Female climbers

[a sheila]

me too

Hmmmm, the 'age' question! You KNOW the boys are watching.

Awright, here goes, I'm 46

That is my age too. What do you run for saws?

 

[mattfr12]

Cool, this thread got a bump!
Hiya Sheila!
Hard to believe this thread started three years ago, I'm still climbing and cutting, but yes, two or three days a week is plenty!
Pic from a crane removal...I love machinery

Nice pictures. Thats impressive, I've never seen a girl doing crane picks before. Seems like you know what your doing. Keep up the good work.

You ever get any video's of you picking? only reason i ask is it would probably be encouragement for other female climbers that you don't have to be some big burly guy to take down monster trees. and over in your neck of the woods theres definitely a few monsters around.

 

[mattfr12]

I really enjoyed the crane shots you posted. It brings back good memories. I loved working with our crane ( all except with the add on, jib boom:msp_ohmy. If you dont mind me asking, how old are you?

Also impressive career choice. very few female climbers in the world. More power to you. Ive never seen another female climber other than you two doing real tree work. the girls at the competitions don't compare to someone actually up in a tree dismantling it.

 

[Bermie]

Thanks Matt...

Sheila, I run 020/200t, 260, and 361. If I need anything bigger I'll borrow it. I was using a 460 this week, really like the extra power. I'm an acolyte of the short bar, a 20" bar will see most trees I need to cut done, bore cuts, reduction cuts, double cuts plenty of wedges...safer than trying to heft a too big power head with a too long bar!
I thought we might be twins or something, same age, size and tree climbers, haha.

 

[Lucille89Hall]

There was a whole controversy of women firefighters. I'm all for equal opportunity, but if physical limitations jepordize safety, ie, not being able to fireman carry a person from a burning building or not being able to run a bull rope with a 600 lb. piece attached, then a line has been crossed.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

My father was a dr. and he was pretty horrified and disappointed with my career choice. I have a ba from columbia u and i climb trees and drive a small dump truck. oh well. i am happy.

Got a little college, Folks not thrilled with career choice, Get paid to play in trees at a mature age....sounds like 3/5 of the people here

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Thanks Matt...

Sheila, I run 020/200t, 260, and 361. If I need anything bigger I'll borrow it. I was using a 460 this week, really like the extra power. I'm an acolyte of the short bar, a 20" bar will see most trees I need to cut done, bore cuts, reduction cuts, double cuts plenty of wedges...safer than trying to heft a too big power head with a too long bar!
I thought we might be twins or something, same age, size and tree climbers, haha.

That about mirrors me, I have a 385 in the garage, but hate taking it out most of the time. Mostly slabbing a log with my Alaskan mill.

I keep a 12 inch bar on my 020 because it tangles in stuff less. (btw i. 250# and 81" tall)

 

[Kate Butler]

Well, I'm new to THIS party - posted some time back but haven't been keeping up. I'm 64 and try like hell NOT to climb if I don't have to. Still taking down trees, though.

 

[sgreanbeans]

That about mirrors me, I have a 385 in the garage, but hate taking it out most of the time. Mostly slabbing a log with my Alaskan mill.

I keep a 12 inch bar on my 020 because it tangles in stuff less. (btw i. 250# and 81" tall)

I still do the same thing, its like a light saber, just shorter

 

[tree md]

I use the lightest saw I can get away with. I use my 361, 20" bar on all the big wood I can. Gonna have to use my 660, 30" bar in the tree tomorrow on a large Oak, as my 044 is down right now, and I am dreading it.

 

[a sheila]

Nothing to prove

I use the lightest saw I can get away with. I use my 361, 20" bar on all the big wood I can. Gonna have to use my 660, 30" bar in the tree tomorrow on a large Oak, as my 044 is down right now, and I am dreading it.

I am past the point of trying to prove anything except that i want to get the job done safely, in good time and with some grace. I can go longer and safer with the lightest saw that will get the job done. My 338xpt has been good to me- but it was a replacement hard won after the first one proved to be a lemon. It had an auto decompression valve ( yes, in a topping saw) that kept screwing up. Pulling on that thing in a tree was wearing me out. After a million emails they replaced the saw and i have had no more problems. My 242, small but my ground saw for many year started to have some problems. I moved up to a 346xp ( gift from my boyfriend) and i have been impressed with its snap. That thing can cut. I belive it weighs maybe a 1/2 lb more that the 242 but has twice the guts. Yes, i am running pretty small saws but they get the job done.

 

[tree md]

I am in my 40's as well (43) and find that the joints in my shoulders hurt after a day of having to use my large saws on the ground all day. Kind of sucks to have to come down out of the tree and run the big saw on the ground but I'd rather do it than turn an inexperienced groundy loose with one of the big saws. It is what it is. I love the days that the biggest saw I have to touch is my 200... Better yet, my hand saw.

 

[mattfr12]

I am past the point of trying to prove anything except that i want to get the job done safely, in good time and with some grace. I can go longer and safer with the lightest saw that will get the job done. My 338xpt has been good to me- but it was a replacement hard won after the first one proved to be a lemon. It had an auto decompression valve ( yes, in a topping saw) that kept screwing up. Pulling on that thing in a tree was wearing me out. After a million emails they replaced the saw and i have had no more problems. My 242, small but my ground saw for many year started to have some problems. I moved up to a 346xp ( gift from my boyfriend) and i have been impressed with its snap. That thing can cut. I belive it weighs maybe a 1/2 lb more that the 242 but has twice the guts. Yes, i am running pretty small saws but they get the job done.

Big saws are cool to look at and fun to run. But when your talking 6-8 hours I hate them. I sent my 372xp out to a saw builder to put a ported big bore on it and Muffler mod. Best 250$ you'll spend. I'm pulling a 36" with it all day and it rips with it.

362 stihl has a 28" on it I use for crane jobs. It's ported with muffler mod. And I went up to a 8 pin rim on both saws.

So I don't carry a 660 or 880 to much anymore. A few times a year. I just had some smaller saws hot roded up so I can pull the big bars with half the weight in the power head. No one can say climbing with a 660 is fun. That damn saw is the reason I had to put suspenders on my saddle.

My guys can't get within twenty feet of me when I'm running that 372 it will make your ears bleed. I put the foam inserts in my ears then put my muffs down. It's way louder t Han a dirt bike.


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?wfpt4l

 

[beastmaster]

There was a whole controversy of women firefighters. I'm all for equal opportunity, but if physical limitations jepordize safety, ie, not being able to fireman carry a person from a burning building or not being able to run a bull rope with a 600 lb. piece attached, then a line has been crossed.

I am kind of stocky and strong, and I couldn't handle a 600lb piece of wood attached to a bull line, unless it was though some kind of braking device ,then even my 22 year old daughter could handle it. So women might not make the best groundmen on clean up if a lot of heavy wood had to be picked up, but I see no safety issues.
I fought wildland fires for many years, and I've seen women running up hills with 50lbs of fire hose, that would kill the average untrained man. I think a well trained women in a emergency situation with her adrenaline pumping could do what ever it took to save a life. I have also seen some unfit men working as first responders that might not be up to the task. The fact is, it isn't so black and white.
I have a niece and niece in law both in the armed forces. My niece has done two tours in Afghanistan in the air force and my Niece in law(married to my nephew)is a master Sargent and did a tour in Iraq with the US Army as a nurse and field medic. I wonder where they stand in this controversy?

 

[a sheila]

delegate

I am kind of stocky and strong, and I couldn't handle a 600lb piece of wood attached to a bull line, unless it was though some kind of braking device ,then even my 22 year old daughter could handle it. So women might not make the best groundmen on clean up if a lot of heavy wood had to be picked up, but I see no safety issues.
I fought wildland fires for many years, and I've seen women running up hills with 50lbs of fire hose, that would kill the average untrained man. I think a well trained women in a emergency situation with her adrenaline pumping could do what ever it took to save a life. I have also seen some unfit men working as first responders that might not be up to the task. The fact is, it isn't so black and white.
I have a niece and niece in law both in the armed forces. My niece has done two tours in Afghanistan in the air force and my Niece in law(married to my nephew)is a master Sargent and did a tour in Iraq with the US Army as a nurse and field medic. I wonder where they stand in this controversy?

That is why you carefully pick a crew. I dont necessarily need 4 bulls on the same job. If you put some thought into it and there is a decent pool to choose from I would try and have a crew that has a common basic skill set and also some individual specialties. We have had some pretty big,strong groundmen that were great at," Move this over there." and that was about it. Also with all the machinary available we are not doing as much brutal labor. I like to take people on a case by case basis. Hats off to beastmasters brave female kin.

 

[Bermie]

Well, I'm new to THIS party - posted some time back but haven't been keeping up. I'm 64 and try like hell NOT to climb if I don't have to. Still taking down trees, though.

You GO Kate! When I grow up I want to be like you:msp_thumbup:

I declined doing the felling cuts on a 120'tall, 5' diameter dead pine last week, the stump was too high abouve the flair, too big for my little saws and I'm too small for the 660 with a 3' bar at chest height...sometimes you have to realize your limitations.

 

[Pelorus]

"We have had some pretty big,strong groundmen that were great at," Move this over there." and that was about it."


Yeah, I can relate to that. My donkey is limited pretty much to feeding a chipper or dragging brush uphill. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, I've had the opportunity to have a Grade 12 student help me recently. She lacks upper body strength, and ain't great running a saw, but is quick to learn new stuff, is polite and respectful, and is a real treat to work with. A hybrid that has her brains and personality, but also the donkey's brute's strength would be ideal.

I know that I'm becoming more partial to adjusting to the girl's physical limitations, than the donkey's unwillingness to use his brain.

 

[a sheila]

I hear you loud and clear

"We have had some pretty big,strong groundmen that were great at," Move this over there." and that was about it."


Yeah, I can relate to that. My donkey is limited pretty much to feeding a chipper or dragging brush uphill. On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, I've had the opportunity to have a Grade 12 student help me recently. She lacks upper body strength, and ain't great running a saw, but is quick to learn new stuff, is polite and respectful, and is a real treat to work with. A hybrid that has her brains and personality, but also the donkey's brute's strength would be ideal.

I know that I'm becoming more partial to adjusting to the girl's physical limitations, than the donkey's unwillingness to use his brain.

Your last sentence is so profound and enlightened. It is easier to compensate for some small limitation than for a lack of IQ. This is the way of the future- " work smart". If you have a woman that can think on her feet and anticipate what to do next but cannot press 150 lbs I will still hire her over the 250 lb muscle man that is getting ready to feed my climbing line into the chipper. I prefer to use hand truck or skid steer and live another day.

 

[imagineero]

and on the flipside of the coin.....

There's a whole lot more feeding crap into a chipper and dragging branches uphill than using your brain for most grounding work. Anyone with a brain wouldn't want to be a groundie, it's not an intelligent life choice. The vast majority of long term groundies in aus end up in that position through lack of ambition, alcholism, drug use and some kind of working class ethic. No amount of brains is going to help a person pick up a heavy log, or slog through 10-12 hours of hard physical labour. The tree market is a little different over here though - I've never seen anyone with a mini skidder, and only 2 guys I know in my state have grapples on their chippers. It's all manual work.

I usually run a 3-4 man crew. On that ratio, one of the guys has enough brains to tie knots, let a rope run and run a saw to a high level of skill. One other guy knows how to tie a few knots and can operate a saw without hurting himself. The other 2 can tie their shoelaces with some assistance as long as their tongue is in the right position, and can manage to put fuel into the right hole in a saw most of the time if given instruction prior to each filling. On bigger jobs I have up to 10 guys. On a 10 man crew, 5-6 will be retards, but capable of carrying their own body weight in wood.

See how that high school girl is going for you in a couple years when the novelty factor has worn off.... but she'll be gone long before then if she really does have any brains. Must be nice having a female looking up to you for a change though ;-)

Shaun

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Yeah, I can relate to that. My donkey is limited pretty much

But then showing up on time is one of the prime requirements for grunt labor. $13 an hour and a sandwich is a keeper!