The Sorry Saga of Mike Allen, Part I

[Mapleman]

Working up in the hills south of downtown San Francisco, up near UC Med Center, we were wrecking big gums over the condos at the Daly Country Club. It was winter 1982 and a multi-day job, and Mike would camp out on the site in his VW and with his three dogs. One morning I saw him come out of his camper with a half pint of JD in his back pocket and a six pack hanging off his belt loop. His one dog carried a small keg from a harness.

Mike worked for an outfit called AAA (aka, Acid, A**holes, and Alcoholics). He's the one who I first saw tie the budweiser knot. He was climbing with a 3-braid 1/2 inch line, and he would have his ground guy untwist the braids and insert a lighted cigarette, then tie an opened bottle of Bud into the line (this was before twist offs) with a half hitch over a clove.

 

[Mapleman]

Part II

It had been raining on and off for about a week, and the blue gums were slick. But on this day the sun was out, and the residents of the condos were in the heated pool, watching Mike lower 8-foot long, 20-inch diameter pieces with a 3/4 inch line. Mike used a clove hitch to lower. He must have been feeling particularly bold on this particular day or maybe the JD hadn't quite kicked in yet, so he sent a piece of gum down without a backup on the clove (I use a half hitch over a timber myself).

Okay, my girlfriend needs the laptop--part III of the saga will have to wait.

 

[Tree Pig]

holy crap you got me on the hook and then its like TV just at the appex you break for a comercial.


Well may as well through an advertisement in.

 

[Mapleman]

Part III

Anyway, I guess most of you know what's coming next. The piece of blue gum swung out over the condos and whipped out of the clove hitch, coming straight down, butt first, toward the roof of the 3-story condo. It went through the top two floors and landed in the living room of the ground floor. The residents in the pool were diving for cover. Mike cooly lowered himself to the ground, popped open another Bud, called his dogs and packed his tools, then drove away. I think he sent the owner of AAA a postcard from somewhere in So. America.

So when you all are complaining about tree hacks and such, think of ol' Mike Allen and his brandy-kegged Newfoundland.



"There's old tree men and there's bold tree men, but there's no old, bold tree men."

 

[treemandan]

"There's old tree men and there's bold tree men, but there's no old, bold tree men."[/QUOTE]

That, The Dan abides, and we like the story BUT Mike?

 

[Mapleman]

It's all true, except for maybe the keg of brandy on the Newfoundland. I think it was actually rum. As for Mike, I did see him one other time trying to bend a guard rail back in place that he had nailed with a Monterrey pine he tried to jump cut over the railing. Poor Mike, he really could have been a contender if it wasn't for the rest of the acid head ground crew he worked with. I think he might be working for the EPA now, counting spotted owls out in Humboldt County.

 

[limbwalker54]

Um. This can't be the same Mike Allen I know.....

 

[Mapleman]

Dunno, limbwalker. This Mike would be in his 60s now. That is if he is still alive...

 

[tree md]

I worked briefly for a Mike when I was young too. He camped in his van with his dog. He liked his whiskey and smoke. He did OK with that but when he got into the coke it was more than his soul could bare. I didn't see it happen but he turned a crane over on a detached garage full of antique automobiles and that was about the last we ever saw or heard of old Mike. True story. His name was Mike and he camped in his van with his dog.

This Mike would be in his 50's if he's still alive.

 

[Mapleman]

Hmmm,

For some reason, I've met a lot of tree men named Mike--at least a dozen or so. But the similarities between these two Mikes are a bit uncanny. I could have been wrong on the age thing--that incident happened back in 1982. I would have been 35 at the time and Mike could have very well been younger than me. I thought he hightailed it to and hid out in So. America, but he could have ran out of $$$ on the way there and stayed in Oklahoma.

 

[limbwalker54]

I think its not the same Mike Allen that I know.... this guy is doin fine and is in his late 40's to early 50's....and has a nice little business near me.

My name is Mike as well....I hope that doesn't discourage anyone from talking to me....