Lessons learned while climbing at 20deg F.

blablabla, humper.....

While I agree, and almost never gaff living trees, there are times when it's justifiable:

A conifer with limbs too small and high to get a safe line set (if you want to risk your life, come on out and climb this rare tree for us, eh!)

A conifer in the woods, where its value is less than a landscape tree. I gaffed everything for 15 years and never saw a tree die from it. (or any tree, for that matter, in the woods.)

A thick barked tree....though there is is some evidence from as study that gaffing bark alone can cause some damage.

Conditions such as Pat described...dead limbs, overcast donditions making it hard to determine a safe line set, worry over getting cold while rope setting and climbing (I'm a wimp too, realtively speaking, and have to agree with Pat.)
 
What he said, Rog.

I was looking at the image he provided. Not a conifer, the conditions are what they are and it's been many years since Galileo first looked through an optical device to enhance his ability to see distant objects. How about a pair of binoculars in that well stocked kit? Then the TIP could be evaluated. A dead limb with a good branch collar can serve well where the line is set around the live limb or main stem.

During my apprenticeship training we had to get up and down a tree of similar description without spurs. Not easy at 5F, overcast and windy in Jan.

It's all a matter of training and the environment your use to.


I think it's got more to do with the hurry up, git 'er done attitude. The standard is no spikes on live trees so why not strive to achieve that and master it, instead of justifying a limitation on your abilities?
 
Hit -36 with windchill on Tuesday. Kinda rough climbing a oak in that cold with three to four inches of snow on the limbs. Lots of gloves,proper clothes,hardy soul, and positive mind gets you though the day!
 
I am disappointed in the usual barrage of support for pruning with spurs! Sorry, no good reasons exist. If you can't do it safely without, get an education...or a bucket truck. Chances are you'll find someone around the buzz who can give you a clue. Oh,and Nails,if I see you pruning in spurs anywhere near Madison, I will yell derogatory comments at you from the truck. Please don't hack the trees that I will have to remove thanks to you. If find "safety" an inadequate excuse. If it's "too cold" to prune safely without spikes, stay home. There are no good reasons to use spikes to prune trees, just climbers with limited skills! Really tired of trying to learn something on this site and having low-ballers make excuses for bad practice. No excuses, no whining! And it's winter, get over it.
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I did a job the same way a few weeks ago. A guy needed a HAM radio antenna strung up a big tulip, about 80 feet up. THe tree was covered in ice, i used spikes...never spiked anythign that wanst coming down before, so I dont feel so bad.
 
sorry happyclimbing but some of us don't get to go home if the weather is crappy.
I climb in the middle of the storms to get the power back on. If I have half of a maple split out on 13.2kV during 50mph wind gusts in the middle of an ice storm (in the dark no less!). you can bet you booty that the hooks are coming out!
When you have 85 thousand outages you have to make compromises.

I understand that you might not be educated on how line clearance works. until you work in the the belly of the beast. I find your view a little narrow on this subject.

I know that some people are thinking that it is crazy to work in those conditions, but we have a job to do for the people that need power.

Whats more important a tree or someones grandma on dialysis?

Happy I do respect you a great deal but nothing is ever black and white brother!

so now I must go out once more into the night, I've been out for 32 hrs working and the wind is picking back up. along with my boss calling me back to the Truck.
 
This thing was about lessons learned while climbing at 20deg f. I would say the lesson was do not post pix if you have hooks on.
 
Climbing in the conditions described in mattmanns post is totally different than what was originally posted. Climbing a 40 ft maple in the snow probably should have been top roped. The original poster was not trying to get the power back on for grandma's dialysis.
 
I also accept the fact that line clearance out of buckets reach is all spikes anyways ... just the way things are ...I was thinking preservation specimen or removal not inclusive of power companies responsibities nor emergency repairs ... my bad ...
 
Hey happy was the one who was drawing the line. I got a little pissy when the "education" comment was thrown in there.

altissimus. we are not allow to spike live trees as per the PUD. I don't get to use buckets much. I suspect that you have never done my job or you wouldn't come with that very general assessment of line clearance trimmers.

sorry if I hijacked this thread.
 
Hey Matt ! you are right I have never done your job ... I am basing my assesments upon the common practices by Davey / Ashplundh in my area .... they do spike everything not reachable by bucket ... unless the landowner specifically requests otherwise .... so it goes in the Greens ...
 
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This thing was about lessons learned while climbing at 20deg f. I would say the lesson was do not post pix if you have hooks on.

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A very astute observation.




SZ
 
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