would you climb it?

[murphy4trees]

I took down the Norway Maple in the attached pics last December.
The tree was in bad shape with significant decay in the main crotch. Someone had installed a 1/4" cable at about 15' with 1/2" lag bolts. The wire was as tight as a piano string. Take a look at all the pics.
So would you climb this tree????
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[murphy4trees]

Here is the back side close up shot

 

[murphy4trees]

Notice the wire.... very low and undersized lag bolts.

 

[murphy4trees]

Here's part of the top of the tree.. The right lead leans out over the house. There is serious decay in the top as well.
If you own or had access to a bucket.. of course you'd use that.. but what if you didn't have the ability to get a bucket on the job.. Would you climb it???
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[treeclimber165]

Good thing it was topped many years ago, or else it would have been much heavier!

Actually, one of my guys is waiting on a permit right now for me to do a removal of a real bad tree. He says it shouldn't be climbed but I figure I can pull it off. With the tree in your pics, I'd use a ratchet strap or two (I have 3 on my truck) to temporarily tie the two leads together while I'm climbing it. I'd also guy it as well as possible, setting the guy ropes with a throwline before ascending.
Then I would climb it. No roping, simply cutting small pieces in such a manner as to swing them away from the house or else let them bounce off the roof brushy end first. I probably wouldn't do it for my typical rates, either. Risk = $$$$

What were those people thinking, leaving that tree over their house for so long?

 

[murphy4trees]

165,
The customer was an old friend whom had just bought the house that week. I guess the former owners got a price on removal before selling but decided to go the cheap way and throw a cable in it... and whoever did the work figured he'd set the cable low, get paid and split since the house was being sold anyway.
I bid $800, all wood to stay on the property in log lengths... I did the job the next day as this tree was a serious threat. That $ included the stump grinding, leaving the chips... The stump sub billed me $130, leaving $670 for me... Kinda cheap considerring the risk, travel time and moving the wood to the back side of the property.
And I Am OK with the $ as it was an old friend... He's also excited about doing some recreational climbing and ziplines with his kids this spring... So Am I.
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[DDM]

Trees like that make me Very Glad i have a bucket.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I don't understand what ratchet staps would do to hold the leads together. Wouldn't a rope up a bit higher, say above the cable, do quite a bit more because of the leverage thing?
Other than that, guy it and work gently. Or guy both leads seperately, then tie them toghether, then climb.

 

[treeclimber165]

Mike,
Sorry if I confused you because my suggestions weren't listed in the proper order. I would use the ratchet straps as high as possible, probably about twice as high as the cable.

 

[Kevin]

Naturally I can't help but admit disappointment in Mike and Brian's response.
If you can access it with a bucket, why risk climbing it?

 

[rahtreelimbs]

It's amazing what you seasoned climbers can pull off ! Something like that I would walk away from. My experience level isn't good enough for that removal.

 

[murphy4trees]

Kev,
To be fair to Mike and Brian... the question above is would you climb it IF you didn't have the ability to get a bucket on the job....
Daniel

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I wasn't suggesting <B>I'd</B> climb it, I meant guy it, then send Brian up.

Actually, I do this kinda stuff quite often, a bucket truck only works if you can get it there.

 

[Crispin Hoar]

I sea another tree in pic. 006 Could you rig off that tree?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I might climb it, but I am pretty heavy. It would depend on what was under the tree. I'd probably drill the base to see how rotten it is. Couls you get a tie-in to and adjacent tree, maybe a tightline between two so you coaul climb on a pulley on a figure nine?

 

[murphy4trees]

This pic gives a better idea of the surrounding trees...
The tree on the left is another bigger Norway Maple and actually in a better position to use for rigging... The tree on the right is a big Sycamore as I recall and would have the rigged limbs swinging into that handrail on the second floor terrace.
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[ramanujan]

i would climb it if it was not accessible by bucket truck, but from the looks of it you could drive a truck right under it, definitely the way to go.

but aside from a bucket i would use a rope and pulley system to hold the tree together above the cable maybe 10' or so, then piece down the stem away from the house avoiding unecessary shocks and then Ginger is my middle name on the stem over the house.

 

[murphy4trees]

Here's another angle from the driveway side.
In this pic the tree on the right is another Norway Maple... notice the tupperware at it's base... that's the lowering line which was set with the big shot. Shooting from the driveway I hit a high crotch on the bad tree's right lead, then the same shot caught a couple of crotches in the bigger maple. This of course spread out the weight and changed the direction of force on the right lead of the bad tree. I was then able to lower small stuff from the lead over the house.
God Bless All,
Daniel

 

[murphy4trees]

As the house side lead got lighter I began to take bigger pieces

 

[murphy4trees]

This looks like the last cut on the top of the lead over the house is tied off and ready to cut... Triangled hinges and tobacco offerings.