STAYING ALIVE

[mastermind7864]

I had to get on the roof of that house the next morning and start running sheeting. I had never dreamed about falling before. It scared the shit out of me.

 

[Burnham]

Not using fall pro, per most current OSHA requirements?

I only ask becouse of my own experiences...with pro in place, I could go anywhere on fire lookouts with extreme exposure in complete comfort. Without, forgetaboutit.

 

[RopeArmour]

T

I framed the largest homes in the area for many years. One night I dreamed about falling off the roof of a 5 story building I was framing. I never was the same after that.

Wow, sounds like the dream saved your life
Keep the software running clean. I like my beer and wine but the bar
Closes days before a big ugly.
Drunk stupid probably hurt more people than any one thing

Merle, God is a physical reality for me to, thanks for the reminder, our
Angeles work overtime for sure

 

[FireFighterZero]

I hit the ground and then float over my dead body. Anyone know what that means?

 

[FireFighterZero]

Or they would turn it over to me, should said contractor turn it down...old history .

Nice! Next time i'll tell the guys "dont worry 'bout it, i gotta guy!"

 

[Burnham]

See some of the hazard tree removal threads in the archives, for references .

 

[mastermind7864]

Not using fall pro, per most current OSHA requirements?

I only ask becouse of my own experiences...with pro in place, I could go anywhere on fire lookouts with extreme exposure in complete comfort. Without, forgetaboutit.

I've never used any fall protection.

 

[Burnham]

Could help the heebie jeebies, is my experience...5 stories up is above sure death height, methinks.

 

[mastermind7864]

Could help the heebie jeebies, is my experience...5 stories up is above sure death height, methinks.

I've been out of that game now for a few years......I ain't going back.

 

[ClimbMIT]

This a great thread! Merle nice post. I used to be a Tony Robbin's junky listening to his cd's over and over again. I had many nightmares of falling when I was a child. Every night I would have this dream where I would fall off a cliff and right before I would hit or as I hit the ground I would awake in a panicked state, sweating. It sucked! It got so bad I began to dread bed time. I finally was fed up with it after about a month of this crap. While dreaming one night I was on the edge of that damn cliff again about to fall and said f*#* it and jumped off fell fast then kinda slowed my descent before landing on my butt. It hurt a little or it seemed like it anyway. That was the end of those nightmares and the beginning of learning to fly in my dreams which I still do I started skydiving when I was 19 and did it over a 5 year period. Loved it! Anyway many things I learned from other jumpers was to visualize what you are going to do on your jump while flying up to your jump altitude. I have incorporated this before climbing. I need a few minutes to check my gear, then visualize how and where I want to climb. Quiet moment. Like Merle said while visualizing focus on what you want to happen not what could go wrong. I will take a few minutes to visualize and talk it out of what will happen once my planned actions begin to unfold. Also of how to deal with an emergency. Most importantly I don't dwell on this part instead I focus on what I want the outcome to be.

 

[Altissimus]

...also , getting into my gear kind of a ritual order gets my head into it

 

[Fiddler]

Randy, I was a roofing contractor/installer for 23 years. I've dreamed repeatedly of falling on certain jobs with difficult access/ areas etc. that I hadn't approached yet and was leaving until i sorted out how to go about finishing it. Some nights it seemed I had fallen 50-100 times, time after time I might approach it a different way, then fall again. These dreams were quite terrifying early in my career.

After waking soaked with sweat and feeling I'd worked through my sleep all night I would know exactly how I was going to approach the job in a safe manner and it always worked out for the best and seemed much easier than I thought it would be.

Felt like working double-shift sometimes, but I'm thankful my mind worked things out while my body was trying to rest.

Strange, I've never had these dreams since I started climbing trees...

 

[mastermind7864]

I remember several times having dreams that I sorted out a tough hip or valley setup in. When I woke the next morning I knew exactly how I would set it all up.

Once I dreamed that I was talking to my nephew about how tall the house was, and how he needed to be careful. In the dream we were looking down from the third floor/ceiling level, and I noticed a one foot offset in the front wall.......as soon as I saw that offset I remembered that I had framed that section of roof the day before, and had forgotten to add that one foot the the ridge pole when I calculated my valley placement. I woke straight up, knowing I had screwed up. The next morning I told the crew about it, and sure enough, when we arrived to the job site and checked it out, the valley was a foot off......

 

[FireFighterZero]

I think it takes an awfully practical person to have a dream like that. I am always getting eaten by a bear in my dreams.

 

[DMc]

I am really impressed by the conscientious and thorough implementation of safety protocols you guys use. It, unfortunately, leaves me feeling a bit guilty that I have worked for so long with so few problems. I am easily overwhelmed by complexity, and though it may not seem like it with the pictures I post of things that I experiment with, the things that I actually use are quite simple.

The only thing that will not change is the end goal, the specifics of how I get there are left loose so that when a change is needed, it is not changing the plan, but part of it. Doing tree work for me is very much like riding my motorcycle, which I have also been doing for a long time. It is a strange mix of being alert enough to " feel " what is going on around you without focusing too closely on any one component. This allows me to function and alter movements or plans as needed, this fits my personality.

Like a climbing technique or system, it is good to choose what will work for you to keep you safe.

David

 

[Grendel]

Trust your spidy-senses. I've read a few really good books about professional hunters, and without fail, they all say you have to trust your gut in dangerous situations. If the hair on the back of your neck is standing up, there is a reason, and you need to figure out what that reason is.

 

[Mick!]

In the old days I used to "visualize" by that I mean the day before adifficult tree I used to go through it step by step in my head so that when I did it I felt as though I had already done it. It never worked out exactly like that but it got you started.
I think I borrowed the technique from sports psychology.
These days I fret from 3 or 4 in the morning about something difficult, then when the sun comes up,the lads arrive and the vans are running it's all seems better somehow.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Trust your spidy-senses. I've read a few really good books about professional hunters, and without fail, they all say you have to trust your gut in dangerous situations. If the hair on the back of your neck is standing up, there is a reason, and you need to figure out what that reason is.

Agreed... When the gut says NO I just won't .... There is a reason why we have intuitiveness as a species.

 

[Tucker943]

I think one of the best things a tree worker can do in hairy situations is say no. For awhile I was doing some BAD removals. Some stuff I wouldn't even post on here. I was doing some removals where I wasn't sure if I could do it without getting killed. I opted for awhile to march right up those trees and take my chances. This past year, I have started shifting gears. Burnham has encouraged me a few times to wise up and remember the people at home waiting on me. For some reason, his words have followed me to some bids/job sites. I still do uglies. But Ive stopped getting in trees that I think run a chance of killing me.

Im starting to feel as though one of the biggest steps in dealing with hairy trees is deciding whether or not to step into it.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Wow, lots of interesting thoughts and perspectives here.

I have never dealt too much with dreams as I rarely remember mine. Always keep a notebook by the bed however and when I wake up with an answer to a problem I write it down so as not to forget it by morning. I have always known I would pursue “Lucid Dreaming” if I were ever having trouble with dreams. If falling you can train yourself to actively choose to fly as a part of your dream, or...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm actually pretty good at lucid dreaming. I enjoy doing it, when I can... it's very cool/weird.

 

[Burnham]

I think one of the best things a tree worker can do in hairy situations is say no. For awhile I was doing some BAD removals. Some stuff I wouldn't even post on here. I was doing some removals where I wasn't sure if I could do it without getting killed. I opted for awhile to march right up those trees and take my chances. This past year, I have started shifting gears. Burnham has encouraged me a few times to wise up and remember the people at home waiting on me. For some reason, his words have followed me to some bids/job sites. I still do uglies. But Ive stopped getting in trees that I think run a chance of killing me.

Im starting to feel as though one of the biggest steps in dealing with hairy trees is deciding whether or not to step into it.

I am really glad to read this, Chris. I may have done a little thing worth something there.

 

[mastermind7864]

I am really glad to read this, Chris. I may have done a little thing worth something there.

More than a little thing I would say.

We just got out of the sweatlodge......It was very intense, a couple of times I didn't think I was gonna make it.

Those are the best ones though. We go in knowing it's gonna be hot, really hot. More than that, we go in hoping to get cleaned out. Right now, I feel hollowed out, ready to fill myself back up with good stuff....leaving the negative behind.......

Stay focused my friends.......leave the crap behind, and off the job.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Unless you're in the prime of health, I don't think that's a safe thing to do.

But what do I know.

 

[squisher]

I've been in a sweat once. It was a awesome experience. Well worth the risk I'd say.