average age of arborist

[FBerkel]

The aches and pains

When I get to feeling sorry for myself, I think of the old guy back home who kept climbing, post colon surgery, with a colostomy bag--into his seventies. His name was Nescheret, and he's a legend around central New Jersey.

 

[fmueller]

Hey Great,
I'm 45 and just getting started. Glad to hear I'm not the only one my age doing this. But it sure does remind me that I'm not 20 anymore! Arrgh!

 

[Burnham]

Tom and I share birthyear...I achieve 50 come February. Back, shoulders hurt sometimes, but I figure use it or lose it...thank goodness for ibuprofen .

 

[seanlarkin]

Geez, after reading this thread, I'll have to suggest some new products for our catalog...

Ha ha. Just kidding guys. None of you are what anyone would consider "old". You go out and bust your butts everyday, doing hard, dangerous work... that's "spirited", not old!

-Sean

 

[DadF]

47 and proud of it. I'm with Tom D though-the curve should have gone higher.
Sean can we get quantity discounts on any of those

 

[MasterBlaster]

It looks like us 'old guys' are the majority around here!

 

[treeman82]

As far as I know, there is a guy down in Scarsdale, Carmine Serpe. He is really a consultant now, but has a company which does commercial tree care. The guy still climbs once in a while... and I think he is well into his 70's now.

 

[TREETX]

Being less than 2 years away from 30, I was starting to feel old. Thanks guys.

Scary thing about life in America is that I am probably the most fit person I know. My friends who have stayed sedentary through their 20s seem condemned now in their 30s. At a certain point you just can NEVER catch up physically.

My dad, 50, is in much better shape than I am and he spent the last 30 yrs in an office or in the gym and physically working on the weekends. When it comes to loading logs, dragging brush, or lifting in the gym, he kicks my ass. He claims the secrect to not getting "old" is not giving in to it and staying active. He claims too many people just sit on the couch getting lazy and out of shape and when you wake up in your 40s out of shape, you are F-ed.

I have many hopes and aspirations as an arborist. Growing old and working WITH/IN trees is one of them.

Just got done pruning a bunch of unruly pecans and then dragging brush. Now I'm off to the gym when others would be off to happy hour.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Sean,

I'm working on putting a motor on the cart. When would I have to have it in production to get in the new catalog? Of course, it'll come in your choice of colors as long as its pink

When is Sherrill going to offer Seniors Discount? You know that Seniors have more disposable income than any other group

Tom

 

[Burnham]

Sean, you can call it "Sherrill's Geriactric Gear" . I've been looking for a backpacking equipment retailer with a similar section .

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by TREETX
Now I'm off to the gym when others would be off to happy hour.

Have you discovered the benifits of working only ONE BODYPART every 6 or 7 days?

 

[rahtreelimbs]

A real good friend of mine is 59 now. He used to teach a ACRT. He can climb with the best of them. BTW I'm 41!

 

[Crispin Hoar]

43 Have been climbing longer than our new guy is old. (22). I climb better and easier each year. I climb with my kids now but look forward to climbing with the grandkids some day.

 

[seanlarkin]

Good ideas. We'd have to switch to big print though, so you fogeys could read it.

Sherrill Geriatric Gear

 

[rbtree]

I'm gettin' old enuf to brag, sorry fellers...I'm 54, and am in as good shape as 20 years ago, plus my skills are many times better. Have yet to find a youngun that can keep up..

We're 60% done wrecking a huge western white pine...so big I called in Bob York and another ground man, bringing the crew to 4.5 (Ian's knee is bummin')Bob is 69 and still going strong...he is also far and away the best steelhead fly fisherman ever..having caught 4 or 5 on a fly over 30 lb, 3 more than anyone else.

My goal is to drop a 30 foot cliff into deep powder at the top of a 5000 foot 40-50 degree steep Alaskan face, and descend it at mach speed...at age 70.

 

[GlennG]

35 and have been climbing for only 7 months. After a mid-life career change I am having the time of my life. I`m looking foward to getting my certification and to continue climbing and learning for as long as god lets me. I`m much more physically fit in my 30`s than I was in my 20`s . A note to the youngsters, Eat right , sleep good , exercise. Live clean and your body will still be young when your peers are old.

Glenn Gertis

 

[njarbor]

im twenty. people at davey have seen my gear and i see them scratching there heads and wondering what all the shiny stuff is for

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by njarbor
im twenty. people at davey have seen my gear and i see them scratching there heads and wondering what all the shiny stuff is for

I'm still scratching my head!

 

[njarbor]

people at davey are very old school. one guy saw it picked it up and was looking at it and didnt know what to make of it. he asked why i had this and that and what they did and what purpous it served in the tree. he responded with oh so does it come with instructions and where do you put the batteries?

 

[underwor]

As I have said before, I am 56 and climb regular in the summers, when not teaching school. I can outclimb a few of the students in class for the first few days, until they figure out how I do it, then youth kicks in for speed. I can still out work them in the tree for the first year or so, using less energy more efficiently. One of my instructors with Davey in "67" was 76 and still climbed occasionally. I plan to last at least as long. Need to get hold of Jerry Baranek and line up a climb of the Underwood Tree Redwood in California for my 60th birthday, I would probably let some kids like Tom Dunlap and Oxman come along if they wanted to. Just as long as they did not slow me down.

Have fun, Bob Underwood, from North Dakota, where the challenge is not to climb a tree, but to find it!!!!!