Climbing pine with spurs?

With bags on both ends of the line, it's pretty easy to overshoot the whole tree (especially with an air cannon), and then manipulate the line backwards and forwards to eventually isolate a suitable union to climb into. A lot of newbies make the mistake of trying to hit the union directly. Sometimes a longer way home winds up being faster.
 
cerviarborist said:
With bags on both ends of the line, it's pretty easy to overshoot the whole tree (especially with an air cannon), and then manipulate the line backwards and forwards to eventually isolate a suitable union to climb into. A lot of newbies make the mistake of trying to hit the union directly. Sometimes a longer way home winds up being faster.
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I see that. Shoot up and over. Pull twice the height of line down. Add throw bag and pull up then lower straight down. Haul up climbing line.
 
Double bagging is the way to go in busy trees. but you need two throwlines, preferably 2 diff colors. 4 bags min. If you do not know this technique learn it fast. It is the bees knees for isolation....Learned it years ago at a comp. it really is the fastest way to isolate in busy ass canopies. Always use loads of weight when isolating to accommodate friction.
 
islandarb said:
Double bagging is the way to go in busy trees. but you need two throwlines, preferably 2 diff colors. 4 bags min. If you do not know this technique learn it fast. It is the bees knees for isolation....Learned it years ago at a comp. it really is the fastest way to isolate in busy ass canopies. Always use loads of weight when isolating to accommodate friction.
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I do thankfully have three throw lines and 4-5 bags.
 
Mick Dempsey said:
Just get some spikes and a flip line and run up there and get it.
You can have it done in minutes.

Tree will be fine.
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That’s not for a rookie/rec climber. Easy for a pro who makes their daily bread on removals.

Besides, great learning experience setting a line in that tree. Very doable, takes a lot of walking around in the brush looking for that alleyway to shoot for a high limb. It’s waiting to happen.
 
Treezybreez said:
Pine are some of the most susceptible to beetle infestation. Spiking it is most certainly a death sentence.
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More likely than other trees but we've got tons of pines around here that get gaffed by line clearance crews pretty often and they're still alive, also given the time of year for many of us we're getting into a season when beetles are far less active, I wouldn't gaff it but I also wouldn't say it's "almost certainly a death sentence" either.
 
As Southsound said we come across many gaffed trees. Doug’s can take it fairly well until our beetle situation worsens.
I’d never consider spiking a pine, not claiming I know your pines but it’s just not worth the damage.
Like others have said looks like a easy tree with bomber unions.
Never really used a air cannon much, but with practice you can hand throw that high. A big shot might be a little easier to dial in for a straight up isolation shot.
Also as others have said a bare minimum of two throwlines and two throw weights is a must. I think I have about 6 throw lines and 8 bags on the work truck and I do not think that is excessive.
With a big shot I could easily clear a 100’ tree and be fairly accurate
 
SeanRuel said:
West coast/East coast-
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Pines in general use oozing pitch to clog up bark beetles trying "get in". During the growing season it's effective deterrent. In other months depending on what part of the world you're in a conifer can't mount that defensive strategy as well. But the real point (no pun intended) is there's no need to gaff this loblolly.
-AJ
 
It seems like the throw bag is the answer here but I have actually ran into a similar problem with a western larch, high branches with the potential for sudden branch failure. I didn’t want to spur it so I used a technique kinda similar to how some Earth First’ers got into trees (or a non-single line version of sit-stand method):

I have two short lengths of rope. Both are choked around the main stem. One is attached to my bridge and the other is essentially just a foot loop. You probably see where this is going… alternate weight between chokes. Set up on your foot to advance the bridge attached life support, sit back to advance foot loop.

It’s slow as sin and you’re pretty much humping the tree the whole time.
 
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