climbing live trees with spikes

Yes but if u have a big shot a tall ladder and the will power of a squirrel it doesn't take much longer. You have to develop a technique that works for you
 
I guess getting up to a spot isn't much problem it's more maneuvering around the tree and also inching up to the tips that slows me down especially a tree that most of the limbs are almost straight up and really no small branches to grab or step my way up on
 
Get competent with a throwball, start climbing SRT, get a Rope Wrench and a HAAS and embrace the miracle that is at-will redirects. For those really spread out trees with no laterals and bad TIP's I'll run a second tie in off my tail. I can prune a tree WAY faster spikeless. I hate spikes. Even when doing removals I usually brush out a tree before putting them on for spar work.
 
Because when you prune with spikes, you slowly but surely kill the tree. Kind of defeats the purpose of pruning. Our pruning should aim to increase the longevity of a tree rather than reduce it. In order to do that, we need to follow best practices as current research into tree biology understands them. We need to keep up to date on that research because we are always learning new things. But currently, we know some things not to do. Spiking live trees is on of them. Odis Sisk has a short and sweet list as to why you shouldn't spike.
http://globaltreepreservation.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/spiking-trees/
 
No problem. This forum is an incredible learning opportunity. Being in rural Wyoming I tend to be fairly isolated from others doing quality tree care and the Buzz helps me keep up to date. The more we can network and educate, the better our industry will be.
 
Out here in N.C. There's still a decent amount of old schoolers that will still spike to prune. Same guys that you see still topping trees for uninformed people. It's really sad. Bad thing is a lot of these "tree guys" and clients are very set in, and even proud of their ignorance. Trying to share up to date knowledge backed by study is a lot of times likened to selling ice to Eskimos if you get my drift. o_O
 
here is a trick i use to inch my way up awkward leaders that might be too steep to do a conventional limb walk and no favorable TIP to be able to position myself with 2 climb lines:

take a 1" loop runner, (i argue every climber should go into the tree with at least 2 or 3 on their saddle cause they are so damn useful for holding cut pieces, redirects, etc) and put it around your feet. I keep the 2' and 3' lengths on my saddle all the time, so i just double it up to make an approx 12" loop, next put a half twist in the loop, so it looks like a figure 8, and put a foot into each loop, with the crossover happening between your feet. with proper body position, you can press your feet against the trunk, the loop runner keeping your feet together, and inchworm your way up, when you get good at it you can find the sweet spot for loop length so it will actually cinch onto the wood giving you a secure work position.

you work your way up the leader by hopping your feet up, then flip up your lanyard and then repeat (kinda like spiking). it sure helps for those really awkward spots where you have few other options.

i can post pictures if anyone wants to see what i am describing.

-Steven
 
around here theres all kinds of people using spurs get in get out an make top dollar that's all they care about an there too lazy too set a climbing line the only time i use spurs when trimming is when I have too remove a big limb over a house an once on that limb I thro my spurs on to remove that limb an when I make my finish cut I take the spurs off an make my finish cut
 
woodchucker said:
around here theres all kinds of people using spurs get in get out an make top dollar that's all they care about an there too lazy too set a climbing line the only time i use spurs when trimming is when I have too remove a big limb over a house an once on that limb I thro my spurs on to remove that limb an when I make my finish cut I take the spurs off an make my finish cut
Click to expand...
nothing wrong with that. done it many times
 
Ironically, I just came off of a site visit today where the HO's trees had been spiked. This property would probably appraise for about 2 million dollars currently... I know who had been working there, as one of the neighbors (my client) had previously told me, just as an aside before she referred the client to us. Anyway, we walked the whole property, and later today I emailed her a proposal for two days' work (the trees have never actually been pruned, just spiked with huge low leads taken off). She replied that the cost was ALOT more than she expected, and that she would have to "Get some other prices." I politely suggested that she make sure that she compare apples to apples when price shopping. She'll probably hire this hack to come back and spike her trees again. Argh! Vent over.

-Tom
 
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