Some takedown moments

moss

Been here much more than a while
Being a small operator I'm very selective about what takedown jobs I accept. There are many more that I refer to my local crane and bucket capable crews. This one had terrible crane access due to position in relation to the road, a cluster f. of high voltage lines, and big trees in the way that were definitely not an option to take out for crane work access. Once I determine that climber takedown is the way to go I decide whether or not I want to do it.

I've already posted video during this white ash removal. I did it in many sessions over time in between other jobs. Tree had initial EAB infestation in the upper crown but majority of the wood in the tree was sound. Customer elected not to treat for EAB. It was the biggest/oldest ash I've ever been in, equal to five of the typical ash in my area. I was fairly broken-hearted ripping it down. Reality is the ash in my state Massachusetts are currently being destroyed by EAB, the same as what's happened throughout the central and eastern U.S. states.

Customer is keeping all wood and brush onsite. They likely have enough stove wood now for the rest of their lives ;-) They requested that I leave the bottom portion of the trunk and limb ends standing, anything aimed at their house was reduced accordingly.

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Hey @rico and @DSMc , I'm on spikes ;-) Cool that the customer caught the notch chunk falling out. Temperature was 94°f., pretty challenging work conditions. If it was 110°f like the PNW and western Canada is getting I wouldn't be climbing, 10°+ up would make a huge difference.

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Doing some refinements on the remaining tree, customer was very specific about what the various trunk heights should be. Oops, spikeless here, I have my tricks to get strong positioning for the situation when I want to. In the high temps I've been working in I want minimal fighting with the tree, comfort, comfort all the way even if it takes a little longer.

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Someone just had to put a steel "rod"in this piece about 22' above the ground and I had to find it. Not sure what it is, doesn't have a typical nail point. As ice skating super-star Nancy Kerrigan wailed years ago after being beaten on the leg with a club, "Why, why, why?". Grazed along it while cutting a smaller leader, not the usual "hit metal and the bar jumps" scenario. It was a weird vibration and saw feel as the chain shaved the edge of the metal, never had that particular contact orientation before. Chain was massacred of course, I stayed with the cut way too long, blaming it on the heat ;-) The piece is flipped upside down where it landed after I cut just below the metal later.

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Typical saw chip dump

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Beastly

-AJ
 
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