Old Monterey Cypress

[gf beranek]

This is a third edit version of some cypress trees I worked in. The YOU Tube quality really lacks in low contrast light conditions. But anyway these were some nasty trees. Just plumb full of big broken limbs and hung up debris. Very typical of old cypress. Very dangerous to work in.

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[MasterBlaster]

"The tauntline hitch is NOT an obsolete knot!"

 

[SkwerI]

'tautline', not 'tauntline'.
Lots of big hangers, Jerry. Good to see you in a tree again.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I always spell that word wrong!

 

[Mr. Sir]

That's some nasty rotten stuff there.

 

[gf beranek]

Brian, I worked in those cypress about 2 years ago, and took all the hazardous conditions out. today there's probably more to do in them. It's a shame, those big cypress trees just self-destruct after reaching a certain age. Big and heavy!!

The only remedy to keep them from breaking up in the winds is through thinning and extensive limb tip reduction. It involves a lot of time and most people wont pay what it takes to preserve the trees.

Odd though, they always pay to have me come and cut out the broken limbs after a storm. But still wont pay to keep them from breaking. Isn't that the way it goes.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Most excellent video, Jerry, thanks for posting. All that dry and brittle wood sure looks like a pain, and maybe getting your saw stuck too. It appears that someone's number could easily have been up when walking under those trees.

 

[Knotahippie]

Great vid, looks like a blast...except for all those hangers.

 

[Bodean]

Sweet Job, Gerry.

I love the Cypress.

Great Video and narration.

 

[cory]

That was real cool, Jerr.

Would you tell us about your climbing system there?....type of friction hitch (it looked like you were using 2 lines when you mentioned tautline, were they both the tautline hitch?), split tail or not, FC/FS or not, hitch tender or not....

 

[Old Monkey]

It always seemed like the tops of every large branch had splits forming in those trees.

 

[stehansen]

Awesome as always Jerry.

 

[gf beranek]

I was using a double line climbing system with a french prusik and minding pulley. For movement through the trees I used the tail of my climbline, boomerang shot, and tied a conventional old school tautline sytem.

 

[Blinky]

Excellent video, crazy hanger work. Were there many of those ferns growing up high?

...and, what's a boomerang shot?

 

[MasterBlaster]

Very hard to explain...

 

[gf beranek]

The boomerang shot. A method of retrieving the throwline and weight from far reaches. Accomplished through manipulation of the pendulum effect of a swinging weight. Executed by a quickly drawing on the line to shorten the arc of the swinging weight during its swing toward you. Thereby accelerating the weight and using the implied momentum to carry the line and weight back to the thrower.

The entire sequence happens in less than 1 second. When performed properly it's possible to propel the throw weight and line back to you from reaches over 30 feet away. In the opposite case you end up with the throwline and weight hopelessly hung up in some out of reach place in tree.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Hey, I was gonna say that!

eventually!

 

[Burnham]

The boomerang shot. A method of retrieving the throwline and weight from far reaches. Accomplished through manipulation of the pendulum effect of a swinging weight. Executed by a quickly drawing on the line to shorten the arc of the swinging weight during its swing toward you. Thereby accelerating the weight and using the implied momentum to carry the line and weight back to the thrower.

The entire sequence happens in less than 1 second. When performed properly it's possible to propel the throw weight and line back to you from reaches over 30 feet away. In the opposite case you end up with the throwline and weight hopelessly hung up in some out of reach place in tree.

Been there, done that...got the T-shirt, so to speak .

 

[gf beranek]

The truth of the matter is, Burnam, it's how I learned the shot. I figured if I could manage to get the line and weight hung up in some far off place I could learn how to control the energy and use it in my favor. It's just a little trick.

 

[Burnham]

And a slick one, sweet when you get it to work for you...amazing to the unschooled observer, too!

You just have to take the risk and try it. Timing is everything.

 

[Blinky]

Cool, I get it. Thanks.

 

[gf beranek]

Best place to practice is at a playground where there's some monkey bars or chin up bars. Stand back at a distance and toss the weight and line over the bars and just hold it. The weight will swing back and forth. During its swing toward you give a short, but quick jerk on the line. Be ready to catch the weight, or get hit by it.

The smoothness of the bars has little friction and so you can execute shots close to 40 feet. There's a lot of little things involved, but you'll figure all that out as you screw up and get the line and weight all tangled up.

 

[Burnham]

Good advice per normal, Jerry. Much better place to play with it than up a tree.

 

[Knotahippie]

Using the throwball takes me back to bass fishin' days, pitchin' an expensive lure into the brush tryin to get it to just the right spot.

Fun times.

 

[cory]

The boomerang shot, I saw that in your book Gerr, but have never seen it done. I gotta try that, must be amazing when it works.

Did you invent that technique or did someone show you Gerr??