I've shared pictures and video of me cutting dead Red Oak for firewood several times here. I also have a nice long 1500' driveway that runs through the woods, and my utility lines are strung on 9 poles along the drive before they go underground for the last 300'. So, I have (had) about a half dozen nice oaks along the drive die, and though not imminent, they will eventually fall. I'd rather they not fall and take down my power. I'd also rather they not fall the opposite direction which is down hill and make a tougher, more manual carry out. So, I hired a pair of guys who climb to cut the limbs that hang over the lines, and in fact top out these trees so that my worst final felling error would not take out my electric.
First climb was up a reasonably healthy White oak to dead head a limb that hangs over the lines, and to establish a high point for climbing ropes and a sling point for lowering the cut-offs:
The climber was very cautious, measured his hangs, swings, cuts, and directions carefully. He wasn't working fast, but he was efficient. Here is a limb that he swung back from over-top the wires, and the ground guy lowered it safely into the bush:
Then he lowered himself, climbed one of the target dead Reds and set to work on it:
There he dropped some of the limbs that were on the opposite side of the tree (away from utility lines) without roping them down:
By the end of the day, I had six nice piles of recently dead Red Oak limbs and tops on the ground, and six nice Red Oak pillars that I can drop at my leisure (read: when the weather is much cooler) like these:
Besides, they are off the ground and not eating anything, so they are kind of my strategic, vertical wood stacks.
First climb was up a reasonably healthy White oak to dead head a limb that hangs over the lines, and to establish a high point for climbing ropes and a sling point for lowering the cut-offs:
The climber was very cautious, measured his hangs, swings, cuts, and directions carefully. He wasn't working fast, but he was efficient. Here is a limb that he swung back from over-top the wires, and the ground guy lowered it safely into the bush:
Then he lowered himself, climbed one of the target dead Reds and set to work on it:
There he dropped some of the limbs that were on the opposite side of the tree (away from utility lines) without roping them down:
By the end of the day, I had six nice piles of recently dead Red Oak limbs and tops on the ground, and six nice Red Oak pillars that I can drop at my leisure (read: when the weather is much cooler) like these:
Besides, they are off the ground and not eating anything, so they are kind of my strategic, vertical wood stacks.
