Seattle Stormin 2006

Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

The Seattle Post Intelligencer has an article about tree management by the power company. A public comment page allows people to give their opinion about how the municipality runs it's tree trimming program.

The article, with photos is here.

The City Council did indeed cut the amount of tree program money in the mayors new budget. Too bad.

I saw dozens of Asplundh's crew members attend a training workshop in Tacoma last month. The corporate policy is to improve the level of service.

I would love to see arborists abandon, cold turkey, the use of spikes on pruning jobs.

Education about advanced rope climbing methods will give the employees the ability to toss a throwline, pull up a rope, and climb the rope, protecting the tree. This would be the single most productive step in the advancement of our craft.
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Yeah, they're nice pics but I guess I'm the only one who hates to side-scroll back and forth to read posts?
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Sorry, Glens, It's too late to edit the post containing one offending pic, the pano sunset shot.

Mark, I surely will ask the guys if they met ya. I was hoping Charlie Wagner was on his way out, but heard there was a death in the family, and he's stuck in Minn or Wis helping out the family tree business.....
 

Attachments

  • 68616-LG1H3145_resize.webp
    68616-LG1H3145_resize.webp
    23 KB · Views: 91
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

[ QUOTE ]
I like that braced tree picture.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ive often thought of doing that on tres on houses if I couldnt get the crane in. looks like it wirked great
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

It did, allmark, but without the two trees that we rigged for holding it, we would have had to painstakingly cut off little pieces while gingerly balanced on it (or had side guys) We removed the jack before cutting it off the stump. But it was the lifesaver, as we didn't have enough cranking power due to line angles to lift the log much. We could have used mechanical advantage by adding blocks had we needed to.
 

Attachments

  • 68661-LG1H3030.webp
    68661-LG1H3030.webp
    105.9 KB · Views: 104
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

That article is nonsense, mostly. Quoting two companies that are pretty much clueless didn't help. Besides, no non union companies are allowed to do line clearance work. There were several comments to the article that made a lot more sense than her opening negative remarks and quotes from STC and WTE... The later rebuttals by the utilities were reasonable and accurate. Talking about utility policies that require us to call for assistance when tree parts are within 10 feet was irrelevant to the storm story. As well, the underfunded budgets of late probably didn't lead to a lot more downed lines, as the wind and wet ground meant many trees simply toppled.

Sure, training line clearance workers to climb gaffless would be great, but most of their work is bucket accessible.
 

Attachments

  • 68679-AndyD70roostertail1w.webp
    68679-AndyD70roostertail1w.webp
    161 KB · Views: 88
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Used it once to take a tree off a house, and right a stump. We have a downed 1500 bf fir to get off a house (barely on the house...see earlier pics) and skid uphill with their skidsteer.

One of my self loader guys told me he helped out a tree service a bunch. took several off houses. righted them then the company accessed the trees with their bucket truck. Once, they had to climb out of the bucket to finish the tree while he held it...!! ballsey!!

Here's pics from yesterday's monster fir....110 footer, about 54" on the butt, 20 yards of chips= abt 11000 lb, 2000 lb of limb wood, possibly 30-45,000 of trunk weight. Limbs up to 10 inches. 5-10 degree lean, cracked asphalt from root plate heaving. A few days ago, I'd set a 1/2 inch spectra line in it and guyed it to a large cedar behind the lean. Took it out to do the work as it would have gotten in the way and been a major hassle--as it was on the first tree that Matt climbed for me.
345067628_fa4c6458b9_o.jpg
ole butterfingers had dropped his micropulley.
345067728_35f1b4a3c6_o.jpg

I got pulled up with lifeline set in pulley on end of lowering line. easiest way of all to access the canopy!
345067764_eb00c27e98_o.jpg

I'm at about 50 feet in this pic. From there up, I have to drop the wood onto a slight slope, so will have to employ a vertical speedline to ensure the pieces stay put and don't take out the neighbor's yard and structures. gonna be a real pain to rig...will need a tag line to tip the sections over, they're huge. From there down, I have room to drop a 47 foot butt log across the driveway. Extremely tight fit to get the log truck in the alley with two 90 degree turns, then snake out the log while he's facing the wrong way. but it'll save firewooding what I guess will be 2000-3000 board feet.
345067845_3e95376fba_o.jpg
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Roger, please avail yourself of a dialup connection and try loading one of your side-scrolling threads.
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Seem to fit what? Your bandwidth and window size? How about just giving us the links?
If/when your image hosting site goes belly up those images will not show up here any
more anyway. Maybe best would be to put them in a zip file and attach that here for
posterity and/or viewing pleasure for those who choose to do so.
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Mark,
Matt showed up on Friday afternoon, so he saw about half of your prentation that day. I think I remember him going up and asking you a question after. (see attachment-Matt and Jonah) I don't remember seeing Aaron there.
 

Attachments

  • 69365-PICT0195.webp
    69365-PICT0195.webp
    356.8 KB · Views: 92
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

Vertical speedline employed to ensure the sections of the big fir (a few posts above) stayed put.


A couple shots were blurry, as I had to help Steve on the pull line while trying to aim a 4 pound DSLR...the pieces were short, leaned a bit, and hard to leverage over. Plus, Scott had never done vert speedline, and had trouble making the cuts with the sling in the way..and the huge knots.....

356985232_bf33d45abc_o.jpg

356985790_cde727e466_b.jpg

I had a couple wraps on the PW, and just let it do its thing as I was taking photos. Here the piece is still moving...
356985728_b302bc1979_o.jpg

356985500_5987ce7a6d_o.jpg

356985304_1ae71d3750_o.jpg

356985406_83f87b7198_o.jpg


I dropped the 48 foot butt log into a 47 foot space, just grazing a bush, and passing 10 feet from the old house corner. It was a nervous moment, as I'd made my backcut under the face...I'd chained the butt to itself to reduce bounce and forward movement. Had an old 3/4 inch line on the leaning stem, and Butch eased it over with the log truck. The 990 board foot 24 foot butt log was culled due to metal, but i called the log buyer and he graciously credited me full price on it!! Even the second very rough log only suffered minor scale deductions! It was tough for the log truck to lift the logs over the 15 foot tall bushes....
 
Re: Pacific NW storm (2006)

A NW style self loading long logger, capable of hauling 60 foot logs, and 6000 bd feet. Just two bunks, one on the tractor, one on the trailer, min. length to make bunk =20 feet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New threads New posts

Back
Top Bottom