Fell my first tree today!!!!!

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Stonewoodiron

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
244
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Location
Churchville Maryland
I’ll start off by saying “I’m nuts”
Arboristsite has been a big part of this journey so I figured I’d tell the story here. Besides, I started to tell my wife and she was just worried about the house being clean.
There is no logical reason that any sane person would do what I did if they didn’t have to. Picked up a “farm” saw on New Years day 2021-my first time with a chainsaw. Freehand cut a 4x4x48” out of a downed beech branch. 7 months later, milled 70-90 slabs out of downed trees in the neighborhood. This progressed to climbing and felling. Just like addiction- Cronic, progressive, and fatal. Hopefully not the fatal part. I’m not saying this was the most effective way of getting it done but it was the way I felt comfortable doing it. Not a good first tree for a number of reasons but, hey, it’s what I had. I spurred up with a flip line, tied a lanyard above, and cut off a limb- all the way up. 2 tie ins. Religious with the chain brake. The top left with a crack when halfway through and the tree shook and so did I!!! I did rope it halfway up and did an open face notch while standing on a 2x10- not easy to pound wedges. Had a very safe retreat and actually used the rope to finish the job- good hand tug. Fell where planned in spite of its back and side lean. The whole process was exciting, worrisome, exhausting, and exhilarating. Very exhausting! They never look that high from the ground, do they? Now, this wasn’t a whim. I planned this and rehearsed in my head over and over. Read books, watched videos, asked questions, had all the ppe, used quality equipment, slept well, ate and hydrated. What a great feeling. Now to mill it up!!!! Thanks for letting me share
 

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Stone it looks like you did every thing just right. You studied planned to achieve great results. I cut my first tree much much before internet was thought of and it was not as pretty as it could have been. I was fourteen with nobody to ask so I just jumped in and yes was a little exciting. 1626116671912.gifThanks
 
Good for you! It’s rare when someone realizes the dangers of tree work and does their homework before jumping in.
It’s a wonderful world of manly hard work.
Just mentioned to my wife the other day that I haven’t operated a chainsaw in a couple weeks. Really feeling the withdrawal symptoms.
 
Stone it looks like you did every thing just right. You studied planned to achieve great results. I cut my first tree much much before internet was thought of and it was not as pretty as it could have been. I was fourteen with nobody to ask so I just jumped in and yes was a little exciting. View attachment 917957Thanks
Thanks Ted! You were young for your first tree! It does seem like the younger you are, the more safe things seem.
 
Good for you! It’s rare when someone realizes the dangers of tree work and does their homework before jumping in.
It’s a wonderful world of manly hard work.
Just mentioned to my wife the other day that I haven’t operated a chainsaw in a couple weeks. Really feeling the withdrawal symptoms.
Did your wife roll her eyes over the chainsaw withdrawal?!?!
 
Thanks Ted! You were young for your first tree! It does seem like the younger you are, the more safe things seem.
Thanks Ted! You were young for your first tree! It does seem like the younger you are, the more safe things seem.
I believe safety is a mind set. I have seen so many people assume that they can accomplish any thing with out any planning and often get injured. When I was younger I realized I had no backup so had better do the job right in the first place. Thanks
 
I’ll start off by saying “I’m nuts”
Arboristsite has been a big part of this journey so I figured I’d tell the story here. Besides, I started to tell my wife and she was just worried about the house being clean.
There is no logical reason that any sane person would do what I did if they didn’t have to. Picked up a “farm” saw on New Years day 2021-my first time with a chainsaw. Freehand cut a 4x4x48” out of a downed beech branch. 7 months later, milled 70-90 slabs out of downed trees in the neighborhood. This progressed to climbing and felling. Just like addiction- Cronic, progressive, and fatal. Hopefully not the fatal part. I’m not saying this was the most effective way of getting it done but it was the way I felt comfortable doing it. Not a good first tree for a number of reasons but, hey, it’s what I had. I spurred up with a flip line, tied a lanyard above, and cut off a limb- all the way up. 2 tie ins. Religious with the chain brake. The top left with a crack when halfway through and the tree shook and so did I!!! I did rope it halfway up and did an open face notch while standing on a 2x10- not easy to pound wedges. Had a very safe retreat and actually used the rope to finish the job- good hand tug. Fell where planned in spite of its back and side lean. The whole process was exciting, worrisome, exhausting, and exhilarating. Very exhausting! They never look that high from the ground, do they? Now, this wasn’t a whim. I planned this and rehearsed in my head over and over. Read books, watched videos, asked questions, had all the ppe, used quality equipment, slept well, ate and hydrated. What a great feeling. Now to mill it up!!!! Thanks for letting me share
I'm PROUD of you..My grandson is 24 and has helped me many times but he's never dropped a really big tree alone. He's gone with the military for a while but when he gets home I have a wind damaged big tree thats gotta come down that I'm saving for him. I had all daughters so he's more like a son than a grandson so yes I'm very protective. It's his tree but I'll still be there just in case. I know he could do it alone but I'm not yet ready to turn him loose with a 60 cc saw and a 28 inch bar just yet..You have what it takes..Nerves and Smarts..Even now at 74 with years of experience I still never just rush at a tree..Rabbits can run from a Coyote and run in front of a car..The Cougar always studies his prey, plans his move and never gets into a hurry until he's sure he's ready.. So far I've had God and Luck on my side but all trees still get my respect..Several years ago someone just down the road a couple miles was killed while cutting a tree. In my mind there WILL NEVER be a NONE dangerous tree to fall..Also bucking can dangerous..I saw a tree roll over and a limb from the other side of the tree hit a guy when he cut a support limb on his side of the tree..I'm not ashamed to attach a line to a tree that may roll while cutting those support limbs.. Learning how to cut those weight bearing limbs from under a down tree is tricky..My guess is we all have our own tricks for that.. Safety first is my motto..Have a great day.. Congratulations on a successful job..
 
I'm PROUD of you..My grandson is 24 and has helped me many times but he's never dropped a really big tree alone. He's gone with the military for a while but when he gets home I have a wind damaged big tree thats gotta come down that I'm saving for him. I had all daughters so he's more like a son than a grandson so yes I'm very protective. It's his tree but I'll still be there just in case. I know he could do it alone but I'm not yet ready to turn him loose with a 60 cc saw and a 28 inch bar just yet..You have what it takes..Nerves and Smarts..Even now at 74 with years of experience I still never just rush at a tree..Rabbits can run from a Coyote and run in front of a car..The Cougar always studies his prey, plans his move and never gets into a hurry until he's sure he's ready.. So far I've had God and Luck on my side but all trees still get my respect..Several years ago someone just down the road a couple miles was killed while cutting a tree. In my mind there WILL NEVER be a NONE dangerous tree to fall..Also bucking can dangerous..I saw a tree roll over and a limb from the other side of the tree hit a guy when he cut a support limb on his side of the tree..I'm not ashamed to attach a line to a tree that may roll while cutting those support limbs.. Learning how to cut those weight bearing limbs from under a down tree is tricky..My guess is we all have our own tricks for that.. Safety first is my motto..Have a great day.. Congratulations on a successful job..
Thank you Wow! Please post your grandsons felling experience when he returns from the military. Your exactly right about studying the prey/tree. Always thinking “if I cut here, the tree will do this and the saw will do that”. It seems to be some of the toughest mental and physical work out there and requires hyper vigilance on safety. Like you said, each tree and situation has its dangers. Your grandson is lucky he has someone who’s so safety minded to be around when he’ll be dropping his tree.
 
I LOVE that quote!!
"Son, your gonna throw that bullrope up over that fork yonder, and then walk out there and throw a dummy hitch (timber hitch) past that limb... then come back and we'll throw another rope over that limb over yonder and butt tie it close... you just make that hip notch and cut slow, it'll swing off the house and we'll be at the bar by 2, and let these ground boys clean it up..."
 
He definitely had his own east Texas climber vernacular... a Prussik was a monkey knot, carabiner were clips... but he was a hell of a good teacher, former ITCC state champion. Lord he loved big picks... he even had a couple 7/8 bullropes. He was also a retired Harris County deputy, he'd show up to the job in his leathers on his Harley with his 1911 on his belt, lol. For 2 years after Ike I was just his monkey in the tree... he would sit there in his lawn chair drinking sweet tea and direct me.
 
He definitely had his own east Texas climber vernacular... a Prussik was a monkey knot, carabiner were clips... but he was a hell of a good teacher, former ITCC state champion. Lord he loved big picks... he even had a couple 7/8 bullropes. He was also a retired Harris County deputy, he'd show up to the job in his leathers on his Harley with his 1911 on his belt, lol. For 2 years after Ike I was just his monkey in the tree... he would sit there in his lawn chair drinking sweet tea and direct me.
I would have paid to watch that action! He could have probably had his own channel if YouTube was a thing back then
 

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