Tree felling vids

I'm feeling so inadequate. The biggest tree I've ever climbed and topped was a 120' tulip poplar in New Jersey, and that was way back in 1983. Trees here in Florida rarely reach 100'.
 
@Mellow Hey Brett, don't feel so inadequate. While it is crazy high up on those west coast conifers, dropping huge tops out of the massive deciduous trees we have here on the East can be just as, if not more exciting. I still remember the first top out of a 90' Red Oak I did into a tight drop zone. I think I shook almost as much as Reg did there. ;)
 
I wonder at what height (proportion) there is the most pushback force on the roots. The middle of the tree has a large lever to the stump, with a big force pushing back from the top going over, and sometimes the top pulling the super-tall 'stump' forward.
 
how did the street make out? They can often take a big hit and have little or no damage, but that seems like a huge force, guessing it must have put a 6"-1' dent in the blacktop.

The placement of the two padding logs across the street looked perfect, a little forward roll spread the force out.
 
Reg-
On your head leaning top video it looks like you clipped your flipline into something other than the hip D. Was that to have a 'cuttable' link in case of the stem splitting or a break away of some sort?
 
I didn't see the climber at first ! A little blurry behind the notch, then, damned, but that's the chips flowing and the guy cutting!
Huge tree. Respect, sir.
What was the diameter?

murphy4trees said:
how did the street make out? They can often take a big hit and have little or no damage, but that seems like a huge force, guessing it must have put a 6"-1' dent in the blacktop.

The placement of the two padding logs across the street looked perfect, a little forward roll spread the force out.
Click to expand...
I was worrying too about the road. The butt took a five meters fall just on the road's edge. Less chock than a straight fall butt first, but that's still a massive hit.
 
murphy4trees said:
how did the street make out? They can often take a big hit and have little or no damage, but that seems like a huge force, guessing it must have put a 6"-1' dent in the blacktop.

The placement of the two padding logs across the street looked perfect, a little forward roll spread the force out.
Click to expand...
No damage, Dan. Would've been a big fine had the road got damaged, so it was a very calculated risk. But otherwise it would have been an aweful lot of hours tied up for me to climb that tree and section it down in the rain....especially bringing the big logs down in shorter sections. And then there the hassle and time involved with the traffic stop/starting in short intervals (this a major highway with no detour). Much easier, quicker and profitable to prep the landing and plan for just one road block of 20 mins....but where only a relatively short section of the tree is actually in the road and needs to be moved. The stack of logs on the left of the road were actually more substantial and carefully placed than what it appears on camera. And consider too that the stem didn't actually fall frome a great height. We did have the tree rigged, although not very high, with a jack underneath the backcut, and lots if wedges at hand. So Falling it the right direction was never in doubt.

Greengeer I moved the lanyard to a notoriously weak link on that saddle. Would it have broke before I had all the air squeezed out of me ? I cant say, but glad i didn't fond out. But it gave me half a chance, which is better than none at all.

Marc, just short of 6ft where Martin made the cut
 
Thanks Burnham. I'll bet you can almost smell, taste and feel the bark dust, the rain, the lichens....the soggy fliplines. Working in the PNW this last 8 years has truly been a privilege for me. Itd be very difficult to leave.

Ok last sequence from this job. There would've been some big tops and blasting, but I messed up with the camera and was sort of preoccupied with the work mostly.
 
I sure can, Reg. And frankly, work like that was so demanding and frequently in down right uncomfortable conditions...I like knowing I had to chops to do it back in my younger, stronger days...but I don't really miss it at this point in my life :).
 
Martin's tree was f'g ridiculous. One of the craziest tree vids ever, I'd say. Fully agree with Mick about poor reason to put a climber in a precarious position. And the camera man should be shot.

More great climbing footage, Reg, thx a lot for posting. A bit otherworldly how far and long those tops and logs drop before hitting earth.

Reg, that is quite an interesting project you've let us in on. The poise and calmness and smoothness you display are virtually palpable through the screen. Given that there are more people and constraints involved in that project compared to one of your typical residential tree jobs, is it challenging to maintain such calm in the midst of such a job? I guess it is just the way you are. Enviable traits.
 
Cory, The camera man was trying to shake and keep the rain off the lens until the top started to tip. And on the contrary, its a massive sense of relief to get out and away from the bureaucracy of city work. In regards to the hands on work of this particular forest....the rain is expected, the wind is always something that you fear is going to whip up. Ive been there in a storm on year and never seen tops move such great distances....30 - 40ft. The only rational thing to do was to stand out in the middle of the road where we could see the danger coming....at least until it passed. Other than that, ive taken some huge tops that have knocked the wind out of me when they pushed back. Some push back so hard it feels like its not going to stop. Throw in the threat of Barber chairs and root rot
But knowledge and experience is king....as well as fear which might just save your life. The thing is not to allow the fear to consume you, at which stage you wouldnt be capable of much. I saw one climber on monday get down because he overwhelmed at 120ft , with 100 still above him. I saw a couple other really bad decisions, panic setting in I guess. But of no consequence, thankfully. Not trying to sound overly dramatic, but its serious shit. I'll often reflect and thank God I put in the hours, the years on and off the job the learn and understand as much as i do. Thats a great attribute to carry onto a site like that. And Im still learning and storing info to this day.
 
That was an awesome response, very much appreciated.

Speaking of the threat of barber chair, how much does doug fir tend to b c? We have a few here but maybe 24"x 70' is typical, as in, small. The thought of B C certainly was in my mind as I watched Martin's monster start to move.
 
cory said:
That was an awesome response, very much appreciated.

Speaking of the threat of barber chair, how much does doug fir tend to b c? We have a few here but maybe 24"x 70' is typical, as in, small. The thought of B C certainly was in my mind as I watched Martin's monster start to move.
Click to expand...
I think the tight grain of these old growth is more favorable than second growth. But its the sheer weigh of the heavy leaners, and the chances of pre existing internal cracks caused by the wind. Theres obviously ways around it like boring or wing cuts, but the key is being able to read the body language in the first place. Martin was expecting to bore out the middle of his undercut, but having got the look and feel of what was inside + the only slightest of lean, he dicided it wasnt necessary. I probably would have bored it anyway, for the couple extra minutes it would take. But his judgment was correct, regardless.
 
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