180 Foot Tall by 48" DBH Ponderosa Dismantle

CurSedVoyce

California Hillbilly
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Jun 30, 2008
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Near Yosemite in CA USA
Finally got around to getting some video of things more recent. I am not a big one on sitting at a computer and rendering this stuff, splicing it all together and what not.
SO we had this leaning ponderosa on a property we had both Dave and Deva help us with. Deva prepped two this size on the same slope that we were able to fell up hill where the excavator could yard them out. This one just was not going to happen that way. Leaning all down hill towards a little barn. Still green though. HO just did not want to take the chance of leaving it. All the wind shading above it was almost gone. Just needed to go.
SO the plan is to preserve as much understory as possible, can't fell it straight down hill due to targets. Side hill is understory. ALso down hill is a class two creek. But we did have the recently made skidding road.
SO tree had to be reduced, brush lined down the hill and across the creek as much as possible.
We got a late start one week on the tree and lined all the lower canopy out. Some was not going to clear the creek, so we landed it for yarding on the tree side, and dropped the real low stuff just below the tree to be bundled and yarded out later.
The Videos start on out second day, returning to the site and tree to continue. I had left a throw line in the tree at almost 150 feet so I could pull up an ascent line and get right to work....
 
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Biggun, Steven. You continue to impress. Kudos on the quality of the talent you have brought in, as well. First class show.
 
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Once we were down to a 160 foot or so stick... It was ground clean up time.
Big thanks to Reg here. Negative zip line. That worked a charm. Zip line set 150 foot up the tree, probably at least 30 or so feet in slope rise. Add portable winch. Put some straps on the brush, tension, and down it comes. HUGE time and labor saver. Some (most) of the limbs were huge. For a man to move them down slope, they would have been cut into multiple pieces, making for many nasty trips. Clean up went quick, mini just moved everything to a large burn pile (that we later go to chip DOH!)

 
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I had set multiple lines in the tree as I worked.
You probably noticed the three strand in the first vid. Due to the height, and me not being a spring chicken, I often have my ground men pull stuff up to me. So I set that line about where I would need all the loop runners back that I Wraptored up with. And should I need a different saw? Well, no problem. My shoulders have been giving me issues in the past, this is more better.
SO after clean up, I Wraptored back up an ascent line, and used it for a retrieval line with a pully (in case).
I sectioned down the stem with my Echo 680 with a 29 bar. So it came up with me via Wraptor.
I stayed tied in for the face cut. Did that with the 066, double cut with a 36 bar.
The ground dropped off fast. Tons of metal in the base of the tree. My back cut was going to be 4' off the high deck. The face was damn near 8' high.
Sorry no Jedi hinges... Just hot dusty get this sucka down work...

 
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PRO, bro.


Did you make a springboard? You're in steep country. Useful, even on flat ground, at times.
 
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I knew you would ask about spring boards Sean. I used them on that property before. But since the entire base of the tree contained Barbed wire fencing......Nails.... Mining attachments for cables...
Well, I hate trashing chain :D
 
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I think our wand style only cost a tad over 100.00. Probably paid for itself in less than a quarter. We have a lot of fencing and mining metals up here. Trees are so convenient. It's a must for the mill anyway.
 
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No ray, I didn't. Not ancient by any means. I might count rings when we move the log. We have done Sooooo many pines, after a while, unless they really stand out, you really stop wondering about it. Tired out from it I guess.
Things have quieted down some here in our area. Except for fire season.
The larger amounts of tree crews have moved further south or up to Tahoe. Tree mortality funds are thinning out. ROW regulars and primaries are still busy. Just more like usual.
 
Hang in there Stephen. Seems you've almost weathered the storm. And quite a storm it's been.

Crazy big work you've been pounding out for quite awhile now.
 
Nice high cutting and log splash... you could edit out most of that back cutting though....

that first cut was particuarly impressive to an east coaster.. you know you're up there when a log that tall lands flat....
 
I suspect Stephen was paying attention when he was reading Jerry's books and remembered the part about how to make a log land flat. Very impressive, Stephen.
 
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