Climbing dead elm

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Tell your Instructor to eat his Wheaties and stop teaching you to be a puss !

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I agree Riggs. Instructors should install a caution for work, but not an outright fear for something that is not necessarily true all the time.
 
I've only had to climb a few 30-40ft dead elms for removal. The wood is so hard petrified the only real problem I found was the annoying sloughing bark, and getting a saw or your gaffs into it!
 
instructor was a wood science guy (structure,milling,drying,manufacturing). not a climber. He must have seen something differently to impart that statement. Guess I'll have to look him up.
thanks
 
this guy was NOT a climbing instructor, he ran the sawmill, drykilns,welding and small engines shop. He knows the structure of wood better then you know how to tie your shoes man. He would kick the Walmart out of you for saying that.
His name is Fran and he is one of the most amazing people I know. Ask any smitty
I asked a simple question from a comment said a long time ago. I appreciate the info and the great safety tips that folks put up. I wanted to know something, I asked, people responded.
But do not start insulting people you dont know. That is B.S. man.
I love constructive comments. I was a bit razzed by Riggs comment on this thread, but at least he offered constructive advice along with experiences and some insults...
So as you learned in Kindergarten, if you dont have something nice or constructive to say then keep your mouth shut(or in this case fingers off the keyboard).
Thanks for responding
xo
 
Questions?
How long has it been dead?
What killed it?
Best scenario.
Only a year or two and looks like a combo of DED or a Vascular disease and Bark Beetle.
It could be safe to climb. Do your routine pre inspect.

Worst scenario.
No one knows.
Still possible with partial cuts, rigging and winching off the sections from the ground. peel it like a Banana. This is 2222 fun. More like demolition than dismantling.
Hopefully you get it to the point where you might rope access it.
Good Luck.
Off all the trees in Nort America Elm has always been the most predictable from my experience.

"KNOCK ON WOOD" as Tom D has said.
 
Sorry you took my joke way too personal. I did not mean to offend you or mean any offense to your instructor. Just joking with ya. Through my formal education of climbing I was taught to never climb a dead tree of any species no matter how long it was dead for. Now fast forward to the real world where buckets and cranes are not always an option and yes we do climb dead trees from time to time some really big sketchy ones at that. I hate dead ashes the most they are very brittle super dusty and seam to be alot of them around. So again appologies for offending you with my joke. It's actually a Larry the Cable Guy quote. Guess I'll have to lay off the Blue Collar marathon.
 
if that razzed you how about this one .... a sawmill guy told ya , the knife is on my neck , should I end it ? Take a dead Elm down and post a picture ! I want to see a picture of you or your " instuctor" in a dead tree , just one picture . Before and after , like standing and not standing no more . Shame on you for getting salty with our comments when your " teacher" is full of Sh*t! Razz on that , I have a picture of me when I was 17 , ripping a Dead Elm apart with a Manila rope , taught line hitch and a mini mac home lite, dust n my eyes from the chuck n duck getting creamed by the dead Elm . Your Instructor is not your teacher and you with your attitude is why you need to be told . Have You ever climbed a Dead Elm ? Just one , Razz me ? have you you ? has he ? Razz me ???? Treebuzz is your new instructor! been there done that !
 
All climbers have been surprised by what they find inside a stem when they whack it. Doing horizontal dissections is a good way to learn about trees. Pay attention there is a lot to learn up there. Learn that coming down and going home is the most important lesson.
 
I took down a large dead elm by throwing my throwline, pulling up my rigging rope, tying it off and putting it on the grc or my truck depending on the angle of the leads and the pull requireds. We broke out the top leads and then dropped the trunk. no climbing involved.

That was a very dead elm though and I dont think anyone here would have wanted to climb it.
 
Riggs, Timberjack- I've climbed hundreds of dead elms too. That doesn't mean I know anything about wood science. Sometimes it meant that I was ignorant enough to do it.

I say that dead elm trees are very dangerous and should be climbed with caution after my experience. You shouldn't attack or call his instructor dumb for imparting his knowledge. He may or may not know his stuff about climbing, but he likely knows about wood. Which is important.

I hate when you all jump on a young climber and give him/crap about a real question.

If you don't know if it is safe to climb, Chep, assume the worst and change your plan accordingly!
 
Ya I wasn't jumping or dumping on anyone. Just having a laugh. I'm sure his instructor has passed along great knowledge to thousands of young professionals. I guess my sense of humor is just a bit to much for some.
 
Dmn Riggs what are you doin takin snorts of moonshine before you post? I dnt think I'm ever that intense, but thats probably because I spent too much of my time at 17 smokin hemp instead of climbin it. His professor could still know more than a lot of folks on here about trees without ever having subjected his body to the extreme effects of gravity. Not saying he knows more than you, dont know you from Adam. You are member number 24 so you have been hanging here for a while and probably are a great climber. There are more sciences than arboriculture.
 
That is the problem with young climbers today ! I'm just exposing It . What kind of sensitive generation of climbers are we breeding ? I've been there done that , tough job get tough skin . Thats all . Equipment is only going as far as the land lets it , than what ? ask the saw mill guy ? Please ! And high climber , take the time to look at my member number and than suggest I smoke Hemp , well my name isn't High climber30(good sh*t?) , what are you smoking ? To say, don't climb a dead Elm is a a major subject , I apologize for taking my snorts of moonshine , which I'm sure you thought of but couldn't get in the shed . Climb a dead Elm , just one , I bet he doesn't die . I'll put money on it . His Professor and I can sit down and have a beer , and invite the sawmill man too , and you high and allmighty climber can stop by also . With out a doubt . I'm sick of this sensitive young climber generation . Cut that tree down please , My God ! Yeah it's dead ! Why do you think we're taking it down ? Cripe ....Get up there , cut it ! Jeezzuz....HA ! Love it , almost as much as the stump grinder backing up to the tree that couldn't be climbed ! put that in your pipe and smoke it high climber , where is soberclimber when we need him? ohhhhh, loading boards at the saw mill ? I knew it !
 
Never said you smoked anything Riggs. Just playin on words about your manilla climbing days. And yes, if I could have found my way into the shed I would have stolen all the moonshine. Just sayin you are intense, still sayin that. Feel free though, doesn't hurt my feelings. Still think its cool if our friend thinks his professor was a good guy, even if neither one of them ever want to climb a dead elm. I don't think the buzz version of R. Lee Ermie screeming at him to get his candy arse up there is going to help him learn anything. Of course that's just my drug addled brain trying to be rational.
 
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