Tool choice to ID safe anchor.

[ropensaddle]

Thanks. What the h*ll we're all in the same boat if we climb trees. I just climb slower than pros most of the time, well not exactly now that a Pantin has become fused to my foot. I'm becoming a little retarded because all I'm climbing are conifers lately, have to get back into some hardwoods soon.

Hey what happened to the main topic?

So what's the deal? Judging the TIP is all about assessing the whole tree, then the TIP, then do a final bounce test before you start climbing. On big conifers there's a good chance you won't be able to see the TIP so you do SRT entry with a trunk anchored static rope and make sure the rope is over several sturdy branches in case the primary TIP blows out. Anything else?
-moss

That seems to pretty well cover it. The whap whap too funny here it
is thud thud pop

 

[masiman]

That was off the cuff of me to slag an entire species like that. I climb mostly in woods and in Eastern Massachusetts a red oak in the woods is likely to have all kinds of problems. I climb them all the time but they have to be approached with caution. Ditto on the "hidden" heart rot problem. A good eye sees it, a no brainer for an experienced arborist but not obvious to everyone else.

We don't have enough tulip poplars around for me to have good experience with them. I've climbed a massive one down south that was solid but many of the tulips around here look like kind of busted up. Eastern Cottonwood is the one that makes me nervous.
-moss

Thanks, I'll take your experience over mine. I have only climbed 3 so far.

The tulips poplars grow quick. They can be 40' and I'm guessing 8" dbh if they are under canopy. The wood is not very strong, soft but not as soft as pine. They feel a little sturdier than a 6' section of pvc sometimes . I have a 70' one in my yard I will probably take down this spring to give the other trees some room. It is ~22" dbh. If you are down in VA, you are welcome to climb it.

 

[moss]

..here it is thud thud pop

Crunch! That last pop hurt too much. I'm better off fighting in the flyweight keyboard class. Ok, off to the emergency room to get my jaw wired.
-moss

 

[masiman]

Hey Moss,

I just read the post in Inj. and Fat. plus the other boards and blog about Eric . I better understand where you are coming from about the red oaks.

Reading that made me try to remember every TIP I have done in a red oak. I think all of my TIPS have been at the spar but I am not sure . Great after action analysis by you and others in the other forums. It's making me think safer as the season draws near for me.

Thanks!