Old Growth fir topping

RegC

TreeHouser
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
2,261
Location
Victoria, BC
Couple tops from Cathedral Grove this week. It all I really had time to video.

First shows a 35ft top cut at approx. 200ft. Second is a big leaning top cut at 150. Unfortunately because the camera/climber is attached to the tree, it doesn't really pic up the extent of motion experienced by the climber up there. But, you get the idea. The second top was a rough ride. Use HD setting

https://youtu.be/pbFqUvrzNuM
 
Me no understand!

If they are not being harvested for timber, but left to rot, why not simply fell them?

I guess that park must have plenty of money.

Reg, your work is , as usual, a delight to observe, I just can't figure why they'd pay you to do that.

But then the Danish forestry saervice just paid me to top a bunch of "hazard" trees that could just as well have been felled.

Go figure.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
Me no understand!

If they are not being harvested for timber, but left to rot, why not simply fell them?

I guess that park must have plenty of money.

Reg, your work is , as usual, a delight to observe, I just can't figure why they'd pay you to do that.

But then the Danish forestry saervice just paid me to top a bunch of "hazard" trees that could just as well have been felled.

Go figure.

Thanks Stig

There was also lots of falling taking place over the 2 days. Plus about 10 trees got blasted. Lots of workers involved. The climb/trees were to be left at 25 m. So, standing wildlife stumps. Some of the blasts were even set at that height for the same reason. The highway adjacent to the second tree in the vid is a busy, fast one....the only one to port Alberni, Tofino and Uclelet. Crazy busy, even this time of year. So theres maybe 8 crews along a 5 mile stretch trying to coordinate traffic management by the book. You sort of have to wait your turn, and by the time of which comes around causes massive congestion. The Blasting obviously causes the biggest hold up because of the exclusion zone needed and time involved.

On my part I was always conscious and made it a priority to work well within a safe distance of the highway. My main concern thereafter was the risk of striking another tree with, say a huge log taking a bad bounce into a smaller tree and knocking it across the road. The sort of thing that could catch someone off guard.

The climb trees also had extensive Butt rot and over 200ft tall. That's quite a reach if something volatile unfolded....so more time closing the road. Not to mention, if you start smashing through adjacent tops and trees etc while falling a big one. Somebodys getting up there to clear the hangers. Its a very popular and frequented park here. So, it sort of all does make sense.
 
Thanks for the explanation.

Have I ever seen you wearing gloves before? All be it ones from a Christmas Carol.
 
Nice. I've driven that highway countless times and stopped in the grove many many times too. Such a cool spot.

Big props man, a common thing for you but that's some big tall work.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8
Thanks for the explanation.

Have I ever seen you wearing gloves before? All be it ones from a Christmas Carol.

Fingerless, Mick. Not so annoying. The bottom part of the trees can be pretty brutal to get up. Tend to position the flip line much higher than normal. You're trying to throw it high to advance, while frequently Gaffin out and skidding in the crumbling bark. So, your hanging off the flipline by your hands in a sense, as opposed to leaning back into it like you might on younger thinner trees. Soon leads to blisters
 
Well done, Reg. Very.

I topped many a tree for habitat, but almost all where in younger stands, 40 to 60 years old. I think those stems rock and roll maybe even more than bigger ones, on average. Lots of flex.

That sort of work is not for the faint of heart. You do it with skill, sir.
 
Ahh, also I guess you can’t warm them by loosely holding the lowering rope as it runs (funny the things one remembers from some vids)

The thing I fear spurring up pines/firs/spruce is the prospect of getting a platelet of bark rammed under a fingernail.

Anyway, excellent stuff.
 
Smaller faces generally produce less movement, as the top breaks free of the hinge sooner, thus exerting less sideways push on the stem before it leaves the scene.
 
Thanks for posting, Reggie!

Good old fashioned helmet cam footage, there's a lot to be said for it. Nice!

Cool looking axe/hatchet you have. Do you use the cutting edge much aloft? Probably so otherwise you'd bring a mallet/hammer. Just wondering.

Lawdy, that was a huge heavy top:\:

The chest placement of your walkie talkie, does it work out well there or does it get in the way climbing? Is it held in place there with a basic store-bought purpose built harness or is it held by some homemade approach?

Thanks, Reg!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16
Thanks all:thumbup:

Cory, a mallet has one use. While an axe has several, like cutting, gouging, prying, digging and pounding of course. Good to have options. Several of trees I dealt with through this particular job had broken and decayed tops. So the sharp edge came in handy for testing the wood.

The radio was just clipped in between my shirt buttons. Wasn't too annoying.
 
Axe, always...aloft or on the ground...for real treemen and women anyway...like I've told y'all before ad nauseum :D.

I always preferred a light weight radio harness. Had to with the heavy/bulky USFS radio. But used the same rig with my own FSR radios, too. Much more secure...I knocked my radio loose a couple of times when I did as Reg describes. They don't fly all that well :).
 
Man, freakin Reg, dude... I don't know what to say. Man. Well done. (What else more is there to say?) Sure. We'll just leave it at that. Well done.
 
Stellar work Reg!..man those firs are tall in that grove and nice top and trunk placement :thumbup:


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pbFqUvrzNuM" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Back
Top