Silver Maple Rigging Challenge

rbtree

Climbing Up
Joined
Jun 22, 2005
Messages
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The video does a fairly good job of showing the tree and the work required.

It was a ~23" dbh silver maple, totally one-sided due to the 120 foot lombardy poplar to one side. AND, it's 40-60 foot wide canopy was over a large cherry, also one-sided. The job called for the GRCS and spectra double braided near zero stretch line...and the Milwaukee Super Hawg two speed right angle drill with Greg Good's custom drill chuck which replaces the hand crank.

First task was setting lines in the poplar, which didn't start off well. Small poplar twigs form tight spaces that causes problems with line setting. Yep, right off, after finally nailing the right spot, I left the throw ball on when I sent up the access line, which promptly got stuck-in both directions. Dang. Set another line, leaned on it, and it was no good, as we broke a good sized limb. Finally got a line set, Wraptored up. Set lifeline for Pat, while setting the rigging line, and moving the stuck line to another crotch as a backup lowering line. Meanwhile, Pat was climbing up, not wanting to bother with the Wraptor. I headed down, and did a bit of cutting while he was getting in position. Came out, and the crew went to work. I was able to get a lot of pictures and videos, and help as needed.

While getting ready took a lot of time, overall, the job went well. Thankfully, we only had to tip tie and lift less than half of the limbs, or the job would have taken forever. AS it was, it took at least 1.4 hours more than I'd bid it for. No worries, as we gained a happy client, and a video, which clearly showcases our rigging expertise. (Sorry about the ego.....) I'd charged $2000 for the relatively small tree, the most I recall for a tree that size that wasn't storm related. It could have been more, but I'm very happy with the price.

On most of the tricky limb lifts, Pat had to really tread slowly and cautiously, and swing out of the potential danger zone, and let Ryan crank up the limb or log. As well, he had to make sure his lifeline would be clear of the path the lowering line would take as the load moved....not an easy task. A couple times, Pat had to reposition a line, or himself, which meant some time climbing up and around, as it seemed the way to go at the time to solve the problem.

And, as explained in the video, Pat had tied off a very large limb, at least 11" and 50 feet long. Thankfully we talked about it, and realized there was risk of the spar failing, which Pat was tied into. The consequences of that would and could have been catastrophic. (he spar was a vertical poplar lead, and only about 10" where the block was attached. In retropsect, I should have back tied that spar to one behind it, always a good idea, and one we've done before. Later, when I derigged the tree, I saw that the rigging sling had been pulled down, about a foot, taking the bark with it.

Last, the job was a referral from Conor Haggerty of Sitkum Tree Service. I met Conor at the Bainbridge Island Tree Climbing Comp. He used to work in Seattle, but has relocated to Port Angeles. So, he's going to refer more clients my way. What a guy!! There's 291 pics of that very fun event here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbtree/sets/72157644454478123/
 
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Stand by, the vid is still uploading on YT....
 
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What's that contraption in the first pic? Art? It looks like it wants to fly away...
Just a cool sculpture in a yard a ways away from where we camped, ironically at Eric Lindbergh's spread. Yes, he's Charles' grandson.

He's working on electric flight www.poweringimagination.com, is an awesome artist.. www.lindberghgallery.com makes rustic live edge furniture and art, and great skier, who I knew back in the '80s. I photographed him dropping 25 feet into a sweet and challenging couloir called "Teddy Bear Chute", named as the professional patrol hung a teddy bear on the bomb tram wire transversing the chute. (for dropping charges to purposely set off avalanches to make the area safe for skiers.)

Dang, the vid is taking forever to process on YT....

I gotta go, have a bunch of bids to do.
 
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Enjoy! I think we did quite well, especially considering the challenges, and the fact that Ryan is quite new to the GRCS.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/c9mjQtm-BGQ?list=UUlOJwkqt8D_n53S2go6YY-A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Looked like a involved job. If your customers don't care about denting a fence they're easier going than most of mine. Or did you mean you'd just have it fixed?
 
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Squishie, roping those limbs would been a mess, as they'd have hung up in the cherry. As it was, they almost did. There was nothing in that yard but dried up dog poop. It was Pat's call, and a good one, as it really sped up the job by reducing the amount of slow and awkward rigging we had to do. Same went for the huge lateral over another yard. After I'd lowered its side limb to clear a large horizontal trellis, Pat wrecked it in about 5 minutes, leaving only its butt to lower/swing/lift in two sections.
 
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Sara told me that, a few years ago, she'd had a bid of $7000 to remove the two lombardy poplar. I'd guessed at $8000. Might be closer to $10k, including wood removal....
 
Squishie, roping those limbs would been a mess, as they'd have hung up in the cherry. As it was, they almost did. There was nothing in that yard but dried up dog poop. It was Pat's call, and a good one, as it really sped up the job by reducing the amount of slow and awkward rigging we had to do. Same went for the huge lateral over another yard. After I'd lowered its side limb to clear a large horizontal trellis, Pat wrecked it in about 5 minutes, leaving only its butt to lower/swing/lift in two sections.

Cool Roger, didn't mean to sound like I was second guessing. Things always look different in vid/pics. I hate dog poop yards!
 
Where's the link? Am I the only one who can't find the video


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Video links don't show for me either with tapatalk. The work around is hit the ... Button and choose webview and it will show up now. Cheers
 
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Ger, I own 4 tripods..... A heavy old Gitzo with no head currently attached...

Two are Chinese Gitzo knock off's, both carbon fiber, paid between $120 and $240, iirc..... The larger one weighs only a couple pounds, is rated to 26 lb, but when shooting with the 500 and 2x, it takes nearly the full 10 second delay to stop vibrating...though the leg screws were loose, and I've since tightened them...I'll bet its better now.....and I should hang a weight from the post bottom. I'll be traveling 50 miles Friday night to capture the full moon as it rises behind Mt Rainier..... did that two moons ago, but a few clouds have come in and ruined the perfect images....

The smaller tripod has a ~$60 ball head on it, which isn't bad...but I have a $400 Acratech on the other, which is really nice. It weighs in at a mere 1 lb, and gimballs nicely with my (now stolen 300 f/2.8). The new to me 500 f/4.5 L is only a tad heavier but is longer, and a bit nose heavy but still gimballs acceptably. I scored it for $8500 less than the current 500 f/4, which has IS.

Bix, there were three of us on the ground, except when both Pat and I were aloft, for just a bit of cutting, and the setup time.....
 
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