Notoriously dangerous trees

[Kevin]

I realize that there are several situations where all types of trees can be dangerous to climb due to rot but what trees most often give you the willies?
White or Paper Birch must be right up on top of just about every list.

 

[treeclimber165]

Dead trees of all types can be scary, some more than others. Chinaberry, golden rain, camphor come to mind. Storm damaged trees can have hidden cracks where you wouldn't expect. Knowing the type of wood and it's characteristics live and dead can help ease the 'willies' a lot. Unfortunately the best way to learn these traits is by climbing these type of trees. Double-tie at all times and go slow. Test questionable limbs before putting all your weight on them. Listen and feel for the 'give' in the limb you are standing on. Always give yourself an out. Know what you are going to do if the limb you are standing on gives way. And trust yourself , your knowledge and your instincts.
Courage isn't lack of fear. Courage is facing fear and proceeding anyway.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

How about the monkeypuzzle?

 

[treeman82]

what about the alanthis trees? those are garbage, but they grow in the worst possible places. For me, the stuff that freaks me out is the ones that are rotten, and you dont have any way to access them, or to just cut em at the bottom. ie; rigged and lowered.

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Here we go again, I agree with Treeclimber165 on his choice of "willie trees"but there is nothing like a slim,DEAD pine.Skinny trees to me are very hard to work in,your spikes are closer together and balance is hard with limited movement.Folks look at me funny when I tell them that the 80' tree with a diameter the same as a ceral bowl cost more to climb than a larger Pine the same hight.Smaller is not always cheaper,in my book Weather sure is nice here in North Florida.

 

[Toddppm]

I'd have to go with pine too, any pine in this are that dies seems to instantly get eaten up by bugs.
Last sumer we took down about 12 virginia pines at this one house, all about 15" x about 65', had to rope the tops out of almost all of them . Who needs roller coasters when you can be slingshotted around in a pine

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I was in a dead spruce this summer in CO that got my knees aknocking. I called Joey back to give me a hand with it. That guy is good.

Of the runof the mill species in ths area I have to go with Siberian elm and then boxelder. The get so many cankers and rots. I had a six inch boxelder branch fail under me once, I was around five feet out on it tooo.

 

[Darin]

I will agree with the boxelder. I would think cottonwood would be high on guys lists too.

BTW John since you say you are so big are your knees knocking or the trees shaking?

 

[Chain Gang]

Bad Trees

I'd have to agree with Monkeypuzzle and Toddppm: Tall, rotten, skinny pines here in NC are the worst to climb.

It is amazing how a tree thinner than my thigh, can be completely rotten, and still standing 65 feet tall. Often, once I've cut them, I can see only a 1 to 2 inch core of good wood surrounded by 4 inches of beatle-eaten fluff. At least they aren't heavy to clean up!

 

[treeclimber165]

Those tall skinny dead trees can sometimes be cut down from the bottom up without climbing them. If they are near any other tree that can support the weight, I have 1) set a rope in them high, run it through a fork in a nearby tree, and cut it from the bottom- lowering it down to where I can reach each cut. or 2) Cut it from the bottom, aiming it into a nearby tree, and 'walking' down the base by cutting 4' chunks almost all the way through and hinging the butt down to the ground by pushing the trunk. You can keep the top aimed into the other tree by which direction you cut your 4' chunks from the bottom.

 

[sslester]

In my area I'd say cottonwoods are up on the list with Maples also being right up on the list. In this area I get lots of 50 year plus old trees hollow down to the ground and most of the way up branches with any size. Going to look at one like this Monday sixty feet with a nice crown covering the whole front yard, driveway, and powerlines (I think) I've seen the tree in passing but never really inspected it.

Boxelders are also usually hollow and full of wildlife, Squirrels don't like me

Time to go to sleep 10:30 here.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Hmmm, cottonwood, silver maple and boxelder. That covers the species list for Iowa, no?

 

[sslester]

Ya that about does it, and and I usally get called after the tree is so hollow I could fit right down the middle, being that I'm not that overweight.

Just kidding we still have some Oak, walnut, and a few ash here and their, and the ornamentals that people love to have taken care of. I really like comming away from a job and having the tree look like mother nature has been treating it right. This year I have done a number of removals which I don't mind when safety is an issue for the homeowner or passers-by, but not when it's just for satalite reception.

Upon going through the noth side of town today I see that line clearance slid thru and devestated about 20 trees, I haven't seen such a job in a long time about half the trees look like the one the proud cowboy topped in the thread on tree topping, or they have a valley thirty feet wide and down to about ten feet off the ground. Needless to say the property owners I talked to are a little distressed.

I relize line clearance is essential so I'm not trying to get on anybodies back but these guys just didn't care and trees paid the price.

By the way I drove over to your state a couple years ago, nice country, just corn and beans around here.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

WI is a great place, I had a very good offer to stay in CO this summer, but turned it down. I need variety. Especialy in what I climb, spruce, pine, pine spruce just don't cut it. (I figure Joey was trying to set it up so he could bolt.)

We have some prarie, some limestone cliffs, lotsa rivers and lakes.

I know what you mean about removals and such. I try to be a more of a property manager and less "Advocati di Arbor" but it is hard sometimes. I have some very cool looking trees that very high risk and target values and the management call them "Habitat". I had Tom D. out in may and he was shaking his head at some of them. I have a pic of one I'll have to scan and post.

 

[The Climber]

several of the trees mentioned so far are also on my list,but I think butternut belongs with them. I havent seen many arround here(thank god) but even the healthy ones have verry little stringth especilly at the connection point(limb to trunk or lead)

 

[HUSKYMAN]

I thought butternut was like walnut and fairly strong

 

[The Climber]

You got me to questioning my memory huskyman, and I think your right. I've only seen a couple of the tree I was refering to and that has been at least 4 or 5 years ago, so I'm probably remembering the name wrong. Looking in my NAS field guide I see a bladdernut that looks closer to what I remember, and with the similar name i'll bet that was what they were. Thanks for the correction, I'll check into it and see if I'm on the right track now.

 

[tree md]

I have to go with the tall dead skinny pines and storm damaged poplar. when I was first starting out (and about thirty pounds lighter) i went up a skinny dead pine here in georgia, it was about 65' and put a rope in it. when i came down and pulled on it it came over before my boss could put a saw in it... learnd a lesson on that one. beware of hanging dead trees first of all it can break off and hurt you while you are under it and second it can break off and damage property. be sure that you inspect any storm damaged poplars also they can have hard to see hair line cracks. I always try to find a nearby tree to tie into before climbing in either situation.