- Location
- Austin, TX
It seems I have to relearn this lesson every year. I drink gallons of water a day, rest more than in cool weather, and in general manage my exposure to the heat most of the summer. Then, one day, it sneaks up on me.
The other day, it was a big Shumard removal. I had the brush and half the wood on the ground by lunchtime, was left with the trunk and one spar about 60' tall. Quickly got into 24" diam logs, so I was using a bigger saw than normal and spending several minutes before each cut to set up the rigging. Of course, there was no shade left and the heat index was well above 100*F. My shirt and the top half of my jeans (and even the contents of my wallet) were soaking wet from sweat. About halfway down, I realized I was getting overheated, but I talked myself out of going staight down. Two cuts (and maybe 20 minutes) later, I finally faced reality and descended. I drank even more water, sat in the shade, and felt better. But all evening and on through the weekend, I was barely able to do anything other than sleep, and stayed somewhat nauseated a good part of that time.
Fortunately, I never reached the "heat stroke" stage, but this was yet another wakeup call. Listen to your body when it tells you it is too hot. You can always come back and finish the job later, unless you drop dead.
keith
The other day, it was a big Shumard removal. I had the brush and half the wood on the ground by lunchtime, was left with the trunk and one spar about 60' tall. Quickly got into 24" diam logs, so I was using a bigger saw than normal and spending several minutes before each cut to set up the rigging. Of course, there was no shade left and the heat index was well above 100*F. My shirt and the top half of my jeans (and even the contents of my wallet) were soaking wet from sweat. About halfway down, I realized I was getting overheated, but I talked myself out of going staight down. Two cuts (and maybe 20 minutes) later, I finally faced reality and descended. I drank even more water, sat in the shade, and felt better. But all evening and on through the weekend, I was barely able to do anything other than sleep, and stayed somewhat nauseated a good part of that time.
Fortunately, I never reached the "heat stroke" stage, but this was yet another wakeup call. Listen to your body when it tells you it is too hot. You can always come back and finish the job later, unless you drop dead.
keith
