Let's Tackle a Dead'un

Whoa...

One tip when using a neighboring tree as a tie in- dont keep tension on your climb line; instead, like Treezybreeze said, stay close(er) to the trunk, focus your movements in the vertical plane as much as possible, and don’t let your climb line put side pull on the stem you’re attached to. Also be careful not to drop any limbs on your horizontal climb line (that was an exciting ride).

When tying from an adjacent tree, I prefer a base anchor for the added rope elongation in case the worst happens.

Rarely have I rigged a dead tree from itself. When I have, rings all the way.

I really like this thread. Thanks Nora!
 
Frax - yes I saw you were from Cowtown - had the brains to get out of the oil and gas business - good on ya. I stuck it out way, way too long (in EHS and process safety) watching the guys on the top floor getting fat bonuses, while human remains departments announced more massive layoffs - we were Exxon-cuted?).
Had a mother on one of the kids soccer teams I coached years ago talk about how she had left oil and gas accounting and had opened a wine store with a friend - she was amazed at how friendly and pleasant people were when they bought some wine, had a wonderful evening with friends and came back to the store for more of her recommendations. As I find most of the folks I have worked for, helping them with their trees. It is therapeutic!
I digress. Sorry.
Steve, that tree trunk experienced bending moment - big time - as the top section was felled with a hinge? That was outstanding! Thanks. Stay safe out there.
 
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I’m pretty sure that climber expected that but still had to change his drawers! Was that a high line or two independent climbing systems?
 
Frax said:
How did that crucial instruction get missed?

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In my mind/experience, a spiral wrap could stop a top without the ground guys pulling on it. Thats a lot of surface area in contact with parts of a tree that are in variable states (bark loosening, catchy stubs, smooth outer sapwood). I'm not acquainted with this climber and his death, so I defer to others about what happened.
 
Frax said:
How did that crucial instruction get missed?

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It's a natural response for a new or infrequent groundie, during top popping. It's the first negative block of the day. The piece drops double the distance between the block and the half hitch. During that time, the groundie is comparing it to the previous limbs that caught right away, so there is dissonance. Right when they can't last any longer and start to grab the rope, the piece starts to weigh in to the rigging system, causing the groundie to clamp down more. It's multiple factors at work.
 
theatertech87 said:
I think August hunickie suggested it in one of his videos, but slice/slash cut the top too minimize lateral forces as the top comes free

The obvious use another tree as a tie in, even if the rope angle is poor, something as a back up is always better than nothing. Floating anchors spanned between adjacent trees will help get a better angle

Kind of cruel, but smaller lighter guys put less forces on the tree than bigger folks. Same goes for more experienced climbers that don't shake and bounce as much as they move around. This also applies to people who climb frequently vs people who are capable corners but spend most of their time in a bucket

Lastly it's ALWAYS ok to pass on doing it
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I think the force of the wind is much more operative than the weight of a climber. I don't think climber weight figures in unless the wood is small or the tree is at a substantial angle. For the pine in question here, climber weight is negligible until the very top, where @Frax 's lead climbing helps out. The stem axis of a tree is strong, while the axis perpendicular is weak due to rapid sapwood decomposition.
 
All I have to add is to:

1. use adjacent canopies to catch popped tops. Since dead tops are pretty fragile, I'll rig them on vertical speedline or unattended block/ring onto an adjacent tree, or the same tree if it's crown dieback. The amount of collateral damage is minimal, the two times I've done this (11" dead sycamore top onto itself with scratches atop the catching limb, and half of a 10" dead pine top onto an adjacent black cherry with a single 2" branch damaged, and a few 1/2" branches - all pruned).

2. Always use aerial friction device if rigging with friction.

3. When letting pieces fly, cut chunks that are two squares long. They tend to roll less but don't have a long reach. In almost every case, there is some way to let a piece fly rather than rigging it.

4. Tie a dead leaning tree to another tree or two to stabilize it. One tree provides additional support. Two trees can really secure the stability vectors.

5. Walk away, bid high, and/or refer to a company with a lift. I once gave a $10,000 estimate to fell a very dead oak with its lean into a field. It had three large branches overhanging a pole shed (and the sawyer). I didn't care to find out what my saw vibration would do to them.
 
Some interesting ideas about working dead trees that one has accepted for climbing.
Spear cutting is something I've known about awhile, but it scares me. I should put that one back in the mental toolbox though.
In one way, working a dead tree that is judged to be strong enough to climb is safer than some, because the climber is bringing their A game in terms of keeping a clear head and thinking through each work step. Often, accidents seem to cluster where the work is smaller scale and routine and perhaps being done by rote, maybe including shortcuts that have all been done many times before.
In hindsight, the 100' dead pines killed by pine beetle were much safer than the 40' suddenly dead elm that upon looking at the stump properly after climbing it and brushing it out was dead from stem girdling roots. I didn't even appreciate how risky trees with SGR could be until awhile later.

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colb said:
I think the force of the wind is much more operative than the weight of a climber. I don't think climber weight figures in unless the wood is small or the tree is at a substantial angle. For the pine in question here, climber weight is negligible until the very top, where @Frax 's lead climbing helps out. The stem axis of a tree is strong, while the axis perpendicular is weak due to rapid sapwood decomposition.
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I agree. If climber weight is a realistic factor, that tree is not strong enough to climb.

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That Tahune video is still my favorite. He knows what he is doing and has the guts to get it done. He's like the Jedi Master of the tree world.
 
X2 on all the ring comments and I'll raise you a double whip setup. Double ring to Omni block is my go-to for dead Ash tops that need to be rigged.

I've always been curious about vertical speedlines for wood on sketchy trees...
 
therianclimber said:
X2 on all the ring comments and I'll raise you a double whip setup. Double ring to Omni block is my go-to for dead Ash tops that need to be rigged.

I've always been curious about vertical speedlines for wood on sketchy trees...
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I'd never negative block a big dead top or chunk of spar straight to ground on a vertical speedline - too much side loading. But, for dumping it into another canopy it works because it functions to keep it from rolling off onto the target (house, etc.).
 
colb said:
I'd never negative block a big dead top or chunk of spar straight to ground on a vertical speedline - too much side loading. But, for dumping it into another canopy it works because it functions to keep it from rolling off onto the target (house, etc.).
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I wouldn't necessarily negative rig a BIG dead top either. Rig appropriately when rigging is appropriate.

If you send the piece down so the path of travel is close to the spar, side loading should only occur very low on a vertical speedline.
 
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