Some pics from yesterday's pine

[Ted-RI]

you wear hearing protection in a tree?

Yes.

 

[Bermie]

the pics where I was so close to the tree is when the top came out. I'ts kind of hard to see in the pics but the part of the tree I was on was leaning away from me, I was almost lying on it at times. I like to be pretty tight when the top comes out and I go for a ride. Am I doing that wrong?

Thanks for the input, especially about the PPE. .

When the top goes out...
You should lean back into your lanyard/climbline, straight legs, hands behind the direction of fall, brace your arms with elbows locked, this ensures your spikes are at the right angle and you are braced into the top of the tree, so when it wobbles and moves you go with the movement and are secure (as possible) and don't get flung about.
Hugging close increases the risk of gaffing out and getting flung around, also your lanyard/climbline will be loose...

 

[fishercat]

i never wear a helmet in the tree.never will.

but if saws and chippers are running,i'm wearing ear protection.

 

[Stihl Alive]

When the top goes out...
You should lean back into your lanyard/climbline, straight legs, hands behind the direction of fall, brace your arms with elbows locked, this ensures your spikes are at the right angle and you are braced into the top of the tree, so when it wobbles and moves you go with the movement and are secure (as possible) and don't get flung about.
Hugging close increases the risk of gaffing out and getting flung around, also your lanyard/climbline will be loose...

got it. this is one of the cases where I shoudl NOT trust my instincts.

thank you.

 

[treemandan]

got it. this is one of the cases where I shoudl NOT trust my instincts.

thank you.

Keep in mind by the time you do all that its to late. Do that on that pine you just did when you have poor body leverage on a twisty spar and the limb lowered gets snagged you aen't going to have the time to stow the saw and obtain enough grip with your hands by the time the limb dropped catches.
By placing your line below the pulley you can tuck em tight up against the rigging ( out of the way) and push in and up with your spikes while keeping real tight without your hands. You would be pretty wedged in then, you are not going to go anywhere. DO NOT ever try to hug a spar below the pulley.
Now this affords the capablity of hugging the spar with one arm, saw in the other. Your arm is above the pulley where most people would have the life lines place, your head and chest is also above the cut spar.

 

[Ted-RI]

Fishercat, you should wear a helmet. If not for yourself do it for the people who love you. It only takes a little bit to do big damage to your brain.
Treemandan, I'm of the opinion that placing climbing lines or lanyard below the rigging block is a VERY bad idea. A running rope with 500lbs on the end is going to destroy your climbing lines. Or worse the block could cut the line in two.

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

Good looking job . Are the pines sappy in N.C. this time of year? Again ugly Pine but you did O.K.

 

[Col2y]

Treemandan, I'm of the opinion that placing climbing lines or lanyard below the rigging block is a VERY bad idea. A running rope with 500lbs on the end is going to destroy your climbing lines. Or worse the block could cut the line in two.

yes but if its above when you blow a top out theres not alot from stopping you life lines from just popping off the top with all the shaking and jostling that happens, i see what your saying but i think that popping out free bird style is much more of a threat, Blocks and lines are rated to take it, (as long as they are used properly)

when i blow out a top i like to get my block as close to the pie as possible to minimise the drop and shock load, which doesnt leave me much room for my life lines. im not saying your wrong but in my opinion its much safer to be underneith but thats just my opinion,

cheers

 

[masiman]

yes but if its above when you blow a top out theres not alot from stopping you life lines from just popping off the top with all the shaking and jostling that happens, i see what your saying but i think that popping out free bird style is much more of a threat, Blocks and lines are rated to take it, (as long as they are used properly)

when i blow out a top i like to get my block as close to the pie as possible to minimise the drop and shock load, which doesnt leave me much room for my life lines. im not saying your wrong but in my opinion its much safer to be underneith but thats just my opinion,

cheers

If your worried about popping off the top you should take a wrap around with your lanyard to decrease the chance of it coming off the spar. I don't take the wrap all the time but I do on the cuts where I need more stability and/or insurance of staying attached to the tree. I hear what you are saying about coming off the top but I'd rather take that occasional risk (on a chunk that is going to give me a ride) vs. taking the risk of damaging lanyard and/or climbing line on every chunk. JMHO

 

[Blakesmaster]

If your worried about popping off the top you should take a wrap around with your lanyard to decrease the chance of it coming off the spar. I don't take the wrap all the time but I do on the cuts where I need more stability and/or insurance of staying attached to the tree. I hear what you are saying about coming off the top but I'd rather take that occasional risk (on a chunk that is going to give me a ride) vs. taking the risk of damaging lanyard and/or climbing line on every chunk. JMHO

Aren't we "supposed" to have 2 points of attachment to the tree at all times? Not that I do, I'm just sayin' we could compromise and do 1 over, 1 under than everyone is happy!

 

[Blakesmaster]

/sarcasm

 

[Dadatwins]

You know you need a helmet, so not going to beat that up, what is going on with this cut???

http://arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86825&stc=1&d=1231973220

 

[Stihl Alive]

You know you need a helmet, so not going to beat that up, what is going on with this cut???

http://arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86825&stc=1&d=1231973220

I hoestly can't remember. I think it is after the bigger portion of the top was taken out. The pic with it hanging just above the shed. And i don't have a helmet (yet) but I did wear a hard hat when I went back up the stem today to take out the last leaning part before pulling them both over.

And H**l YES the pines are sappy. oooooozing everywhere. Everything stuck to something else. My FIL is splitting all this pine up. He says if you dry it for a season or two you can burn it fine. I've never heard of anyone doing it.

 

[JeffL]

You know you need a helmet, so not going to beat that up, what is going on with this cut???

http://arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=86825&stc=1&d=1231973220

Looks like no undercuts/notches, and a ton of rippers and peeled bark.

 

[Col2y]

If your worried about popping off the top you should take a wrap around with your lanyard to decrease the chance of it coming off the spar. I don't take the wrap all the time but I do on the cuts where I need more stability and/or insurance of staying attached to the tree. I hear what you are saying about coming off the top but I'd rather take that occasional risk (on a chunk that is going to give me a ride) vs. taking the risk of damaging lanyard and/or climbing line on every chunk. JMHO

each to their own but id rather stay below, even with a wrap if the movment causes you to put slack on your buckstrap then that wrap doesnt to anything,

the easy solution is just have you buck and or climbing line below were the block is going to pinch against the spar, or use a friction saver to choke off... below the block

each side has its arguments but ive never damaged eiter by putting them below the block, and even still id rather sacrifice 10 feet of rope then chance losing my only conection to the spar

 

[fishercat]

you should do as you wish.

Fishercat, you should wear a helmet. If not for yourself do it for the people who love you. It only takes a little bit to do big damage to your brain.
Treemandan, I'm of the opinion that placing climbing lines or lanyard below the rigging block is a VERY bad idea. A running rope with 500lbs on the end is going to destroy your climbing lines. Or worse the block could cut the line in two.

and let me do as i wish.i wish not to wear one but respect your choice to do the opposite.whatever works for you.

this isn't Canada.i choose not to wear a helmet in the tree or a seat belt in a car.

 

[Col2y]

and let me do as i wish.i wish not to wear one but respect your choice to do the opposite.whatever works for you.

this isn't Canada.i choose not to wear a helmet in the tree or a seat belt in a car.

ha, mate i respect your choice, crazy as it is but our tree;s arnt any harder then yours, getting smacked with an american tree is just as bad as getting smacked with a canadian tree, this is only speculation being as ive only been clocked with canadian wood but im fairly confident in this statement.

 

[masiman]

each to their own but id rather stay below, even with a wrap if the movment causes you to put slack on your buckstrap then that wrap doesnt to anything,

the easy solution is just have you buck and or climbing line below were the block is going to pinch against the spar, or use a friction saver to choke off... below the block

each side has its arguments but ive never damaged eiter by putting them below the block, and even still id rather sacrifice 10 feet of rope then chance losing my only conection to the spar

I agree with ya, to each their own.

My thought was that there seems to be a different risk of losing your connection to the spar if the block and bull line end up cutting your lanyard(s). It seemed to me that the lanyard is open to damage on every drop if it is below. On the other hand, it will only pop off on bigger rides.

One time I had a chunk that would not run (groundie mistake) and it just stopped and swung around the tree. If I had been below the block, I would have been snagged up in the line and maybe injured. Since I was above it, I had mobility to get my feet and legs from between the rope and tree.

 

[Col2y]

I agree with ya, to each their own.

My thought was that there seems to be a different risk of losing your connection to the spar if the block and bull line end up cutting your lanyard(s). It seemed to me that the lanyard is open to damage on every drop if it is below. On the other hand, it will only pop off on bigger rides.

One time I had a chunk that would not run (groundie mistake) and it just stopped and swung around the tree. If I had been below the block, I would have been snagged up in the line and maybe injured. Since I was above it, I had mobility to get my feet and legs from between the rope and tree.

ok i see what your saying about the block pinching like in the first example but if you have your line below the block like the second example it wont touch your lines, and it will hold the bull line out enough that it wont burn through your life lines. i personaly think it is the best of the three options i use it all the time, keeping in mind im not a new climber, i can honestly say that ive never harmed either a buckstrap or a climbing line

 

[woodchux]

You guys tying in below the block are crazy... The edge of the block can cut into the lanyard if you drop a big chunk and it jerks to a stop.

If you're worried about your lines going over the top of the spar , just cinch your lifeline around the trunk.