Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-takedowns

[southsoundtree]

Just found my camera, so took some pictures of some Doug-fir removals. The trees have grown up to the point of shading the large garden for the last several years, so the HOs wanted more light. These were in the 100'+ range, maybe up to a hundred and teens, possibly. The homeowners wanted drop and leave service. They'll cut the logs up for firewood for there country house and little guest cabin, and wood-fired hot tub, and sauna. Easy work, no targets below, no rigging, not clearing out the brush. Wish it were this easy everyday.

In 1996 there was a terrible ice storm 'round these parts. Trees breaking everywhere. Sounded like gunshots, from accounts. The wife sas in bed and her son came in scared, crawled in with mom. The thought occurred to her that maybe they should be under the oak table. Within minute of that movement, the top came out of the tree next to the house, smashed throught the skylight and impaled the bed.
We removed this one about two weeks ago, as it was hanging over the house, with longer and longer limbs over the skylight, growing out into the opening in the canopy formed by the house, and a questionable top regrown. We speedlined all the limbs away from the house, and blocked down the trunk. Then a sketchy hazard willow removal, about 65 degrees, rot, leaning toward the house over the shed.
Today was a easy contrast.


About 45' up.

After dropping the top, about 90+'.

 

[southsoundtree]

Used the adjustable friction saver/ false crotch on the way up and down. Very nice. Easy lowering, no spiking down, easily retrieved, hitch (knut) with micropulley would tend itself when pulling AFS down and resetting.
AFS protects against being squashed if the tree barberchair and the flipline is tight.

I've rarely had luck retrieving the Buckingham AFS from the ground when choking the spar, using an overhand stopper knot. Anyone know the best knot to use to retrieve when back on the ground after lowering off the spar?

 

[Colin]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

the yellow plastic retrieval ball that sherril sell for like $3.50. it makes life so much easier.

 

[southsoundtree]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Thanks for the retrieval ball tip, Jeff. I'd thought those were for other Friction saver/ False Crotch systems.

 

[Gord]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

The right sized screwlink with a bit of throwline tied on works well.

That size of fir is always nice to work with, I'm a bit of a pseudotsuga connoisseur...

 

[emr]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Old throwball ring and some sting tied into a prusic with the ring inside.

Cool pics, I like that last on the best.

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

[ QUOTE ]
the yellow plastic retrieval ball that sherril sell for like $3.50. it makes life so much easier.

[/ QUOTE ]

I made my own from some stuff at a hardware store

 

[Northwind]

sst,

Nice pics, What a Pipe!

For retieval, I have a washer that I coated with heat glue so I can use it on alloy bits with no chance of "sparks". I tie it on with a tiny prussic made from a strip of rawhide shoelace.

Northwind

 

[blacktopp]

i use a bural growth from a maple tree, they make just the right sized ball, then i drilled a hole through it and used some throwline

 

[zaphod1798]

3.50 will buy an entire bag of balls at any craft store. drill a hole and use old throwline. paint any color you wish!

 

[Colin]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

the only thing about all that is if something gets hung up and you have to go to jerkin n jumpin on the rope to free it, another climber at the company i used to work for cut his splice with throw line, the crap on the little yellow ball will break before it cuts. the ball is nylon you can't tear it up with a hammer. one of my groudies and i had to do a little jumping on the rope to get the fs off a small sucker my splice was unharmed neither was the little yellow ball.

 

[southsoundtree]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Just wanted to share some pics of some more bigger PNW trees. Western Red cedar with a lot of heart rot, open cavities, many tops, over a house with full glass front walls. 100+'. The largest tree is about 3' dbh. When the house was built, the HOs built a tree well around the trees. They are now growing over the top of the wall (sideways). If you look closely, you can see some of the woodpecker holes in one picture (maybe the first??).

All drop and leave. No real access out of the rear yard. A big slope down to Capitol Lake on the HO property. All just getting chucked down the hillside to be recycled.

I'd hoped to use the spar pole to rig everything away from the house. I topped it just below a large tear-out of the now-gone co-dominant top. Spar pole just didn't end up being as tall, so I'll have to climb the remaining trunks to a pretty high point.
In retrospect. I could have still used the below-the-tearout rigging point, with a higher TIP above the tear-out. I didn't want to use an above the tear-out rigging point. Would have given a better angle of dangle for the other tops which are one well rotted trunks. Should be exciting next week.

The HO is gutting the 55 year old house. He has already had an previously unmet neighbor come up to reprimand him for the removals. HO said that part of why he wanted to hire me was my CA credential. HO told the neighbor what and why. I suggested he just put a chunk of rotted log in the front yard next to his construction dump truck while he remodels. Should stop people from thinking that he just wanted a clear-cut view of the lake. Still lots of trees. Just didn't have a picture of the view. We'll go back next week when the wind is calm.

I'll get some pics of the rot and view.

 

[speelyei]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

I love those western reds. I love the way the truck smells after chipping 'em, the way the gear all smells after climbing 'em. I can get a real rash from them, though.

 

[speelyei]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

I like the pic of the top coming down, too.

here's a pretty good sized top I took the other day:

these were trees that were topped to create specific habitat as part of a USFS project, thus the weird mace-like stubs. They provided a handy perch, since I didn't wear spurs.

 

[southsoundtree]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Speelyei-

Nice top drop.

Where are you doing those snag creations?

I'd looked into doing some up here, near Olympia, but didn't persue. It looked a bit complicated logistically. Didn't know if it would be profitable. Surely nice with no clean-up or equipment needs.

Were you not wearing spurs per the contract, or just because?


Thanks for adding in a picture to the thread.

 

[speelyei]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

these were done on the central coast of oregon.

All the other spurs were being used, but it's no big deal. These were really easy to climb, limbs everywhere, and those stubs make dandy perches.

There is more of this kind of work out there than I thought, but these trees were done as a pro-bono training project inter-agency. I have looked at the specs for bidding on these jobs though. The topping or felling is only about 50% of the work, or less. Interpreting the specs, marking, documenting, and cataloging is the real head scratcher. I'd be happy to share the info I've got with you, if you decide to go for it.

 

[southsoundtree]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Weather has cleared. Wind and rain gone yesterday, so we were able to get everything down to the stumps. Finished this morning. Three of us on day one, two on day two, and two of us for a little finish-up this morning.

There was a tree well built around these trees at some point a long while ago. House was put in in the 1950's, can't say about the wall. HO want to backfill over the stumps with soil to extend the useable yard. Deal way that we'd cut the stumps as low as the wall, as best possible. We were mostly done, but he decided that he didn't need to write a check and would run to the bank. This left us some extra few minutes, so I worked the stumps down lower. I figured that if I crosscut the stumps as close to the wall as I could, then I could use a splitting maul to break them free, without risking hitting the wall. Worked out well. He was extra happy and wouldn't let us head out before asking about more work. Another satisfied customer.

Double cutting with a 28" bar. Largest trunk was about 36" in narrower dimension. Kinda pulled an unplanned "chimney" move between the spar being cut and the other trunk in order to cut the first half of the backcut because there was nothing to stand on. I was wedge in, and in position to cut, before I really realized how I was positioning myself. Funny.

Happy HO.

Final stumps ended up below the wall, ready for a lot of long wheelbarrowing of soil, then there's the 12 stairs down. It'll be good for them. They'll enjoy their yard more, knowing how many buckets it took to fill over the stumps.

 

[Roger_Barnett]

Re: Pictures of some relatively tall DougFir-taked

Nice work, Sean!