Falling a Widow Maker

[7oaks]

This 12 inch hickory, widow maker, was snapped off near the top in a wind storm this spring and has been worrying me ever since. Since it was caught up in the branches of an adjacent tree I hoped the top, at least, would come down in a high wind with no-one near it when it did. But it never did so yesterday I got a chainsaw loaded with gas and went at it. I was obviously concerned that when it started to fall the top would come down on me or at least some branches would so I tried to be excessively alert. The wife photographed the operation from the front deck of the cabin. Here are the results...

The red arrow points to the broken off top.


Coming down action shot - excited wife with cellphone so not very sharp pic...LOL But hey, she caught peak action.


Success and as expected some branches fell exactly where I had been standing...

I was very happy to get this tree down. There's a bit of spalting in the lower part of the tree which will make for some very nice wood for the lathe. All's well that ends well...Stay safe out there...

...Carl

 

[Rev]

This 12 inch hickory, widow maker,

I call BS that tree is one heck of a lot taller than twelve inches...

Haha. Those are great pictures, Carl. How did she get the one inset on the top pic?

 

[wde_1978]

I have a acacia tree similar to that, tall but thin, top branched in two of which one broke off and hung itself in another nearby accacia.
I don't have to pass near or under it, and I don't dare cutting it down as it has very inaccessible surrounding - thus I just leave it be and hope that ice and snow will take it down this winter.
For what it's worth, nobody has to get near that tree, unless they feel the desire to crawl through thorny brushes!

Great pictures!
Glad You got it down safely.

 

[Moparmyway]

I NEED that car Rev

Nice work 7oaks !!

 

[7oaks]

You are absolutely correct...it is 12" DBS (that's Diameter By Stump)! LOL

 

[Rev]

I NEED that car Rev

Nice work 7oaks !!

We all have needs...

 

[7oaks]

I have a acacia tree similar to that, tall but thin, top branched in two of which one broke off and hung itself in another nearby accacia.
I don't have to pass near or under it, and I don't dare cutting it down as it has very inaccessible surrounding - thus I just leave it be and hope that ice and snow will take it down this winter.
For what it's worth, nobody has to get near that tree, unless they feel the desire to crawl through thorny brushes!

Great pictures!
Glad You got it down safely.

Thanks...I mow under this one, the dog plays under it, we sled under it and we walk to the garden under it so it had to come down. We were gone for the summer so I thought for sure the high winds we get would bring it down but no such luck...

 

[Moparmyway]

We all have needs...

It would look absolufreakiny awesome sitting next to my 513ci '70 Challenger

 

[Rev]

Look freaken bitchen propellin' itself out of a pile of smoking rubber, too.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Good to see you posting Carl, is this your place in WV?

 

[7oaks]

Good to see you posting Carl, is this your place in WV?

Yup it is. Don't get to spend as much time out here as I'd like but spending more time this fall than past years.

 

[Mad Professor]

I have a lot of dead ash on the property, not from EAB but from some sort of disease that started years ago. The tops yellow and die off.

Standing dead ash makes great firewood but I need to be real careful felling them as they are in a forest canopy and the dead branches may fall from just driving a felling wedge, even before they start to fall. I always have a spotter with me and if they look too hairy I'll leave them to rot rather than get killed.

 

[7oaks]

I have a lot of dead ash on the property, not from EAB but from some sort of disease that started years ago. The tops yellow and die off.

Standing dead ash makes great firewood but I need to be real careful felling them as they are in a forest canopy and the dead branches may fall from just driving a felling wedge, even before they start to fall. I always have a spotter with me and if they look too hairy I'll leave them to rot rather than get killed.

Couldn't agree with you more. This particular tree was just toooo close to the house and too many activities going on under it.

 

[2dogs]

I have a lot of dead ash on the property, not from EAB but from some sort of disease that started years ago. The tops yellow and die off.

Standing dead ash makes great firewood but I need to be real careful felling them as they are in a forest canopy and the dead branches may fall from just driving a felling wedge, even before they start to fall. I always have a spotter with me and if they look too hairy I'll leave them to rot rather than get killed.

What does your spotter do?

 

[Rev]

I always have a spotter with me and if they look too hairy I'll leave them to rot rather than get killed.

What does your spotter do?

Hopefully they shave once or twice a day.

 

[fearofpavement]

What does your spotter do?

Says "Oh crap!" and starts filming?

 

[2dogs]

Hopefully they shave once or twice a day.

I have no response to that.

 

[2dogs]

Beer holder too?