Donnarshmr
ArboristSite Member
After taking on a property where substantial tree work is needed, I've been working at learning to fell trees and becoming more and more self-sufficient in it. I've gotten pretty comfortable taking down "average" trees but I've hit something I am in no way, shape, or form, willing to touch on my own, so it's time to call a professional. One of my cousins worked for years for a tree removal service, so my first call was to him. He came out an assessed the tree and his verdict was that I was completely screwed. His recommendation was to find someone who still knew how to drop a tree with explosives, but I'm not sure how you look that up in the phone book.
The tree in question is a standing dead Ash in the range of 85' tall and 42-43" DBH. The tree was killed some years before we bought the property when the Emerald Ash Borer came through. The tree is growing in the side of a STEEP slope. The tree does not threaten any structure but is immediately beside the only access to the upper half of our property (it's literally growing at the edge of the access grade where it falls into the ravine). My initial concern was that this thing will start dropping massive limbs or even fall down completely while we're walking or driving the tractor underneath it. If it goes in a storm, I don't really care because we won't be under it and there's nothing for it to hurt. The serious complication came when my cousin the former arborist inspected the down-slope side of it (which I can't access due to health issues). He found that the entire lower side of the base of the trunk is completely hollowed out. On the high side of the hill, the tree looks intact. On the low side of the hill, he says the tree is missing material 8-10" deep across the whole width and that what remains is soft enough he could push his fingers through it and rip out chunks. Because of this, the tree can't be felled. He says there's too much damage to climb it and take it down in sections. There's no access with a bucket truck close enough to the tree to allow it to be sectioned down that way.
So, in this situation, what do I need to look for in professional help and what skill do I need to ask for on the phone to make sure I've got a hold of the right kind of shop?
Thanks!
The tree in question is a standing dead Ash in the range of 85' tall and 42-43" DBH. The tree was killed some years before we bought the property when the Emerald Ash Borer came through. The tree is growing in the side of a STEEP slope. The tree does not threaten any structure but is immediately beside the only access to the upper half of our property (it's literally growing at the edge of the access grade where it falls into the ravine). My initial concern was that this thing will start dropping massive limbs or even fall down completely while we're walking or driving the tractor underneath it. If it goes in a storm, I don't really care because we won't be under it and there's nothing for it to hurt. The serious complication came when my cousin the former arborist inspected the down-slope side of it (which I can't access due to health issues). He found that the entire lower side of the base of the trunk is completely hollowed out. On the high side of the hill, the tree looks intact. On the low side of the hill, he says the tree is missing material 8-10" deep across the whole width and that what remains is soft enough he could push his fingers through it and rip out chunks. Because of this, the tree can't be felled. He says there's too much damage to climb it and take it down in sections. There's no access with a bucket truck close enough to the tree to allow it to be sectioned down that way.
So, in this situation, what do I need to look for in professional help and what skill do I need to ask for on the phone to make sure I've got a hold of the right kind of shop?
Thanks!
