hey treebuzz,
Matt and I flew out to California.
The main reason was to work on a Eucalyptus tree removal and have it filmed with using the XRR slings.
I thought; what would be a really large specie of tree to show the XRR slings in action on?
Why,….. a Euc of course.
California views them as a nuisance and an invasive specie.
I think they are beautiful and would cherish such a tree, but maybe I don’t know enough about them.
Anyway it was quite an experience.
I looked at it from the ground and thought, ah, big deal, looks shaped like a big silver maple and bark like a sycamore.
Then I was told several cautions by several people:
1. The wood is extremely heavy.
2. They can be under a lot of tension and barber chair.
3. They don’t follow hinge wood well and often pop.
4. They are prone to limb drop.
5. Spikes often slip on them.
6. They are so slippery, the rope can slip off.
Well in hind sight, it would have been smarter to view someone roping down a Euc first. I would have learned a lot from that.
Also, we all say start low and slow, right?
So, why did I jump into an unknown specie and jump into a fairly large tree?
Well, because this was my one Euc and I wanted an experience and show off the XRR slings I suppose.
Anyway, it was hard to figure out the hinge wood properties and weights.
It was SO different than any tree I have ever worked with.
I’d take off little two inch diameter limbs with my handsaw to get them out of the way and strain a bit to hold onto the weight.
The weight was unreal.
That night after the removal, I called Jerry Beranek up and said, “Jerry, the wood was unbelievably heavy”. He said, “yeah, it is actually heavier than water. The logs sink in water”.
Can you believe that!!!! That’s crazy!!!
After lunch, the tree company asked if they could put a climber up on the other side since it was such a big tree. I said yes and welcomed the opportunity to watch a pro that was familiar with the specie.
I picked up a few things from him by watching what it could handle and I began to learn the specie better and be more confident.
I was tired, (especially since I didn’t have our wraptor ) but it was a really fun day that I’ll never forget.
The XRR slings complimented the rigging and maybe even saved my butt on a log that I took that was really big.
They had me use 7/8” rope the whole time and it was wet from the rain the day before. 7/8” rope, wet, in a 125 to 130 tree kicks my butt!
Here are some still pictures and a video will follow. I’ve been working on a editing a proffessional XRR video for almost two days now and will work through tonight, I’m just taking a break to post this.
Oh, thank you so much Bixler for joining us and filming.
These still pictures are from him.
I really respect the Euc guys. A long day of Euc tree removal is a tiring day.
