Had my heart beating pretty good today working out on the coast just south Aberdeen/Hoquim, home of the late Kurt Cobain. We had a sitka spruce with P. pini, a heart rot fungus, about 30-some inches dbh. Some head lean toward a large restroom, with the lay having to go somewhat perpendicular one way or the other, as we were about 10' from the building.
Hard for us to judge the side lean due to curved trunk and limb weight (this is with Duane having 19 years Parks experience, and logging before that). One way was also a propane tank, we went the other. Decided to push with the arch of the skidder as it reached higher than the blade, cutting about a foot above the ground. Didn't want to go, even with a gutted hinge. Most of the back cut was rotten, with an inch thick rind. We positioned the hinge in good wood. Had at least half dozen park staff watching, one guy videoing, partly hoping for a big OOPS.
Skidder arch started sliding up the tree, rather that pushing it over more. Skidder up on an angle, I was trying to get in a place between, but not between the tires to tap the wedges farther in case the skidder slid back down. Duane wouldn't have liked the tree on top of him in the skidder. Tree would have won over the skidder cage to say the least.
I couldn't get the saw into the backcut because of the skidder tires, so I just had to keep feathering away on the hinge through the facecut. Duane was sitting there, holding the brake, tilted, not able to see because of the skidder roof or do anything, except get ready to jump. Finally, it started to tip, I cleared out, and gave him the thumbs up, much to his relief.
The 3 inch thick, 4 inch wide tension side held all the way to the ground, and tore down the side of the tree down the buttress root.
Then got to dump a 40 incher with a heavy head lean, and a 20 something incher spruce to finish out the day.
