Fiddling around in a lightning struck white pine

[moss]

Working on preserving a lightning struck triple leader white pine. This is documentation of taking out the hung part of a damaged leader. Nothing exciting happened (the best outcome). A good example of the "wait for it" 3-D chess match that can happen in tree work, stay focused and adjust the plan as you gain information during the process.

I'm hesitant to post work videos here because of the after-the-fact armchair quarterbacking that happens next ;-) All good, I've learned a lot from past comments on my fledgling work techniques over the last few years. As a back-up I purchased several yards of thick skin from Paul Didier back when he was offering it.
-AJ

 

[Bucknut]

LOL, I hardly think your work techniques are "fledgling", Moss. As usual, every move is thoughtful and safe. You work a tree like a professional adult rather than taking the "bull in a china shop" approach. Better for all parties involved.

 

[moss]

LOL, I hardly think your work techniques are "fledgling", Moss. As usual, every move is thoughtful and safe. You work a tree like a professional adult rather than taking the "bull in a china shop" approach. Better for all parties involved.

Thx Bucknut! I don't pretend to have the extensive tree work experience many Buzzers have behind them. I care about living so I try to keep questioning what may happen next before I take an action in a tree or on the ground. Sometimes I find out I was more concerned than I needed to be, other times some slightly painful lesson is learned with no harm done.

One thing that I'm noticing these days is the saw is starting to become a tactile extension of my hands as if the nose of the bar has nerves in it. There's a lot of subtlety in handling a saw, more than what a person could learn watching videos etc. The more you use the tool the more it becomes part of you.
-AJ

 

[moss]

It's amazing that larger trees can take a lighting strike (or several) and still stand at all. I've seen smaller trees literally explode from a direct hit

In my experience lightning strikes on a tree take two forms, into the sapwood which essentially superheats any water present and explodes the tree. The other is when the lightning stays on the cambium and destroys a relatively narrow strip down the outside of the tree. In this case the lightning went into the sapwood of the destroyed leader then came out about 20' above the ground and traveled down the cambium of the main trunk. There is some kind of metal hanger on the trunk, that may be what drew the lightning out of the sap wood.
-AJ