Climbing Lightening Struck Trees.

[tod_k]

I agree with rocky on this one. experience is key in many situations, and real experience not one year 10 times over.

 

[Colin]

A big part of gaining that experience is by pushing yourself into new experiences. Yes, gather as much info as you can beforehand. But when you get in that slightly bigger, slightly deader tree you need to be able to open your concentration to the job at hand and feel the tree. Trust your gut in combination with that you have learned. Study every small variation in the tree. Look at the wood grain after making a cut, remembering how that particular piece reacted when you cut it. LEARN from the tree.

Remember, fear is bred from ignorance. If you are scared it is because you do not understand something. Study the cracks, figure out how it broke and why. Study the areas that didn't break and figure out why. All this will help overcome the fear of the unknown. If you understand the wood, then you cannot fear it. You will become more confident in knowing what will hold and what will break.

I love when I get to remove a new type of tree. I get to compare it to what I already know from previous experience and I also get to observe my own personal theories put into action. I will predict how the wood will react and then study it as I make the cut. When I'm wrong, I try to figure out why I was wrong.

Sorry for babbling. I just really enjoy my work and don't get enough opportunities to share the learning experiences.

 

[Riggs]

Is that tree down yet ?

 

[mrtree]

The tree is staying put for now, I have loads of work to do, been offered lots more by a friend, and the Hurricane, while not much more than a storm in Ontario, has created a bit of work. We had rain for about 8 hours yesterday and a couple of big gust but that is it. I also need to put off work for a day or two as the storm has likely dragged seabirds along with it. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario likely contain species I would like to see (the listing bug takes over from the money bug on days like this).

Michael

 

[Squirrel]

everyone in the tree world is an expert it seems, but right or wrong I think Didjon meant well. Mrtree you do have a good point, it is hard to learn w/o asking questions. I think discouraging that here as in most situations would do more harm than good, I think that is the point of this site. noone knows everything about trees, except mother nature so you fellers (pardon the pun) put on some gloves afore stepping into the ring j/k

 

[Squirrel]

rocky,
You always have some interesting input on the climbing postsand it is great to read the passion about trees in your words but I would like to add some of my opinions. sometimes someone is scared because they should be and discretion is the better part of valor, blah blah blah. After all the examination of the treethere is a fine line tween ignorance/unknown risk and pride/overconfidence in removing dangerous trees and you have to know where you are on that continuum or it could be your last removal!!!! You can't figure out how it broke if youre laying on the ground bleeding after riding the tree down ...it is 5 am 0n saturday and I can't sleep so pardon me if I say something "wrong". in this situation I sometimes have what I feel like are amazing thoughts of genius that later seem not so sharp( a few have been pretty amazing)...it is time to try to sleep I have eaten my turkey for the triptofan and will continue the insomniatic experiment.