Looking back.....

[Tucker943]

Sometimes I look back on things I did earlier on and thank my lucky stars I didn't get killed. Any of you feel that way? I happened upon these pictures in my computer and was like "What were you thinking?"

This one was pulled up at the roots. Couldn't get a crane or bucket out for it. Rigged it down, rocking and swaying the whole time.


Climbed and rigged above these hollow spots with a hollow base on this beech.




Roped this ash down. Didn't use chains and binders



Roped down both sides of this catalpa with no chains or binders.


Cant change the past, but sure glad with time I learned better ways to handle things. Do many of you look back and wonder how you didn't get killed?

 

[Maximalist]

Tucker, on this particular tree, I can tell you that certainly would use the bucket truck. I'm certainly grateful to destiny for what still alive. During the 27 years spent in the trees there were many cases close to critical.

 

[brendonv]

Jesus, chris.

I remember that leaning tree. Something about a tv show appearance.

 

[stig]

Yes.
I often think about all the humonguous dead elms I took down during DED here.
Not a rookie, but not terribly experienced either and too dumb and stubborn to walk from the worst of them.
Naked crotching on 3 strand, with friction wraps around the trunk.
Only had one or two really close calls, though.
Still can't believe I got through that unscathed.

 

[Maximalist]

We have a saying: "To fall with oak." I confirmed this expression on their own experience. Found this dry oak broke down at the root collar. During the fall of the oak I could throw a chainsaw and jump from a tree. Unfortunately one leg broke ... ((

 

[Tucker943]

Jesus, chris.

I remember that leaning tree. Something about a tv show appearance.

Yes, but the truth is I didn't kill that tree entirely. My hand was sewn up good and completely bandaged at the time and I got to a point where the lack of use of my right hand was making the work a nightmare and someone else finished a bit that was left. It was a historic house owned by Bronson Pinchot from the old sitcom "Perfect Strangers". They were remodeling it and others nearby for a TV show he had on one of the DIY channels. If you notice, the easy side is almost done on that tree and you might go "why did he take out the side to rig off of first?" I was trying to get weight out of it. It sat back up a bit too after that side was out but still moved easily. I used a lift I snagged off the remodeling crew for the trunk wood. At that point, the tree was a lot more stable.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I should have been kilt several times. I don't miss that any!

 

[Altissimus]

...still here...part luck really

 

[Burnham]

Chris, those pics remind me of several times I scolded you...remember?

Yeah, most of us have taken on a shaky one and worse, a time or two. It isn't good to draw water from that well very often, of that I am certain.

 

[Tucker943]

I think I learned how to go about them better. A rough tree is sometimes in the forecast but there's more approaches to handling them then just running up them and getting to work. One tool I never used in the past is setting a suspension line to work off of. A line tied from one tree, and running to another, through or behind the hazard tree. For those times when the nearest tie in tree is too far away to be considered safe to work off of. Stuff like that. Anchoring the hazard tree off in different ways. I never gave a thought to that a few years back. I just ran up and got busy.

 

[Burnham]

Getting smarter, in your old age .

 

[rskybiz]

Looking back.... Did this while away with seeing 4000+ photos of our work and climbs on a new big screen. Yup not sure how I got by earlier in my career.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Always counting my blessings.
I could have learned many times "the hard way" of doing this work.
I am also thankful to many here that have enlightened me in this practice.

 

[pete mctree]

Naked crotching on 3 strand, with friction wraps around the trunk.
Only had one or two really close calls, though.
Still can't believe I got through that unscathed.

Probably why you did survive. I hate using blocks& pulleys on dead trees. Natural crotch rigging helps keep those forces down hugely.

Some good trees there Chris. I'm glad you negotiated them successfully.

I think that the ability to look back & learn of great importance. Not only to analyse failures & mistakes, but to understand the ones where we pushed it & won.

 

[vharrison]

A former climber of ours stopped in the other day and we were reminiscing about a pine he took down and how he does it differently now. Holy smokes, he took the top out of that tree and ended up going for the ride of his life. He swayed back and forth and back and forth. I was on the ground watching, going Holy Crap! Thankfully, he was tied in twice and no harm was done but I don't think either of us will ever forget that day.

That said, I still consider him one of the best climbers I know.

 

[Mick!]

This oak dismantle was an emergency job, 10 years ago before moving to France, storm had ripped it, you can see daylight through the black part by the rip. It was yawing apart as I moved around.
Think I cleared (after paying the ground crew) 1200 quid.
Clearly a bucket truck would have been better!

 

[cory]

That definitely looks like it could go at any moment. Nasty.

 

[Mick!]

I'm up there just thinking about the money!!

 

[old irish]

It seems like some people are just born "survivors" don't you think? I was remembering all the guys that I have worked with in the past that aren't even alive anymore. Hard to explain.

 

[Peter]

Here's one I did this week.

 

[DMc]

Looking back can be quite revealing. Just don't be too hard on yourself because knowing what can and cannot be done takes time and luck. There is just no way to do tree work without putting yourself at risk so even if you make it through the years in more or less one peice, the next time up could be your last. Just the way it is.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm up there just thinking about the money!!

I would have climbed it only if I coulda dropped everything.

 

[Mick!]

TBH I did drop most of it. Just a few bits over some stables and power lines.

 

[Grendel]

Looking back can be quite revealing. Just don't be too hard on yourself because knowing what can and cannot be done takes time and luck. There is just no way to do tree work without putting yourself at risk so even if you make it through the years in more or less one peice, the next time up could be your last. Just the way it is.

Excellent advice sir. About a week ago I was topping out a poplar alone, and on the back cut a gust of wind kicked up and pinned the saw right at the critical moment. I let go of the saw and leaned back a bit just waiting to see what was going to happen. Just as the tree began to split the top popped off and fell free. Nothing was damaged, but it scared the hell out of me. I thought real hard about what I could/should have done differently after that. I guess the close calls are the ones we learn the most from. . . I had my lanyard connected to the ring on my bridge, something I don't think I would have known to do w/o the advice shared on this forum. If that tree had split and I'd been hooked on my D's I don't think I would have walked away from that one. . .

 

[cory]

the next time up could be your last. Just the way it is.

Words to understand and live/work by.