yourboyblue
New Member
This is the situation. #1 is Live Oak (24"), #2 (36") and #3 Coulter Pine:
View attachment 199307
I'm very comfortable dropping trees that are normally situated, but this has quite a bit more potential danger. I've never climbed before, and this is not the one I want to start on. Unfortunately, the hanger has to come down because the road on the right side of the picture is used as a trail and there are people--mostly kids--walking it all the time. Not pictured is another tree, directly under the tip of the hanger. If I was to cut chunks off the butt of the hanger, it would be left suspended horizontally between the bole of tree #1 and tree out of frame--not improving the situation.
I guess my question is, since I can easily hook a cable to either tree #1 or #3 and pull down the road with a tractor, would it be totally unsafe to make a face cut on tree #1 and then slowly start back-cutting, and finally pull the whole shebang down with the vehicle with myself safely out of the way? #3 is well hung. Line of fall would be toward the right background of the picture--diagonally across the road. My escape would be to the left of the foreground. Tree #3 is already pressing against #2, so there is a block against #3 falling much in the foreground direction, even if the cut went badly for some reason.
Dangers I see:
A) Tree #1 is under much more tension than I suspect, and I drop it much earlier than I mean to, not leaving myself time to escape.
B) Tree #1 is under a lot of tension and barber chairs while I'm back-cutting.
C) Everything drops well, but the pull of the tractor swings the butt of #3 around toward the foreground.
Obviously situation A is the scariest, but seems unlikely if I'm making small cuts, watching carefully, and have someone spotting for me I should be able to avoid everything coming down unexpectedly. Am I totally misreading this? Situation B is scary too. I'm aware of the possibility, but have never seen the barber chair happen. I understand a bore cut with a backstrap could help mitigate the risk here, but since I want to pull the tree down, the backstrap doesn't seem like a good solution. Thoughts?
I should be able to avoid C by not putting tension on the cable until I'm out of range of the butt.
Am I making too many assumptions here? Please tell me how I'm being an idiot--that's what I'm here for! Helpful advice is also appreciated. :msp_smile:
View attachment 199307
I'm very comfortable dropping trees that are normally situated, but this has quite a bit more potential danger. I've never climbed before, and this is not the one I want to start on. Unfortunately, the hanger has to come down because the road on the right side of the picture is used as a trail and there are people--mostly kids--walking it all the time. Not pictured is another tree, directly under the tip of the hanger. If I was to cut chunks off the butt of the hanger, it would be left suspended horizontally between the bole of tree #1 and tree out of frame--not improving the situation.
I guess my question is, since I can easily hook a cable to either tree #1 or #3 and pull down the road with a tractor, would it be totally unsafe to make a face cut on tree #1 and then slowly start back-cutting, and finally pull the whole shebang down with the vehicle with myself safely out of the way? #3 is well hung. Line of fall would be toward the right background of the picture--diagonally across the road. My escape would be to the left of the foreground. Tree #3 is already pressing against #2, so there is a block against #3 falling much in the foreground direction, even if the cut went badly for some reason.
Dangers I see:
A) Tree #1 is under much more tension than I suspect, and I drop it much earlier than I mean to, not leaving myself time to escape.
B) Tree #1 is under a lot of tension and barber chairs while I'm back-cutting.
C) Everything drops well, but the pull of the tractor swings the butt of #3 around toward the foreground.
Obviously situation A is the scariest, but seems unlikely if I'm making small cuts, watching carefully, and have someone spotting for me I should be able to avoid everything coming down unexpectedly. Am I totally misreading this? Situation B is scary too. I'm aware of the possibility, but have never seen the barber chair happen. I understand a bore cut with a backstrap could help mitigate the risk here, but since I want to pull the tree down, the backstrap doesn't seem like a good solution. Thoughts?
I should be able to avoid C by not putting tension on the cable until I'm out of range of the butt.
Am I making too many assumptions here? Please tell me how I'm being an idiot--that's what I'm here for! Helpful advice is also appreciated. :msp_smile: