the oak tree from hell

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mga

wandering
Joined
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Monticello
this was a blow down when Sandy passed thru here last year. got the privilege of cutting it up with a friend.

not only is it sitting on a steep hill, every piece we cut will have to be carried up the hill between the two houses. there is no way to get any type of vehicle down there. fortunately, the home owner is not in a hurry to see it gone, so we can take our time and plan accordingly.

the issue is one long branch that is hung up in the large standing dead tree in the photo. where it's attached, the trunk is split. we've cut up to that point, now have to figure out a safe way of getting that limb undone.
 
That looks like a good time, albeit quite a bit of work, but a good time none the less.


Have you broached the idea of dropping that standing dead tree with the homeowner? It would alleviate the hung up branch problem, and also eliminate the next tree to go down in a future storm.
 
unfortunately there are a set of power wires just on the other side of the standing dead tree. i did ask if he thought of dropping it, but he said it didn't bother him...lol...so, i guess he meant leave it alone.

such a nice piece of oak...solid and heavy as all hell, but smells nice when cutting it.
 
unfortunately there are a set of power wires just on the other side of the standing dead tree. i did ask if he thought of dropping it, but he said it didn't bother him...lol...so, i guess he meant leave it alone.

such a nice piece of oak...solid and heavy as all hell, but smells nice when cutting it.

Dropping it means you are under the hanger no good! Pull it.
 
Pull it out with a truck, rope and pulleys if that is not possible a come along and chain will pull it right out.

can't get any vehicles of any type in there...not even a riding mower!

we are going to use three come-alongs because even the 8 ton one we are using is straining itself. our concern is keeping the main trunk from rolling down any further. if it slides down, we're just going to leave it...the damn stuff is very very heavy.

keeping it up on the part where we are working would be at least less work.

but, it's a challenge to one's engineering...lol
 
can't get any vehicles of any type in there...not even a riding mower!

we are going to use three come-alongs because even the 8 ton one we are using is straining itself. our concern is keeping the main trunk from rolling down any further. if it slides down, we're just going to leave it...the damn stuff is very very heavy.

keeping it up on the part where we are working would be at least less work.

but, it's a challenge to one's engineering...lol

The come alongs will do it and you will stay safe by being back.
 
unfortunately there are a set of power wires just on the other side of the standing dead tree. i did ask if he thought of dropping it, but he said it didn't bother him...lol...so, i guess he meant leave it alone.

such a nice piece of oak...solid and heavy as all hell, but smells nice when cutting it.

Well, on the bright side you can go back next year when the powers out, and get the downed dead tree then.........LOL!!!


Dropping it means you are under the hanger no good! Pull it.

Gotcha.
 
I can't see what you have to tie to,

but if you have the anchor points, run lines from them under the log, over the top and back to come-a-longs connected to anchors. As you tighten the lines with the come-a-longs the log will roll up onto the path.
 
I have an ash that is in almost the exact same situation you have, same storm too, except that there are no hangers and this sucker is almost 4' at the stump which I cut off for him last year.

I can have the whole thing but I have to carry it all out, up hill about 100 yds. :msp_thumbdn:
 
Can you get a winch, like a gas one? Even rent one for a weekend? Then a stout garden wagon, load up the rounds, winch them up that hill there. I see some anchor trees up there, get you close enough you can then anchor to your truck in that side yard.
 
Is that a road in the background? Why not come in off of that underneath the tree and load it there rather than go up the hill?

292094d1366754454-photo-10-jpg
 
but if you have the anchor points, run lines from them under the log, over the top and back to come-a-longs connected to anchors. As you tighten the lines with the come-a-longs the log will roll up onto the path.

good idea.

we're getting a couple more come alongs and some steel cables. i like that idea!

there are plenty of anchor trees (not visible) that we can latch on to.

due to rain, we're going back friday...i'll let you all know how it goes.
 
Is that a road in the background? Why not come in off of that underneath the tree and load it there rather than go up the hill?

picture doesn't show it, but it drops down even lower then rises up to that road. it's actually steeper than the other side we have to go up. we gave that plenty of thought, but, because it drops lower, like a shallow gully, then a steep climb we ruled that out.
 
I have an ash that is in almost the exact same situation you have, same storm too, except that there are no hangers and this sucker is almost 4' at the stump which I cut off for him last year.

I can have the whole thing but I have to carry it all out, up hill about 100 yds. :msp_thumbdn:

i don't envy you.

we're going to split the rounds in half then use dollies to haul them up. we can get some free help for that part :)

i never realized how dense oak can be when wet...not to mention heavy.
 
picture doesn't show it, but it drops down even lower then rises up to that road. it's actually steeper than the other side we have to go up. we gave that plenty of thought, but, because it drops lower, like a shallow gully, then a steep climb we ruled that out.

I was thinking of driving a truck off the road to below where the tree is now. If that is not possible, I would rather roll them down the hill and hump them up the short grade to the road than back up the long hill to the houses. If it were my tree I would pull it up in the yard and cut it up there.
 
I was thinking of driving a truck off the road to below where the tree is now. If that is not possible, I would rather roll them down the hill and hump them up the short grade to the road than back up the long hill to the houses. If it were my tree I would pull it up in the yard and cut it up there.

Yup. and if you get stuck you can use all the come alongs on the truck.
 
picture doesn't show it, but it drops down even lower then rises up to that road. it's actually steeper than the other side we have to go up. we gave that plenty of thought, but, because it drops lower, like a shallow gully, then a steep climb we ruled that out.

Maybe you can get someone in the WTF!?! thread to photoshop the tree closer to the road............problem solved.
 
can't get any vehicles of any type in there...not even a riding mower!

we are going to use three come-alongs because even the 8 ton one we are using is straining itself. our concern is keeping the main trunk from rolling down any further. if it slides down, we're just going to leave it...the damn stuff is very very heavy.

keeping it up on the part where we are working would be at least less work.

but, it's a challenge to one's engineering...lol

I have a small el cheapo WallyWorld trailer and pull it with my JD mower. Hauled rounds out of worse spots than your pictures show.

Harry K
 

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