Work Photos

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Climbed and deadwooded these big honey locusts yesterday. Temps finally cooled here and the scenery is poppin. Life is dreamy right now, fall in Boulder is top notch time of year.
Loving that second photo. Can’t tell if you’re on your way out or way back in on that leader. Cool shot. Also a good time of year to work a Gleditsia. Sometimes deadwood can be a real search in full dormancy for a color-blindish guy like me. Really dead deadwood is easy (kills a handsaw tho), but for recently dead branches I have to rely on apparent branch collar formation, flaking bark, or even sound when shaking sections.
 
Loving that second photo. Can’t tell if you’re on your way out or way back in on that leader. Cool shot. Also a good time of year to work a Gleditsia. Sometimes deadwood can be a real search in full dormancy for a color-blindish guy like me. Really dead deadwood is easy (kills a handsaw tho), but for recently dead branches I have to rely on apparent branch collar formation, flaking bark, or even sound when shaking sections.
Man, I had to learn that one the hard way.
 
Loving that second photo. Can’t tell if you’re on your way out or way back in on that leader. Cool shot. Also a good time of year to work a Gleditsia. Sometimes deadwood can be a real search in full dormancy for a color-blindish guy like me. Really dead deadwood is easy (kills a handsaw tho), but for recently dead branches I have to rely on apparent branch collar formation, flaking bark, or even sound when shaking sections.
Thanks! Second photo I was scoping a tiny redirect I noticed while ascending, dropped back down to that branch to check it out. Tiny little twig that would have dropped me a few feet if it broke, eventually I decided to just cruise up and trust the gods. Luckily it worked out!

Fully agree on deadwooding these babies when they still have leaves, it's one species that I typically just don't try in the winter. That and redbud comes to mind as well. And yeah, that dead dead is hard as nails, good reminded to re-up the silky blade!
 
A lot of work diversity this week. After some major electronic repairs, the bucket truck I got this summer is back in action and yesterday did three jobs that were tasks that would haven been impossible to do via climbing: fir branch tips over two different houses and a noodley leaning alder. I'm still just learning the truck, where I can fit the thing, what the bucket can reach and how to maneuver it there, but it's an incredible tool that opens up a whole new world of work possibilities. A few weeks ago I did a job in one hour over a house solo that would have taken 4-5 hours if climbed, and would have required someone on the ground running ropes that whole time to make it possible.

I hadn't originally planned to haul that alder away in the chip box, but since I no longer have an employee to drive another truck (I bid the job a while before he left) it's just what made sense. Honestly it's nice to have the option to carry some brush when I'm rolling solo and have all those tool boxes for gear.

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As long as you make it through alive, I think the hard way is the best way to learn!
That's totally my spirit energy, but realistically, you gotta get all you can from other people's mistakes. You'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.

The most valuable part of my days working as an employee is learning stuff on other people's dime. I love working with my 72 year old logger buddy because he's a dangerous cowboy who's been pushing limits to the edge for 54 years. I would never have known so well where those limits were in real, practical terms if I hadn't seen him break so many ropes. I am too cautious to have ever tried what he has shown me without having seen him do it dozens of times, and seeing for nyself where the limit really is.
 
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That's totally my spirit energy, but realistically, you gotta get all you can from other people's mistakes. You'll never live long enough to make them all yourself.

The most valuable part of my days working as an employee is learning stuff on other people's dime. I love working with my 72 year old logger buddy because he's a dangerous cowboy who's been pushing limits to the edge for 54 years. I would never have known so well where those limits were in real, practical terms if I hadn't seen him break so many ropes. I am too cautious to have ever tried what he has shown me without having seen him do it dozens of times, and seeing for nyself where the limit really is.
I can respect that under a few circumstances…
- when the “doer’s” actions aren’t reckless around other people or property.
- when the “doer” says beforehand what may likely break or go not quite to plan.

I will agree that is a great way to determine what limits lie where or how. After all, we have to remember the safety guidelines our own industry authored are penned in blood.
 
I can respect that under a few circumstances…
- when the “doer’s” actions aren’t reckless around other people or property.
- when the “doer” says beforehand what may likely break or go not quite to plan.

I will agree that is a great way to determine what limits lie where or how. After all, we have to remember the safety guidelines our own industry authored are penned in blood.
Mike has never put any person in harms way, but I have seen mistakes that could have cost him some repairs to a shed, and we have fixed fences, stuff like that. Unfortunately I have, on numerous occasions pointed out that something was likely to fail, and been right more often than I was wrong. The crew knows to stay well clear of rope paths and the DZ, and funny enough, Mike is the only boss I have had that would hold real, serious safety meetings every week, and we really explore as much as we can in those group discussions.

I'm not trying to defend the way he does things, but he has taught me more than I would have thought he could because of his bravado. I will NEVER run my show like he runs his. But that is the point I am trying to make.

If you don't learn from others mistakes, especially in this business, you are unlikely to live long enough to make all of your own.
 
The crotch in the tree behind the pine was just too inviting, so I removed the tree to prevent a dangerous hung-up tree situation. Plan was OK with HO. After cleaning the DZ, felling the pine was easy enough. It's 18" at the cut.
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A surprisingly big pile from the smaller tree. Hoping someone will take the big parts for firewood.
1729357809520.png Haven't started cleaning up the pine yet. Please email me a skid-steer with a grapple.
 
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@27MRT0N What is the side reach on the boom of that Bucket Lift, and what is the working height?
The lift I use is a Dino 92ft lift, that claims to have 50ft of side reach with 450lbs, but they have changed the safety perimeters from the 2019 to the 2024 lift, and the '24 lift does not allow the full 50ft of side reach that the 2019 did.
So, only on person can be at full side reach, in the '24 lift.
Is your lift, electric to hydraulic controls? All the controls in the '24 lift are all electric to hydraulic.
So, there is always a delay, compared, with slightly older, just hydraulic controls.
The advantage of the electric to hydraulic, is there is less hydraulic line to replace.
 
@27MRT0N What is the side reach on the boom of that Bucket Lift, and what is the working height?
The lift I use is a Dino 92ft lift, that claims to have 50ft of side reach with 450lbs, but they have changed the safety perimeters from the 2019 to the 2024 lift, and the '24 lift does not allow the full 50ft of side reach that the 2019 did.
So, only on person can be at full side reach, in the '24 lift.
Is your lift, electric to hydraulic controls? All the controls in the '24 lift are all electric to hydraulic.
So, there is always a delay, compared, with slightly older, just hydraulic controls.
The advantage of the electric to hydraulic, is there is less hydraulic line to replace.

It's an '07 Altec LRV boom and International 4300, controls are fully hydraulic.

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@levi r That's awesome that you were pruning those Locust trees. I pruned these "black" Locust trees for a lady in Townsend, Massachusetts

I kinda see a strange way of naming these trees, because the "honey" Locust has a blackish bark, but the "black" Locust has a honeyish colored bark.

She never really specified to fully prune them, but wanted some lower branches removed, for they were looming over her shed, and mower port. But, when I was in the trees, I thought it'd be worth the while to fully prune them for short/long term health and beauty. She did think it looked nice after.

You know how when you're in a tree to cut dead branches, or lower limbs, and think to yourself, "while I'm here, and have invested time in coming up here, I should carefully cut some deadwood and badly growing, or out of place branches, to help the tree long term. Because, if the customer or others obverse that the tree was "professionally" cut; later, one may perceive, there is no reason to venture further into the canopy, for a "professional" has already dealt with that tree. So, you see a need to address, what you see as needed at the time, for that reason."
 

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Last week, after working a full day clearing ailanthus and privet out of an overgrown property, including a couple of 35' climbers in the 5' gaps between buildings in 25 mph wind, we got a call from the city for a tree in the road. It was on a real busy corner, so they wanted it dealt with asap. When we arrived, it was worse than they described.
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The side that was still upright was cracking and popping in the wind; earth showing obvious movement. Luckily, we haven't had our first real rain yet this year. We hurried to get a heavy chain and a couple of binders around the stems to prevent failure while we worked, and got it safe by 9pm. Some one years ago attempted to bolt the trunk, as it was obviously included, but no cables. I am not sure they even used any washers. 1000002384.jpg1000002386.jpg
 
Last week, after working a full day clearing ailanthus and privet out of an overgrown property, including a couple of 35' climbers in the 5' gaps between buildings in 25 mph wind, we got a call from the city for a tree in the road. It was on a real busy corner, so they wanted it dealt with asap. When we arrived, it was worse than they described.
View attachment 95871View attachment 95872
The side that was still upright was cracking and popping in the wind; earth showing obvious movement. Luckily, we haven't had our first real rain yet this year. We hurried to get a heavy chain and a couple of binders around the stems to prevent failure while we worked, and got it safe by 9pm. Some one years ago attempted to bolt the trunk, as it was obviously included, but no cables. I am not sure they even used any washers. View attachment 95873View attachment 95874
Looks like they should have upgraded that bolt awhile back:ROFLMAO:
 

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