And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
I've seen a tree do that. Not amusing, extremely dangerous. Have your exit route pre-planned so you don't scamper about mindlessly in a panic like that guy.
Holy Smokes! Been there. Some scary stuff, you cant take your eyes off nothing while trying to scoot your arse off out of whats coming down at about 145 miles per hour, aka terminal velocity at one earth gravity.
About 8 years ago, my northern Michigan neighbor went out to the woods to take down an oak, and a large limb came down and felled him as he was making the cut to take down the tree. No one knew where he was. Search parties found him 8 hours or so later crawling around in the forest rather incoherent. Spent two months in an induced coma. He survived, but he's not been quite right since. Don't fell trees alone in the woods, and have a ready escape route setup prior to felling a tree.
That tree is a rotten Red Fir (high elevation White Fir), aka Silvertip. The only sound wood is a thin outer circumference of sap wood. He knew what he was working with as soon as he sunk his bar into it. It's pretty easy to see (and smell) rotten wood when you're cutting it even when all you can see (and smell) is the chips flying. Cutting a hazard tree like that is always dangerous, no matter how experienced a guy is.
Chances are he's the Bull Buck, or head faller, and always takes the tough trees on his job. I've known two guys who have died doing that very thing.
Up in North Idaho we were doing a custom job at a high end camp on a lake. Owner wanted tree cut high on the stump so he could get a short totem pole. Tree came off crazy and took out two crowns on its way down.
Hadn't expected the extra crowns to be flying and I had to shift my escape route to a deep sand beach. Looking back to assess the flying timber would have slowed me down and running in the sand was slow and miserable. Nothing came close to me, but for too many seconds I ran not knowing
Barber chair. Should have bore cut first.
ReplyDeleteI've seen a tree do that. Not amusing, extremely dangerous. Have your exit route pre-planned so you don't scamper about mindlessly in a panic like that guy.
DeleteCalled a Widow Maker.
ReplyDeleteHad to be a Friday, all that & the middle of tree looks to still be standing!
ReplyDeleteHoly Smokes! Been there. Some scary stuff, you cant take your eyes off nothing while trying to scoot your arse off out of whats coming down at about 145 miles per hour, aka terminal velocity at one earth gravity.
ReplyDeleteAbout 8 years ago, my northern Michigan neighbor went out to the woods to take down an oak, and a large limb came down and felled him as he was making the cut to take down the tree. No one knew where he was. Search parties found him 8 hours or so later crawling around in the forest rather incoherent. Spent two months in an induced coma. He survived, but he's not been quite right since. Don't fell trees alone in the woods, and have a ready escape route setup prior to felling a tree.
ReplyDeleteNo joke!
ReplyDeleteAccording to a search he survived.
ReplyDeleteThat tree is a rotten Red Fir (high elevation White Fir), aka Silvertip. The only sound wood is a thin outer circumference of sap wood. He knew what he was working with as soon as he sunk his bar into it. It's pretty easy to see (and smell) rotten wood when you're cutting it even when all you can see (and smell) is the chips flying. Cutting a hazard tree like that is always dangerous, no matter how experienced a guy is.
Chances are he's the Bull Buck, or head faller, and always takes the tough trees on his job. I've known two guys who have died doing that very thing.
Even doing it as a suburban summer job, Rule One was always "Plan and walk your escape exit route first."
ReplyDeleteWould be safer to use some C4 and a long det cord. Probably illegal, though.
ReplyDeleteSend in the beaver
ReplyDeleteHe left his chainsaw behind.
ReplyDeleteUp in North Idaho we were doing a custom job at a high end camp on a lake. Owner wanted tree cut high on the stump so he could get a short totem pole. Tree came off crazy and took out two crowns on its way down.
ReplyDeleteHadn't expected the extra crowns to be flying and I had to shift my escape route to a deep sand beach. Looking back to assess the flying timber would have slowed me down and running in the sand was slow and miserable. Nothing came close to me, but for too many seconds I ran not knowing
I hope he survived..it’s a job well done if he did…..
ReplyDeleteNot on my bucket list. Cut down a hollow fir, nope.
ReplyDelete