Winter operations

Jeff said:
Saw those horrid temp's on Whiteface's website the other day and wondered if you were patrolling, Frash. That's the funny part about this thread: Everyday it's too cold, windy or snowy to do treework, I go skiing. The boss knows that, but hasn't totally connected the dots yet. ("Let's call off, it's too cold to be out in that today. I'm going skiing!") That being said, keeping fingers warm climbing, rigging and running a 200T is MUCH harder than keeping them warm skiing.
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Sooo easier to keep warm skiing...
Patrollers do have warm little buildings strategically located all over the mountain. Nice chairs for napping and plenty of cooking equipment. Hey any time you want to take a ski trip up here let me know. Pm me for more details if interested...that goes for anyone else too. First come first serve on the free passes.
 
So I lied...we worked today in single digits. Started out -4F peaked at 4F finished the day at -4F. Sunny and calm was the savior, and what a glorious day it was.

The job was scheduled a week ago with a power drop and customer took the day off. Scrapped the lz clean of the few inches of snow with the mini...frozen ground is awesome for big removals. 100' white pine 4.5'dbh. Climbed out of the bucket at 60', sent the tops off at about 85'. I actually got pretty warm during the climb. 25 yards of chips later we rolled out as my buddy showed up with a his 40' knuckle boom for the logs. Sweet job, hard to say I'd rather be skiing with a job like this, of course it was not a powder day. Definitely don't make as much money skiing.
 
Sounds like a good day at the office!

Whiteface is a cold mofo, even the name says it! Must be nice living and working in that area. Ive done a few winter camping trips in the High Peaks so I'm definitely a fan.
 
cory said:
Sounds like a good day at the office!

Whiteface is a cold mofo, even the name says it! Must be nice living and working in that area. Ive done a few winter camping trips in the High Peaks so I'm definitely a fan.
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For sure!
"ice face" is another common name for Whiteface
I'm 30-40min East of the high peaks near Lake Camplain. Gorgeous views of high peaks and green mountains in Vt.
I feel blessed...when I was a kid it was our vacation land, relatives live in Saranac Lake. Spent summers and holidays there. Dad was career Air Force, got stationed at Plattsburgh '89, when I entered high school and he retired here. So much to do up here year round if you like outdoors. Not too many pro tree guys either...another blessing, of sorts.
 
cold pic resized.webp cold pic resized.webp Did a Pine rigging job last thurs on a Lake here in N.H. Morning temp was -15 degrees with -35 wind chills. Was fine as long as I kept moving. Wind speed off the Lake was 15-20 mph.

One problem was my eyelashes kept freezing shut. Took this selfie after I got out of the tree and put my Everest Sherpa wool hat back on.
 
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monkeylove said:
What have you guys found for warm climbing gloves?
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:ROFLMAO: That's a good one. We use winter smurf gloves from Ontario glove for climbing but I've been in trees on days so cold my hands stopped working so I had my ground tie on my mitts. For those of you that think pruning in snowmobile gloves sounds like fun, you are wrong.
But as said above pick easier jobs for colder days harder jobs for warmer days and personally whiteout conditions with ice and the plows can't keep up and the ditches are full of cars, I don't want to be driving all over hell's half acre with a chip truck and chipper.
I'd rather be home looking out the window going man that sucks and making a big pot of homemade soup.
 
I kept my Kask faceshield down most of the day, which didn't fog up and kept the wind out of my eyes and also had on a pair of Bugz Goggles for extra protection.

Do they make ANSI approved ski goggles?
 
We do not do tree work during the winter. Weather/temps hard on machines, extended work times, increased chance of injury just to name a few. Also do not want salt/mud/snow/ice on my equipment.
 
50 and rain is portland winter. Or 30-40 and sun. Don't know how you guys do it, I'm grateful for wool. Still working on weaning myself off Hawaii temps, although even in Michigan I wasn't such a hardy fellow, I spent my winters in the gym.
Stay warm you guys.
 
Menchhofer said:
We do not do tree work during the winter. Weather/temps hard on machines, extended work times, increased chance of injury just to name a few. Also do not want salt/mud/snow/ice on my equipment.
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Must be nice...
Of course I can't complain much, we are adapting to work through the winter due to demand. We are the only guys around still going full time. Now with a heated shop big enough for the bucket and chipper, we work days we never could have before. Yea the salt is terrible, next is a pressure wash/spray station inside the shop with a curtain to contain the spray.
 
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A couple of the companies I've been with have shut down for the winter due to lack of work. Come New Years many people are tight for cash and simply can't, or don't want to, pay for something they view as an unnecessary expense at that time. Really, the only companies that stay going year round where I am are doing line clearing. That's not to say there are no jobs, but they trickle in, and the guys are essentially on call for when the boss thinks we can fill a day or two.
 
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