tough day at the orfice

[1I'dJak]

just one of those days today... what i call a learner.... taking down a windthrow norwegian spruce....wasn't huge, but nothing really to tie off from above...and couldn't fall it cuz below it was the customers prized lilac... anyways, as i was begininning to piece it down (of course it had been topped 20yrs ago so had about 5 codoms) she started to go... wasn't high up , only about 20 feet, but suprised me... then... real idiod mistake...but i'm man enought to admit... deadwooding more of these previously topped norwegian spruce, on my new 70' 7/16 velocity that i was stoked to use, as opposed to me other two lines of 150' which i was sick of dealing with in small trees... i noticed i was getting close to the end and that i had forgot my stopper knot.... ok... lets just get this clump of deadwood hangers then i deal with it.... frustrated, fixated and forgotten.... then plunk! on my ass...outta rope....IDIOT!... i was only about 6' up and luckily landed on brush, but if it was cement...or higher up...lesson learned...

 

[clearance]

Jak-good you are o.k.. I climb with a 200' rope and I have to tie in again constantly, What I do is come down untill I figure I am a little less than 100' from the ground. Get this, we share a groundsman, he puts our rope in the bag after every tree and takes it to our next one, he always ties a figure 8.

 

[1I'dJak]

so you guys got a groundsmen when you're windfirming? yeah the tallest tree i climbed i tied in twice, and tied in a third time to a nearby pecker pole with my 150 cuz my glasses were to fogged to spur the rest of the way down... the guy who was showing me the ropes of windfirming specifically sent me to this one to see if i was into it.... got pretty windy too... plus i only had one scare strap...however, it had snaps at both ends so i was always tied in... although if i did slip i guess the micro grab wouldn't and i'd catch when my lanyard ran to the other snap.... I heard a rumour today that REM (the big windfirming player on the island here) went tits up... could be just a rumour though....but weird cuz they've had alot of work... snow's shut them down for awhile but you figure they can roll thru that...

 

[clearance]

Yes we have a groundsman, I couldn't believe it when I got here, he gets your rope, carries your rope for you, fills up your saw. He cleens the creek if any branches get into it, I try to not let this happen. He has a spare 020 for you if needed as well. No one ever did this for me before, would never ask. He gets more dough than a c.u.a. , crazy huh?

 

[SteveBullman]

not if hes worth it

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

not if hes worth it

I second the motion!

Several groundmen I work with get $15+ (USD)

 

[dhuffnmu]

I was making 18$ an hour as a ground man running ropes getting robes filling up saws sending stuff up and down to the climber tying onlowering devices. Making sure stuff got put back where it came from. Over and over each day. Moral of the story if you got a good ground guy pay him good they make the work for the climber and the rest of the crew so much easier it isn't even funny. I know now that I do alot of climbing just how valuable a good one is.

 

[clearance]

I don't think it is crazy to pay a groundsman $175 for a six and a half hour day (climbers $275). It sucks that a CUA gets paid $21-$25 an hour.

 

[1I'dJak]

clearance where do you live in the charlottes? I spent some time there when i was fishing... hung around in charlotte city mostly....though i did party a few nights in daddy cool's... the company you work for based in the charlottes?

 

[SteveBullman]

i pay my groundsman the same as i pay myself

 

[1I'dJak]

so today i get sent with the fn new guy for two removals and a reduction... new guys from some horticulture school back east... he's good with the fruit trees and hedges and can drive truck...but not so much with a saw... the two removals 80-90'fir and a 50' fir snag are to be bucked to firewood...new guy says he bucked but i can tell not much...show him the concepts, how to file etc... up in the tree can hear hes rocked out both saws...finish one tree, sharpen the groundsman 020 and tell him to buck up the limbs... again i can hear its dull...whatever, I'm busy... get down, sho 'nuff...'damn i think i cut myself'...off to the hospital for some stiches in the thumb... he got off pretty easy for a saw cut though....makes me want to do my own show and ot have to worry about the revolving door of groundies ...

 

[clearance]

so today i get sent with the fn new guy for two removals and a reduction... new guys from some horticulture school back east... he's good with the fruit trees and hedges and can drive truck...but not so much with a saw... the two removals 80-90'fir and a 50' fir snag are to be bucked to firewood...new guy says he bucked but i can tell not much...show him the concepts, how to file etc... up in the tree can hear hes rocked out both saws...finish one tree, sharpen the groundsman 020 and tell him to buck up the limbs... again i can hear its dull...whatever, I'm busy... get down, sho 'nuff...'damn i think i cut myself'...off to the hospital for some stiches in the thumb... he got off pretty easy for a saw cut though....makes me want to do my own show and ot have to worry about the revolving door of groundies ...

The guy went to whoretocutlure school but he can't buck or sharpen a saw, hmmm, sounds like he's tryin to learn though. Make him learn, practice makes perfect, stick it out Jak, its all good.

 

[1I'dJak]

roger that clearance...sometimes its a little overwhelming though...i'm still learning the trade and all of a sudden i'm foreman -climbing, cutting, estimating, talking with customers, driving and dumping... new experience for me... leads to a steep learning curve...just been a 'put the head down, the back into it and give'er' type of guy, lead by example etc... its good for a guy though....but i sure love that feeling of dropping a top, swinging around, and getting the feet on the ground after a good climb..like you said its all good...
word