STAYING ALIVE

Wesspur
Rugged made
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I always read the back of the TCI mag, they always have a few pages of it. We loose a few every month. Lots of electrical deaths and struck by's. 11 in this months.
 
I am huge fan of taking my time . I've found that has actually made me better , I try not to waste moves to spare myself from getting tired and frustrated . I got beat up a lot more when I was younger . That's in all aspects now for me running the chipper climbing or loading wood slow an easy
 
Treepedo said:
For example hung up failed leader with many things factors to consider.
Click to expand...

You used this for an example so this may have been an issue for you. If no aerial truck access then you want to enter the tree the opposite side of the hanger just as quietly as possible. My goal is to get my entire body ABOVE the piece...my entire body including my feet. It if is gonna cause damage by free falling I will often use a 3/4 by 10 foot double braid lanyard to quickly secure the butt of the piece to the tree (15k lbs. static strength). Once secured...not so dangerous The wraptor aids in the most quiet (no shaking or swaying) and quickest rise to the top.

I took out a hundred foot plus, 4 1/2 half foot trunk dia pin oak two weeks ago that had been dead for over 5 years in a very rich neighborhood in woods behind the house. It had many 40 foot limbs sticking out that (incl the trunk) had no bark and decay/punk, all around a hard interior. No twigs or branches on the limbs just long wavering poles. Took me half a dozen bigshot thro line shots as each time the bag got stuck in the rotted stuff in the crotch I was trying to pull my wraptor rope through. The skinny line and the bag that followed just embedded in the punk.

Finally I got one through and went up and the huge behemoth listed like a huge ship in the bay. Roots were likely much more decayed than the above ground aspects so unless you could block this out of your mind...this was the major fear. I skipped by the maybe 15 huge dead 30 to 40 foot 2' dia poles on the way up so as not to rock the ship too much and bale out parts of the top (couldn't get too high up) first. It all worked out but no opportunity to "go small" and it was very scary. HO said the ground shook (house was within 25' but no limbs left over it) with each limb I dropped.

I then put 2 lines and cranked it over with 2 super size come a longs. Wraptor made it much safer imo for quickness of ascent and no shaking and also NO one could have spiked that punky pos.
 
I gain more experience with the more a guys I work with , most are unique with there own styles and what they think is the best way . Even if I don't agree I've learned that having the outside influence that I've gathered working with other crews have made me a lot more efficient of a worker . I think I've leaned to see options to various situations . Hard for me to articulate this morning I am full hung over .
 
treeclimber101 said:
I gain more experience with the more a guys I work with , most are unique with there own styles and what they think is the best way . Even if I don't agree I've learned that having the outside influence that I've gathered working with other crews have made me a lot more efficient of a worker . I think I've leaned to see options to various situations . Hard for me to articulate this morning I am full hung over .
Click to expand...


Your post makes me want to tell you about last Friday.
Jeff
 
treevet said:
You used this for an example so this may have been an issue for you. If no aerial truck access then you want to enter the tree the opposite side of the hanger just as quietly as possible. My goal is to get my entire body ABOVE the piece...my entire body including my feet. It if is gonna cause damage by free falling I will often use a 3/4 by 10 foot double braid lanyard to quickly secure the butt of the piece to the tree (15k lbs. static strength). Once secured...not so dangerous The wraptor aids in the most quiet (no shaking or swaying) and quickest rise to the top.

I took out a hundred foot plus, 4 1/2 half foot trunk dia pin oak two weeks ago that had been dead for over 5 years in a very rich neighborhood in woods behind the house. It had many 40 foot limbs sticking out that (incl the trunk) had no bark and decay/punk, all around a hard interior. No twigs or branches on the limbs just long wavering poles. Took me half a dozen bigshot thro line shots as each time the bag got stuck in the rotted stuff in the crotch I was trying to pull my wraptor rope through. The skinny line and the bag that followed just embedded in the punk.

Finally I got one through and went up and the huge behemoth listed like a huge ship in the bay. Roots were likely much more decayed than the above ground aspects so unless you could block this out of your mind...this was the major fear. I skipped by the maybe 15 huge dead 30 to 40 foot 2' dia poles on the way up so as not to rock the ship too much and bale out parts of the top (couldn't get too high up) first. It all worked out but no opportunity to "go small" and it was very scary. HO said the ground shook (house was within 25' but no limbs left over it) with each limb I dropped.

I then put 2 lines and cranked it over with 2 super size come a longs. Wraptor made it much safer imo for quickness of ascent and no shaking and also NO one could have spiked that punky pos.
Click to expand...
I hate those. Kinda get irritated at HO's that let trees go that long. Had one a while back that I bid several years ago, it was on its last leg then. Big box elder. I come back over, couldn't believe they never had it done. Guy wants me to honor the price. I tell him no and almost triple it. He acts like I am trying to rip him off, so I tell him " u go up there with me then" he shut up. When I got it down to a stick and dumped it, it blew apart when it hit and man did it stink. The most foul odor filled the hood. Kindly jumped him about letting it go that long. Irresponsible and wreckless.
 
2 hours, 2 men, $880 incl travel time. $240. per man hour said it all. I first bid the job 3 years prior and doubled the price. Not too painful and everyone went home safe. Slam and book, no cleanup, move anything or cut anything. This tree would make a boxelder look like a dogwood.
 
sometimes it just comes down to "treeman's luck". All those dead guys in the back of TCIA mag weren't stupid or just not wearing a hard hat. Hey you get up in a big barkless dead tree leaning over the house. You want to take out a big dead top and but hitch it to the tree you are in. But will it break the tree below your tie in with the shock load...or if you climb higher will your weight break the tree. No rules will help you here and mom won't help either.

Couple of years ago I had a giant cherry tree uprooted and stuck in a huge elm tree in the woods. "Has to come out" according to the rich ho. Too dangerous to climb with all that weight on the elm. No truck access. So I figured out I can bottom cut chunks off and get the leaner/hanger more upright and lighter on the elm or maybe it will break out and come down. No such luck. So I suit up and walk to the elm ready to go up. Just before I reach the tree...the whole works, both trees come crashing down (the elm uprooted too). I could tell stories for hours as I am sure most of you could. Sunday church may help for any of you believers.
 
treevet said:
sometimes it just comes down to "treeman's luck". All those dead guys in the back of TCIA mag weren't stupid or just not wearing a hard hat. Hey you get up in a big barkless dead tree leaning over the house. You want to take out a big dead top and but hitch it to the tree you are in. But will it break the tree below your tie in with the shock load...or if you climb higher will your weight break the tree. No rules will help you here and mom won't help either.

Couple of years ago I had a giant cherry tree uprooted and stuck in a huge elm tree in the woods. "Has to come out" according to the rich ho. Too dangerous to climb with all that weight on the elm. No truck access. So I figured out I can bottom cut chunks off and get the leaner/hanger more upright and lighter on the elm or maybe it will break out and come down. No such luck. So I suit up and walk to the elm ready to go up. Just before I reach the tree...the whole works, both trees come crashing down (the elm uprooted too). I could tell stories for hours as I am sure most of you could. Sunday church may help for any of you believers.
Click to expand...
30 minutes earlier that could have gone either way some days as we know things can work for you or against you:chainsaw:
 
Trust your intuition would be the number 1 tip I'd give to anyone. Most horror stories I hear start out with something like "I knew something was wrong" or "I should have trusted my first judgement"

Everyone has a bunch of stories to tell that started out with a hunch that something was going to go wrong, and ended up being proved right. The older I get, the more confidence I have to walk away from jobs like that.
 
I used to work as a climber for an urban tree service. Now just cut trees in my wood lot for firewood. Sometimes I see a tree that I know will try to kill me.
Listen to your inner voice and walk away.
Unfortunately, you pros may not be able to walk away...
All you can do is try to find the safest way.


Live a positive life!
 
I walked on one bid in my life and that was a huge stone dead beech with limbs all over a tin roof of a commercial building where there was no chance of it not shedding while rigging and the guy wouldn't sign a release of liability.
 

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