pitch pouring out of it that I could have almost used that to keep attached to the tree. ropes and flipline are a real mess today.

I am used to having a line tied in and always secured to, so I can move freely without danger. Just having a flipline and nothing else is still taking some time for me to adjust to.

Tuesday we are doing some spiral pruning on some large hemlocks. It should prove to be a good day.

wouldnt two lanyards work well in this situation? I have done this before and it worked well for me

 

[silk]

wouldnt two lanyards work well in this situation? I have done this before and it worked well for me

Yes ALT = alternate Lanyard

I figured that out only after I sadly was on the ground again and packing up for the day

 

[Mikecutstrees]

yes thats a difficult tree for a beginner. Hard to place your feet and easy to spur out if you have bad spike placement. Don't worry about it, there are much easier trees out there. That one reminds me of that movie gremlins where the gremlins back gets all those bumps then new gremlins pop out.... scary stuff...haha

 

[gremlin]

Yes ALT = alternate Lanyard

I figured that out only after I sadly was on the ground again and packing up for the day

Whoops sorry silk i must have missed that

 

[silk]

Getting the job done

Still working my tail off and climbing almost every day I am at work now.

Here are a few pictures of my Co-worker Chris and myself working on Bowen Island this past weekend.

Got the chance to take down a few small fir's. I was in front of a cottage and Chris was working over the edge of a large cliff.

 

[oldirty]

your pic is cool but ken's is sweeeet.

good to hear your in the saddle.

 

[silk]

your pic is cool but ken's is sweeeet.

good to hear your in the saddle.

Silk = Ken, glad you like the picture it was a good working day.

Our grounds guy was the one who took all the photo's

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Good to see someone start from scratch and work his way up....literally.

That is one of the many reason's why I love this industry....it's not for the timid and the shear gravity of reality doesn't allow the dung to fly very far, if at all.

This is an industry where men are of few words when it's time for the action to speak.

There is something fundamentally righteous about that, which is unique in these days we are living in.

God Bless, and be mindful.

 

[beowulf343]

onto the flip line technique. so your staring at the tree with the flip wrapped at about chest high and your leaning back, as straight as possible, at about 30 degrees. keep your ass tight, dont let it lean out and back away from the tree. if your doing it right your face should be the farthest part of your body from the tree.

now take 1 step up and as you take your next step up lean forward enough to take pressure of your flip and and flip it about neck height and continue it up the tree. as you get higher you are going to need to tighten it up a bit but you can do this all as you move up.


now about them gnarls. usually when i flipline up a tree like that i'll leave slack in the line behind my hands to where the flip connects to the belt. that way i can compensate for the amount of flip i am going to need to get over or by the obstacles. of course never leave an unsafe amount of slack though, just like when you are ascending tree and youre already tied in. you dont want to go to far should something go wrong.

good luck.



and of course if anyone sees any holes in what i said fill them in please.

Hey oldirty, long time no see. How's things?

Well, it's funny how we all have different techniques. I've used your flipping technique if the tree is really big but to be honest, a little tree like in the picture, i've got a different technique. I usually climb with my butt out but my chest and head closer to the tree. This allows me to reach around the tree with my right hand and hold the backside of my flipline and my left hand is on the tree. Almost like freeclimbing except my flipline is always around the tree in case i slip. I basically just carry my flipline up and don't even lean back on it until i'm ready to cut or tie in. On a tree like this, with my chest close in, i can reach around and carry the flipline right over the nubs without even stopping.

 

[oldirty]

Hey oldirty, long time no see. How's things?

Well, it's funny how we all have different techniques. I've used your flipping technique if the tree is really big but to be honest, a little tree like in the picture, i've got a different technique. I usually climb with my butt out but my chest and head closer to the tree. This allows me to reach around the tree with my right hand and hold the backside of my flipline and my left hand is on the tree. Almost like freeclimbing except my flipline is always around the tree in case i slip. I basically just carry my flipline up and don't even lean back on it until i'm ready to cut or tie in. On a tree like this, with my chest close in, i can reach around and carry the flipline right over the nubs without even stopping.

so you put your flip line over your hands and advance it as you go up the tree right? (imagine you have your hands out and thumbs up. and if you pretended to shoot a gun you'd be pinching the flip, correct?) i'll do that on the thinner ones.

 

[silk]

Rigged my first top.

Got it done today with one of my Close friends today who
talked me through on how to rig the top with a backup.

Went smooth as Silk. Small Cedar about 40 or so with a nice small
top to get the feel for how you can get rocked.

Next ones to be done as above will be near 100 Ft in the air over
a garage.


stay tuned.... With pics of course...