possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiing

S

Squirrel

Location
Austin, Texas
I have negotiated the removal of some easy sounding but dead trees at primo ski resort for a snow ski trip(2 rooms and 2 lift tickets. I wanted to ask my cold weather climbing friends here on tree buzz if there is anything I need to know other than dress warm cause I have not been up north much. I need to find out the exact distance to any valuable structures. They sound like cut and drops or even pull overs but if not since they are dead are these cottonwoods going to be a lot more brittle than normal so that I need to block down smaller pieces
 
Hi Mate,Well in my experience of working in the winter here.The properties of the wood don't change to much they seem to become abit more brittle but the internal wood doesn't really seem to freeze up.If roping stuff off I find you have to be a bit more careful setting your hitches as they can slide a bit if the wood is icy.Snatching out I tend to cut steps in the stem to avoid slipping.But Its pretty much as normal.Biggest problem I find is equipment problems.The heat from your hands melts the snow and then you use your binas and prussik and then the water refreezes sticking your binas all the time and turning your prussik into an ice ball.Steel toe caps make your toes cold" Good tip for cold hands sounds silly but it works its a greenlander trick"Take your gloves off and stick your hands in the snow for as long as you can Makes them hurt but after you take them out the body sends loads blood to them and your hands stay warm after that.Strange but true
I hope you like the experience.I'm normally good down to about -16 C after that its not nice to be climbing.
DIdj
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

When wearing cheap leather gloves, and my hands are cold, I grab the exhaust of the chipper for a second or two. It dries the gloves quickly and warms 'em up for a while!

love
nick
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

I won't have my chipper wme but can use something similar. we are taking a chevy blazer or my 4x4 F250 a few saws power pruner, hooks, ropes and winch etc.
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

My 200 T doubles as a hand warmer for me ;)

Bring extra fuel so you can let it run all day- oh yeah, make sure the chain brake is functioning.

Sounds like a neat opportunity though. Good luck.
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

Hinging frozen wood can be different than thawed wood. In late winter this has messed me up a few times. After a cold night we start a takedown in the morning. The wood pops more when frozen. I get used to that then take lunch. By now the wood has warmed up and is more flexible. This has made for a little fun when I expect something to pop and it hinges.

If the trees are dead this won't be an issue.

Working in snow and cold is no different than playing in the same. Just use gear that's a little looser. I bought some snowboard bibs that are the greatest. Cordura knees and seat, pack cloth for the rest. I wrote an article for Arborist News that I can forward if anyone writes off line. If you get a message that my mailbox is full, write back. My server is puking.

Tom
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

Hey Mark,

Yeah it's a good opportunity I think because I told him I was willing to donate 6 hours of my and my friends time so I did not want to commit to any certain amount of these removals until I see them.
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

Hey treebuzzers, i have been back two days from skiing in colorado. It was great and I have a friend in colorado for life I think. The weather was incredible (seemed warm and very little snow on work day where the trees were) but it snowed just in time for my second day boarding as I was learning to carve blues w/o yard sales every 100 yards so I experienced the highly sought powder. I removed about twelve dead cottonwood trees total, all with root rot or some other malady, it took me and a friend about six-eight hours
I only had to climb one of the trees and did almost no cleanup per the agreement. My friend was skiing not boarding much less intensly so I boarded 2 days and then I met a sweetheart and we boarded 2 more days and I got to where i could carve powdered black slopes fairly well and get about 5 feet of air off of small jumps. She is the most fearless female I have ever met and is the female motocross champion in her state. She boarded in a line drive at mach 5 straight down the hill until she hit a bump and had a yard sale or skied into powder or an embankment/snowdrift, and would not heed my suggestions of learning to board toeside.
She could only stop by falling or carving/spraying snow heelside. She could also go down the mountain doing 180's to turn or slow down I am returning to do some pruning in the spring in trade for more snow boarding and skiing and several rooms. I love these two sports and will be looking to buy my own snowboard soon! These kinds of experiences are why I am self employed so I can take off at the spur of the moment. Will send pics if ya'll want to see them.
 
Re: possibly icy tree work in trade for snow skiin

Sounds like fun, Squirrel...only thing is, I feel sorry for ya being so disadvantaged for only having one board strapped to yer footsies......

Here's a shot from Whistler/Blackcomb over TG weekend. I was up with some buds (Some 30 odd of us, part of a club called CAOS, short for "Childlike Adults on Skis")
While some of us were taking a breather, 300 yards from the bottom of the lift, a 100 foot hemlock, losded with 20 inches of fresh dense snow, cracked and gave way onto the run, taking a smaller cedar with it. Luckily no one was closer than us at about 200 feet away.

Just say no to knuckledraggers....lol...




..just kidding..

..kinda

"Ski to die, die to ski"
 

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Tree work in trade for pinned turns

I have a nice trade coming up next week :)

On NYE I fly to Boise to see my sweetie. She's paying for my flight and I have to do some remodeling at her new, for her, house. Some pruning too. I asked her if I could possibly have a day off to go skiing. She wasn't too happy to have me off in the snow but we'll get up to one of the local areas.

I'm looking forward to getting the tele boards out. I'll be bringing the tele, XC skiis and a four foot level in the ski bag :)

Like Pete Donzelli said about tele, "Half the binding, twice the fun!" I'll be thinking of my ski partner while I'm cranking. His lessons will be ringing in my head.

Tom
 
Re: Tree work in trade for pinned turns

Are you planning to hit Bogus Basin, Tom? I've not visited there, but hear it is nice.

I've skiied with many ripping free heelers, one of them was Whit Thurlow. He was #2 at the Crystal Mt ski school for a couple years back in the early 90's. He would rarely go out and teleski, but would go to the World Championships and usually win! A local, Armond Dubuque, designer of the UTB (Ultimate Tele Binding) has notched first descents of the Mowich Face on Mt Rainier, and last summer, the North Face of Mt Hunter, part of the Mckinley massif, Some pics can be found at AT skier Andrew McClean's site, http://www.pawprince.com/index/tripndx.htm. Check out the kite skiing stories, Baffin Island trip, etc.

I've two trades available, with clients and friends who own condos at Whistler and Sun Peaks respectively, for whom I'm doing consulting and tree work.
 
Re: Tree work in trade for pinned turns

My Grandma's maiden name was Bridger..Jim was her second cousin...and is mine, I reckon.

But I've never been to Bridger Bowl, near Bozeman, which is currently closed due to 61 inches in the last 24 hours!!! And it is still dumping. I called two friends, but couldnt get anyone to commit to the 12 hr drive to get there when the area hopefully reopens tomorrow...if the avalanche danger allows. It will be one of the sickest days in history, snorkels a must, lol. But it is cold here and just starting to dump another two feet, we hope. I'll be up there tomorrow.

51 inches at Alta in the last 48 hrs, and 4 feet in California,\; the west is getting pummeled. Three snowboarders missing and presumed dead outside Redford's Sundance Ski Area. They had no avalanche gear.....
 
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