Surviving the fall

[SouthSoundTree-]

I think of "walking it down" as normal, advanced work in conifers. As Tucker mentions, hardwood are likely trickier.

Personally, I'll throw my saw on top for most, when the top-bind starts, I'll ream the cut, keeping the kerf open at the bar while the top of the cut closes. This leads to a clean break without having to lift the saw and lean up and into the bottom of the log. I can be an extra step or two back at this point, compared to back chaining and lifting the saw.

I will also cut two face cuts and back cuts at 90* to the lean. Gravity is trying to tear the hinge sideways, rather than fold it. A limb or ax can push the tree, folding it, from a bit farther away (or use a rope to trip it).

Also a face cut and back cut, similarly tripped, or using gravity to trip it, can move the butt sideways, shifting the top the opposite 'sideways'.

 

[Tucker943]

As I said, fell the holding tree. Not for the inexperienced, not the faint of heart, not the less than fleet of foot.

Dropping a hazard tree that just fell of it's own accord and hung in a nearby stem, I've handled many like that. I have never had to do so but once from my own hung fell, but more than a few clearing up after another's poor work. Not to say I never hung a tree . Most often it was firewood thieves who failed in their attempt at felling a roadside tree. I'd get the call then.

Jim, I think that advanced "C" class might have merit, but the trick is finding some way to test for it. I ended up taking on, not all for sure, but many on my Forest. I'm not sure how that came to pass...just a case where I managed to survive a few, so the phone kept ringing and I learned something from each one, and the rep gets built.

But to train someone to that level of skill, intuition, and frankly, brass balls?? I don't know how that could really be done.

Come log in some 2nd growth low grade eastern timber. Select cutting I mean. Sometimes you know you're in for a hanger before you even start cutting. Often just a matter of picking the best of bad situations and hoping you can skate by. Sometimes the work just has a high stem per acre count and you simply don't have an open shot to run with your trees. Just try and get some momentum and hope they have the weight to slide through two other crowns. It's not all like that, but hung trees in that environment don't always reflect a bad faller. Minimizing the hangers does indeed reflect a better faller. In big stemmed hardwood select cuts, things drastically improve.

 

[Al Smith]

I've fence posted them down a few times .I much prefer a long stout cable and a good source of power .

 

[Tucker943]

Ill have to agree. It sure is nice to choke the bugger up and solve the problem with a a winch control lever.

 

[cory]

Ya hate it though when they are locked to another hardwood by the tiniest of nubs or crooks and they just won't release short of pulling over the other tree too.

 

[Al Smith]

I've never hung one that bad and besides it's usually less than 18 inches .

I had a wind thrown hanger in the woods I was contemplating but a big wind blew in and did it for me .I have it cut up but the logs are still not hauled out yet .Kinda soft gotta what til it freezes .

 

[Burnham]

Come log in some 2nd growth low grade eastern timber. Select cutting I mean. Sometimes you know you're in for a hanger before you even start cutting. Often just a matter of picking the best of bad situations and hoping you can skate by. Sometimes the work just has a high stem per acre count and you simply don't have an open shot to run with your trees. Just try and get some momentum and hope they have the weight to slide through two other crowns. It's not all like that, but hung trees in that environment don't always reflect a bad faller. Minimizing the hangers does indeed reflect a better faller. In big stemmed hardwood select cuts, things drastically improve.

I hear you on that situation, Chris. Agreed...sometimes there is no good path to the ground.

 

[Tucker943]

I didn't mean that in a cocky way B.

 

[Burnham]

You cocky young bastids drive me to drink, every night, a glass of scotch or two, every night I tell you!!

A man has to have some excuse, and for that I thank you, my friend .

 

[FireFighterZero]

Burnham, have you ever seen a hazzard tree or snag in the woods or in a fire that was taken down with the help of a rope and a piece of heavy equipment?

 

[Burnham]

Sure, both.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Cool. I had not seen that myself, but have not been in the woods very long.

We dont get to stick around for very after the mop up in done. When I work for the State we just mop up and go to the next fire. I never get to see much of the falling work that happens after the fire is out.

There are always a bunch of saw projects that the BLM is running in the spring and winter, I just haven't been able to get my BLM friends to invite me yet! My boss at the MT DNRC says there is some conflict with hiring an EFF out of a diferent system.

I desperatlely need some trigger time!

 

[stig]

Ya hate it though when they are locked to another hardwood by the tiniest of nubs or crooks and they just won't release short of pulling over the other tree too.

And you salami the hung tree down, and as you take the last cut, instead of falling free, it stays hung up, but now without touching the ground.Simply suspended from the other tree.
Just waiting for you to forget about it, and walk by.
THEN it'll come free and hit ya.

 

[stig]

In thinning young stands of conifer, and in many select-cuts, hang-ups are part of your everyday work experience. In clear-cuts hang-ups are seldom as much of a problem. Simple logic there.

Most of the problems with hanging up trees in select-cuts today, least where I live, is the foresters don't allow the fallers the prerogative to make their own decisions. In the old days if a tree was in the way we would cut it to avoid a hang-up. Doing the same today a faller can be reprimanded for cutting an un-marked tree.

It goes against the grain to make your job more difficult and dangerous than it already is. I can't lump all foresters in the same light though. Some a faller can work with. In the meantime it's not getting any easier for the faller.

Our life has sure gotten easier since I started marking all we fell in the castle forests.
While I of course try to make a perfect job of thinning, I never mark a tree that I can tell, can't be felled.
The boys ( And myself) really appreciate that.

 

[Tucker943]

You cocky young bastids drive me to drink, every night, a glass of scotch or two, every night I tell you!!

A man has to have some excuse, and for that I thank you, my friend .

I'm cocky but I've wised up and my heart is in the right place.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Our life has sure gotten easier since I started marking all we fell in the castle forests.
While I of course try to make a perfect job of thinning, I never mark a tree that I can tell, can't be felled.
The boys ( And myself) really appreciate that.

I love climbing in the forest... Bomb out what you need to and drop what fits. The best fun in tree killing.