Windfirming in the snow

[Gord]

Video of some windfirming (pruning and topping trees to reduce blowdown along logging cutblocks.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EU5a99uhP8

 

[treewill]

Dude that was AWESOME! Personally I hate working on those goddamn spindly second-growth firs, you got stones!

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

Gord, what are you using to protect your rope from sap? Is that some sort of fire hose material?

 

[Gord]

Jamin it's just 2" tubular webbing that I stitch an old aluminum ring to the end of so it can be retrieved with a screwlink. It lasts a good while, eventually it wears through but the webbing only costs 3$ or so. You can melt the ends or just let them fuzz up, either works fine.

Will if you dislike swaying trees this is a great gig to get over it! Sometimes it's easy to get a little over comfortable, "Hmm just how much lean is OK?" I've seen skinny firs like this bend to almost 45 degrees (the top anyways) in a windstorm, then return to vertical, but it's still unnerving to have them actually bend under your body weight.

 

[machupicchu]

This video is indeed totally rad. Skinny fir tops are unnerving but they have so much strength in tension it would take a heavy climber and a lot of wind to break. Would totally love to pick up some work where traversing is a must to stay productive.

 

[tcsafety]

Waaay cool.
Everytime the wind blew the snow in your face or it was knocked off a branch on you I felt it. Still, sign me up!

 

[Rickytree]

Great video! lots of work there I see. Who makes the grapple and what size was the rope that it was attached with.