decaying sugar maple removal

[boynature]

I'm looking at removing a sugar maple that is about 22 inches in diameter and about 65 feet tall and has a lean at about 75 degrees. It has a very small canopy as it was a forest grown tree before a subdivision was put in 25 years ago. There is some dead limbs at the top but does not look that bad until you get to the first 6 or 7 feet of trunk. the heartwood is completely rotten and is exposed on opposite sides of the tree. There is a 2 inch thick band of sapwood where the rotten heartwood is not exposed. The areas where there is no sap wood is about 7 inches wide by 5 feet tall the opposite side is not as bad but you can peal the bark off. There are other trees close by I could tie into. The question I have is would it make the tree safer to climb if I was to tie off the trunk of this tree to two other trees maybe at 1/3 and 2/3 up the hight of the tree. These two other trees are on the opposite side of the lean and once tied off would form somewhat of a triangle with the bad tree being at the top. Other wise I would not even consider climbing it. A hinge could be made, the sapwood is on the correct side for the lean but the tree is to tall to just drop Can any one picture what I'm trying to say. It cannot be reached with a bucket truck. Is it worth even messing with? I think my next saw should be a digital camera.

Thanks

 

[treeseer]

So there is only a 2" shell of wood all around the tree? First job is to measure the cavity, second is to look for cracks.

Your tie-off plan sounds good, but you have to know how solid the tree is first. You may not need all that tying, or you may need more.

Alos if you're just chunking down peces that's a whole lot safer than rigging.

 

[Dadatwins]

Tying off in another tree is not a guarentee of safety, Taking a 20' swing out of a falling tree that cracks under you does not sound like fun. How close are these other tie-in trees? When looking at a job that you are questioning the stability of the tree you must mentally prepare for the worst case scenario. If the tree break off while I am in it where do I go? What happens to the tree, where does it land? If I tie it off for support will the support hold it? Do I have enough equipment to tie it off properly with enough tension to hold? Lots of questions, hard to diagnose without seeing it. Best advise I can give if you not 100% sure about you ability to do it safely, then walk away. Be careful.

 

[stehansen]

Sounds dangerous.