RC0

Nothing you haven't seen before boys, so i kept it short. Easy to underestimate volume out here because the trees are deceptively tall. Not until you get half way up do you realise how many logs need to be cut to bring the tree down.

Yes Timon. Mainly to add a litte support when I hung the top. Notice I aimed it dead opposite

Dave

Am I right in think on the left side of that pic, on the spar was another eye and rope to groundie/bubbleman? Thats right. So the guy at that end can raise or lower

The thing is to keep it pretty simple and snag free. Nothing worse than over complicated zip lines for treework. The rigging rings for example, keep running whether upside down or not. (Pic below) So if the lines somehow get crossed whether loaded or just hauling back, it doesn't matter so much, they still work and system doesnt uam up. Pulleys on the other hand are much easier to get misaligned if the lines aren't kept separate and taut....and they can soon end up in the tangle you described. They need to be managed more thoroughly. Having the spar tree was also a critical factor. Without the whole thing wouldn't have worked at this location as the limbs would've dropped too soon. But you have to recognize that before you start. In this instance it was easy work for both of us. Dave is the giant bubble man. Thats his side biz. He blows giant bubbles at events and stuff. Its quite the site. The Harness has been great. I had to replace the bridge and thats it. No reason for me to look elsewhere. Thanks

Dave and i would still got it done if Id cut it small and thrown it to the base of the tree....but it would've been more time and energy spent. Not only because of the extra climbing/cutting and walking back and forth.....but also due the the limbs breaking up into little bits on impact. A big incentive here was delivering the limbs to the chipper in tact. Our rigging was very simple too and slick too. Would be very difficult for it to get tangled

Cheers Mark.

Thanks Pete. Bed time for me now mate

wont let me add the link ?

We took out 4 dead trees from this site. This was one. Me and Dave.

It looks like a $1200 prune in Victoria....assuming the access isn't too bad. Thats how Id price it. Chip the brush, any firewood stays. Take down maybe upto $2k give or take

Good for you Guy. Peace

This one looks the other direction. Both drone pics

One of the best discoveries Ive made since spending more time hiking and camping in the backcountry here is how small and insignificant it makes you feel. Any sense or of status or importance just sort of washes off you like layers of paint. Starts to work about the time you suddenly go out of cell phone signal, ironically. Pic of Buttle lake, Strathcona. About 4.5 hours north of here.14 miles long. The trees either side, if you can distinguish them, average between 150 - 200 ft tall, to give a sense of scale.

Good advice. Didnt think of that at the time. Dam

Hi Eric. Just got back, thanks. We got a beautiful spot on Lake Cowichan.

You dont make it easy Guy. Whos hating on Americans ? I have lots of American friends....and one if the best parts of that is our differences in culture. Adds a whole new dimension. Its actually something to celebrate. Beyond me why so many people want to catogorize or pretend everyone as the same. Tell me what countries you worked in and for how long ? As for chainsaw v handsaw....man thats a silly debate. Dont want to call you silly person but Im scratching my head at your analysis. In the most basic terms theres many good reason why chainsaws superseded handsaws in most avenues of tree work. The obvious one being efficiency. The climber fatigue argument neither holds up for any climber who is anything like accomplished. When Ive been heli logging for example....On my person Id be wearing a saddle, spurs, hardhat, radio, water bottle, 150-200 ft climbline in a backpack, gas/oil canisters, grappling hook with 25 ft line, axe and wedges....and off course a 200t. I might be stood at the bottom of a 170 ft cedar with 100 limbs to cut before I can top it. Maybe its the last tree of the day and Ive got just an hour to get it done and then run like hell down to the heli pad on a mountainside. Do you think thats a good time to break out a hand saw ? Please dont talk to me about the fatigue of simply climbing around an oak tree with a top handle chainsaw. You might argue that you could cut though a 1inch branch with a single pass with a sharp handsaw. So if you had a fallen tree with in front of you which consisted of such branches you might reasonably cut 1 per second if you really worked hard. But in comparison a forestry worker might cut 5 per second with a chainsaw. So when your at 10 hes at 50. Unless you only have a dozen or more one inch cuts scattered aound a canopy, then more likely the same time difference will begin to emerge where the chainsaw oit produces the handsaw. Did you catch any of Erics redwood vids ? Hes not cutting big limbs, but man, could you imagine him doing that work with a handsaw. Im trying to be nice here...but I just dont know what your seeing on both topics that we've just hit on. But then again, that video for example has now had 6600 views. Its 10 mins long and focuses soley on the climber thoughout....all angles. Now out of those 6400 views it appears that youre the only person who believed I was wearing spurs. Which sorta throws your observational skills into question. Now you can keep arguing if you want, or maybe you might consider that if others hold a different take, experience or preference on things than your own, it doesnt automatically make them wrong or inferior somehow. Still have a feeling im wasting my breath

Im leaving town for a few days in a minute so heres a short answer. The term myth is generally used to describe a belief that is widely held but untrue. It us is no myth that a chainsaw is faster than a handsaw....line them up and race if you need prove. Then multiply the time difference over 50 cuts that might be made on a pruning job. Then factor in the time deficiency in the work positioning requires to get optimal leverage while using a handsaw (not a requirement with a chainsaw). Its a no brainer. As for the country/culture myth. I recall a girl in California once, commenting how she loved my accent, and what State was I from ? She was quite eloquent and well mannered otherwise.....but didnt comprehend there was a little bit more to the world than the US. I sound nothing like American, for the record. First American I ever met shouted across a restaurant "hey, you look like you just got back from the States ? "..... refering to my tan that id just acquired in Spain. He clearly didnt think the sun could shine anywhere other than. He was a psychologist too, as it turned out. But incredibly self absorbed and inward looking the more I got to chat with him. Not to stereotype every Amercan, but your denial of cultural differences and values shows a naivety on par with the two people I just spoke of. Or maybe theres just some American humour that Im not picking up on....because Im English. Catch you next week maybe.

If I wanted to see or speak with Dunster, I could probably drive to his house in 15 mins. But I dont care to speak to him anymore than he would I. At least while I have way more significant individuals and situations to deal with. I just looked back and realise you did in fact ask about the percentage removed. Guilty on that one. To answer, 15-20 % max was removed. To see the tree from a far or underneath youd barely notice it'd been touched. Sometimes you have to be there. Trees, species, growing habits and potential do vary from region to region, country and climate. People too.... values, communication, priorities, objectives, standards, expectations, agendas. Our workplace is no exception. Having walked that path, the differences are undeniable between countries and culture. Some subtle, some are huge. Most recent for me is that between the UK and Canada. I could go into much detail but Ill spare you. It shouldn't surprise you to hear that I use handsaws all the time....when theres justification to do so. I guess you missed those parts in the video. I touched on something earlier 'how much will the tree tolerate'. That was a 4 hour job including cleanup. Fixed price, not hourly. The ideal situation between client, contracter, expectations and funding is often different than the true reality of whats achievable. More often than not theres compromise. Ive shared lots if work and ideas outside of Arbtalk, seems as you mention it. Shared with hundred of co workers and thousands of clients, millions on youtube....and made some money through product sales too. My rep could actually be a lot worse. Thanks.

Sorry, Guy, if that sounded a little sharp. I got a cold coming on so not in the best mood. Just ignore

Ive lost count of how many ISA cert Arbs hired me to do what they cant do. Even more ironic was often the case that the work should only be performed by an ISA certified arb as specified by municipal bylaw. But then the ISA arborist in fact brings in a non ISA certified arborist (me) to do the work after all. Through 20+ years as a subcontract climber, I worked for over 150 companies through 4 countries. Trees of all species, sizes and situations. Not even counting the years served before and after that period. So its kinda funny to read you telling me about 15% reduction having a stabalizing effect of 50% etc....like that would be news to me....or any other member of the forum for that matter. And then showing me photo of some random roadside tree and a pile of brush on the floor! Never asked me how PNW Gary oaks resond to pruning. Never asked me what recommendations were or limitations were imposed on such a protected tree by the municipal Arborist. Never thought to ask me what percentage of foliage I felt like was removed from the tree. Never asked me what portion of the tree was left completely untouched. Never asked me about the clients circumstances, budget....or plans to retain ownership of the property itself. I could go on. That your a board certified master arborist means zero to me....and you further reinforced that with your assumptions through 2 posts here. You'd make a much better impression by asking questions, relevant questions instead of wagging your finger at people and circumstances that you've neither met nor know nothing about....or just not even paying attention i.e the non existent spurs that you said I shouldnt be wearing. Thats why I said earlier, lets not waste each others time. We apples and oranges

You quit the ISA ? Good for you. Thanks for correcting me on that note. I tell clients that all pruning is wounding. But pruning can also mitigate certain undesirable situations, whether aesthetic or structural....depending on what extent the tree will tolerate. There is always a compromise. Although I am what you'd call a qualified arborist, my judgement in such situations doesn't come from a book or classroom....rather its from pruning thousands of trees through the years, and thereafter observing the effect of that work. Summer limb drop in Gary oaks is not a rare occurrence in this region. This particular tree stretches over 3 properties, 2 of which hold small children as residents. Not realistic to create an exclusion zone of such a large area. So, reducing leverage is the most logical strategy in my experience. We will get a reaction of epicormic growth thereafter. Not the most pleasing to the eye, but at least the photosynthetic material will be restored to an extent. The pruning cuts not even noticeable from the ground. What small pockets of decay may evolve are generally in non critical areas. I wouldnt prune that tree for 3 years now, if at all. You could classify it a co-dominant structure, with the smaller section making up 1/3 of the tree, perhaps not clear in the video. It does have a bad union at the join which is shown at the end if the video. I would like to gradually further reduce that whole section....but thats a long term thing.

Good Stuff Eric. You are very fortunate man working in the words, not having the aggravation that comes with city trees and people.

Is that last part a question or a remark ? Let me guess. You confused the straps on my chaps for spurs perhaps ? In regards to the pruning 'remark'. You"re a lifelong ISA certified Arborist, USA born and bred ? Different school of thought altogether. Lets not waste either of our times.