Tall Fir Rigging

[RegC]

When I say tall, I mean proportionally....thats 150 but only 3ft dbh. Lots of chunks to lower, I got some on film. Stormy day, but a safe tree to work on.

Use HD setting. Thanks

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pUfWRjJaJXo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[gf beranek]

Boy, I sure don't relish the thought of standing in the spurs that long anymore. That is brutal on the body. Good work, Reg. as always.

 

[McGuarantee]

Nice speed line set up. I hope to get into that when the right job presents itself. How did you tension the line? How many times did you have to re-anchor the line in the canopy, or did you use the same spot the whole time? Well done, sir! Fine looking work

 

[Page]

Nice job. I like the slow mo shots of your tree getting rocked.

 

[sawman]

nice

 

[Tim_B.]

Great video, Reg! Thanks for posting it. Like everyone else on the planet, I'm a huge fan of yours. Best wishes,

Tim

 

[MasterBlaster]

Collect the check!

Why the need for speedlining???

Jerry, that is why I wear extra padding. I can stand on spurs all day...

 

[RegC]

Thanks all

Nice speed line set up. I hope to get into that when the right job presents itself. How did you tension the line? How many times did you have to re-anchor the line in the canopy, or did you use the same spot the whole time? Well done, sir! Fine looking work

On a tall tree like that, the line doesn't have to be so tight, because the height usually means you're going to get plenty of clearance down below. Even more so on a single stemmed conifer because you're working in-line with the rigging point the whole time. We set the ground anchor as a redirect about 10 ft up a tree, with 1 or 2 guys tightening holding the line. They were mostly light branches.

Butch, the branches had to be rigged, too close to the house and service wire, with the wind to top it off. Ziplining in that situation is much faster and easier than conventional lowering. I like it also because nobodies ever under the tree when Im working....and doesnt require a lot of judgement from the groundworkers....they just have to hold the rope and unclip the straps.

 

[cory]

Nice vid Reggie. Boy that looked like a lot of work, pheeeew. Gotta love the skylight down there too, eh?? Looks like the tree had been pruned out, that's always nicer than an unpruned beast. Gotta love it when you have to saw the damn thing right down to the ground in pieces……not!

Good speed lining info!

 

[pantheraba]

A tall, skinny peckerwood! Relentless, repetitive rigging...good to see each piece dropped, stopped and lowered on that spar.

Good share, Reg.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Thanks all



On a tall tree like that, the line doesn't have to be so tight, because the height usually means you're going to get plenty of clearance down below. Even more so on a single stemmed conifer because you're working in-line with the rigging point the whole time. We set the ground anchor as a redirect about 10 ft up a tree, with 1 or 2 guys tightening holding the line. They were mostly light branches.

Butch, the branches had to be rigged, too close to the house and service wire, with the wind to top it off. Ziplining in that situation is much faster and easier than conventional lowering. I like it also because nobodies ever under the tree when Im working....and doesnt require a lot of judgement from the groundworkers....they just have to hold the rope and unclip the straps.

That's an interesting tweak, to anchor 10' up. Why? Thanks in advance.

For light branches, I'll use cheap home depot rope tied into a sling. Shoot it all to the chipper.


Edit: cool video with groovy tunes. Good combinations of camera angles.

The wheelbarrow... Those guys need an Arbor Trolley.

 

[RegC]

That's an interesting tweak, to anchor 10' up. Why? Thanks in advance.

For light branches, I'll use cheap home depot rope tied into a sling. Shoot it all to the chipper.

Looking forward to the video. It didn't load right for me.

The branches would've dragged along the ground too soon, short of the landing, Sean. You'll see when you watch the vid. Thanks.

 

[Mick!]

As good as ever, that negative blocking is great, the further down you go the bigger it gets.
Kudos to your rope man, I guess he has some tricky decisions as you get further down. Sure he wants to slow it rather than snatch it, but too much and it'll hit the deck anyway.
Was it my imagination or did he get better as he did more and more?
Anyway, good work and a late finish in the rain by the look of it.

 

[cory]

Was it my imagination or did he get better as he did more and more?

+1

 

[pete mctree]

Looks a long-winded rigging job. Proficiency & efficiency needed to get it done in the day.

Good Job Reg - how often do you come down during a tree like that? For me I would try & keep it to a minimum - once for food would be optimum I guess

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Need an easy way back up. I used to stay in the tree more out of convenience. Now the time to haul up a big saw, is time to get a few minutes on the ground, eat a non-tree top compatible bite to eat, take a leak, ride back up with big saw and any extra gear. You're in the right part of the world for a Wraptor, Reg. Don't know how it works into being a Contract Climber..

 

[RegC]

Mick, he didnt really get a whole lot better with the roping. Kims an old school climber, and generally doesnt use a lot of gear. Trunk wraps are his thing, which is fair enough, but not with my my rope. The super stretchy yale polydine played its part as a shock absorber also....its perfect for that kind of work, and very reassuring.

Pete, I came down for lunch, and that was it. I think the tree was stood at about 80-90 ft by that stage. Very little effort getting back up a skinny pole like that. Im still too young for a wraptor.

 

[gf beranek]

No you're not!

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Preserves you for later. Like saving for retirement. And if your injured, you may still be able to work. I had water on the knee randomly. I used a foot ascender on the good leg, and had help from the ground men via a rigging line. Stephan, if I recall correctly, burned himself, but worked with his Wraptor. Helped him during forest fire smoke in the air.

I have a swollen knuckle on my dominant hand index finger. It got more rest and less work via trigger activated ascent.

 

[RegC]

Now dont get me wrong. I think the wraptors great, I'd definitely love to have a ride on one....but I just dont think Im doing big enough trees to warrant buying one. I can rope walk a hundred feet in a couple minutes or there abouts....and then spend 3 or 4 hours, sometimes longer pruning the tree. If Im going to get fatigued or injured its going to be during that 4 hours of actually working/scrambling about the canopy with a chainsaw....not the 2 minutes it took me to climb up the rope. To make a comparison, I can see how crane removals would reduce the wear and tear on a climber, because the crane ensures much less climbing, cutting and overall physical exertion throughout the whole job....but the initial ascending is just a little part of treework, and hardly the most demanding aspect of it.

If I were climbing 200ft trees all day everyday it'd be different....but Im not, nor likely to as things are. If I get to 43 and suddenly start feeling 73 then I'll eat my words in a heartbeat. But right now I feel pretty good. 25 years a climber. Bear in mind too i weigh probably 155, thats not a lot of weight to haul around.

 

[DMc]

+1, Reg. If I had typed a response, it would have been, word for word the same. Except I hit 42 a long time ago.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

As you like it, Reg. You know you best.

After a lifetime (41) of hard work I can feel my body getting worn.

I figure it's easier to change the oil than swap the engine to get more miles.

Maybe you do a lot of spur work, less spurless pruning, as a contact climber. I'm sure you do both.


IME, I do a lot less high cutting with the top handle, rather I ride up and squeeze between branches and cut at stomach/ waist level. Some removals don't ever get spurs, and I have a lot more energy left at the end of the day.

I throw a throw line into the next tree while up in the current tree sometimes. Set two lines as high as needed in two adjacent trees the other day.

Helps to be a lean, mean climbing machine. I would have guessed your a bigger guy with the way you handle a 3120 with a good length bar.

You know they say it's the miles, not the years.

I don't think. It takes 200' trees day in and day out to be worthwhile.

And again, you know you best.

 

[RegC]

Sean, I do lots of spurless climbing, mainly end-weight reduction of Douglas firs. We do hardwoods too, but far more conifers.

I should add, and cannot emphasize enough the instrumental role SRT plays when it comes to the spurless climbing of these types of trees. If DdRT were still my only option, I'd have have bought a wraptor shortly after I moved to this region, no question. I feel also that the more regularly you're doing the vertical accents, the easier it is as youre always in condition. That's my take on it anyway.

Edit - Re: using the 3120, I could chunk down with that all day and it wouldn't bother me....but its down to technique and attitude, not my size and strength.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

SRT is the way to go, no doubt in my mind. What rope climbing system are you using. The EWR, the way I've been doing it means many repeat ascents up the access line. This is where I feel the Wraptor is really nice. Personally, I would prefer to save my energy for the balancy, wobbly limb walking, especially since unless you run two climb lines, its hard to get a good secondary life support line when EWR conifers. The work positioning tie-in wouldn't hold a dynamic load if the climb line is severed, IME.


I would suggest its technique and experience, attitude, strength appropriate to the task, and endurance, working with other factors. A heavy saw is a heavy saw. I only ran a 3120 a couple times for bucking a log on the ground. My recollection is its not a lightweight saw.

As a business owner, I have more to do on orchestration of the whole project (keeping equipment running, organizing hauling, disposal, etc) than I would expect a CC would have. Having more energy helps me in this aspect. I am sure you have administration needs for yourself, too, like contracting, phone calls/ emails, accounting and the like.


Another good thing about Wraptors is that they are readily available, within a few days shipping time, in the event an injury comes up. I have greatly dimished my NSAID use for tendonitis, to very minimal, with less climbing and more mini-loader work, thankfully. Less knots in muscles/ muscular tension, etc.

Again, to each, their own.

 

[RegC]

Sean I use a pantin, and a single hand ascender w footloop on the other side. Velocity climbline with the RW.

I don't really think about secondary life support, just a lanyard for work positioning. Using the other end of my line is aways an option but rarely happens. When I start feeling tired I eat and drink, always have both on me.

The 3120 and similar big saws. Sure they're heavy, but not once theyre in the cut. That was my point about technique. And you're finished cutting in half the time. I percevere with the 372 for climbing and bucking, but soon run out of patience and opt for the 3120, which is modded too.

Some evenings I'm more tired than others, but it doesn't stop me doing the things I need or want to do thereafter. I don't need therapy of any sort, at least it doesn't feel that way at the moment.

I'd be curious to use a wraptor, but for the reasons I've said already couldn't justify the cost right now, above other essentials.

Its an interesting subject, for me. Everyone having their own unique set of circumstances, strengths, genetics etc.