Style Chooser:

rawtree

First started working with trees in the summer of 1976. I put this ad in the PennySaver:

Your tree...
My saw...
$6.50 per hour

1989** & 1992 ITCC WorldChampionTreeClimber: StoneAge of NewAge of TreeClimbing, Rigging, Organized Training & Competition.

Helped to introduce camming lanyard (Gibbs!) to '89 ITCC ( actually, used in '86, '87 and '88 Chapter comps before International was reinstated; I first discovered this idea in the late '70's from the book: Tree Surgery: The Complete Guide by Peter Bridgeman - I think Bridgeman used a Clog handled ascender for his lanyard but not sure of the Mfg cause I loaned out the book and never got it back).

1st group to use Footlock Prusik @ITCC! (Bill Moore and I introduced the technique at the ITCC Rules meeting for the '89 comp. Introduced the idea of working the "cow bells" off the prusik on preliminary ascent into tree; sorry Sam but you're wrong and we can prove it, the Californians didn't invent everything, when we came in to the Morton Arboretum, on the competitors bus, your chapter champion was seen frantically trying to cut and size his first prusik loop!).

Original Founder of what became known as ArborMasters Training.

First Trainers/demonstrators to work with a "live" tree in the exhibit hall at a tree car symposium; of all people Alex Shigo (rip, may some tree's roots be invading your casket as we speak!) came up with the idea and asked ArborAge to set it up for us; Denne Goldstein had just sold the mag and the new owners just gave us scaffolding, how gay!; The NAA was the first organization to bring in a real tree.

In the early '90's, after I left Bartlett in Pittsburgh, I was disenchanted with the business and did a T chart for what I liked and disliked about my work -

I hate dragging brush.
I hate negotiating with crew members and employees about who's going to drag the brush.

I came up with this ad and have worked solo ever since :

Tree Climber For Hire
I prune or cut down large and dangerous trees
You dispose of firewood and branches
!!!!SAVE BIG BUCKS!!!!

This worked in Pittsburgh because the majority of the work force was blue collar and we had very cold winters and everybody wanted firewood. I gave one price to put the tree on the ground without damage to structures (I aim to please!) or significant landscape plants (though I did stress to them the lawn would be destroyed) and an additional price to buck up the wood (you just geter on the ground without bustin thangs up, son, and we'll take 'er from there!). I told them to get at least 2 other prices with cleanup and if I wasn't less than half they might not want me to do the work because when I came to their door to ask for the check it would look like they had just experienced a SKUD missile attack!

Chief Instigator to creation of the BigShot (tobe may deny this but I will put it out to a jury of my peers).

** forfeited '89 ITCC Buckle to Bill Moore (Charlottesville, VA) due to possible disqualification not reported by a competition judge (we were crew mates at Bartlett in CHO and I was awarded 1st place beating him by .003 points!!!).

Note:
Anything and everything you see here is just a figment of my imagination!

Paragliding, Big Wall Climbing, Fly Fishing