Dangerous things that maybe don't get talked about so much

How does one prepare for the worst?
In all my failures over the years it has been primarily due to insufficient observation and poor assumptions.
Do this before that. You can drive your crew nuts because of indecision but in the end our intentions or the desired outcome, is it guaranteed? Including exactly where the butt lays not just the top.
 
Dr. John Ball suggests that 50% of tree failures can't be predicted (at ISA). Don't know where these numbers can come from, honestly.
 
One of my greatest mentors went over with a tree. The thing uprooted out of nowhere. He landed on the underside with it and suffered some bad injuries.

I've said this before and made plenty of book worm tree scientist types angry when saying it but.....
A tree will screw your life up in an instant and I don't care how much you know, read, saw and studied, you might not see it coming.

Trees show us a lot of warning signs, but they hide just as many.

Agreed, as anyone who has cut and climbed for decades will. x2

I think the loggers have it worse than the suburban arb in this regard.. so many more old snags, hangers, and questionable structurea that are visually obstructed, etc to deal with , and no one to tell their stories...

Knowing species that are prone to failure (out of nowhere) helps. Dead ash around here is notorious for having bad roots when it may otherwise look solid... Seems like setting up a guy line or two isn't a bad idea on anything questionable... Cheap insurance..
 
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