White Pine near LaCrosse, WI

Today my Dad and I worked down a large White Pine (pinus strobus) near LaCrosse, WI.  We had a propane tank among the obstacles on the ground.  We didnt have to rig absolutely everything, but there was a strong rigging component to the overall plan.  I trimmed away everything that I could on my way up.  The tree grew into three distinct leaders.  One of them was really subordinate and was not nearly as big as the other two.  Of the two, there was a dominant leader.  I climbed it to about 20ft from the top (approx. 100 ft.)  rigging out the branches that were over the tank and letting the rest bomb away.  I set up the main block and then descended removing the subordinate leaders on the way down.  I had the rigging hook waiting for me at the lowest branch and I rigged the last branches out on the way back up to take the top.  The top came out smoothly and I got to bomb a couple of chunks out on the uphill side of the trunk before I felled it.  I used the GRCS to pull the trunk uphill and directly against the lean.  I bored out the sides and front before setting up a trigger and got myself clear.  I then walked up to the winch and cranked the stem over.  We cut three eight-foot saw-logs out of the main stem.  The trunk was 28 inches in diameter at chest height.  I look forward to being there when the logs are milled.  What a day! 

Whew! It's cold...

It was eighteen below this morning.  I had a job scheduled for today, but that's a bit nippy for tree work.   I do have job scheduled for tomorrow.  We are going to take down a White Pine (Pinus Strobus) near LaCrosse, WI.  It sounds like a big job, but I haven't seen it yet.  We will see... I am glad that I was able to call it off today because it White Pine is notoriously brittle when it get really cold. What happens there is that the pieces start to go before  you're ready.  The temp looks like it'll be around 20* F tomorrow.  Should be great day for climbing and we will be taking and posting pictures. 

Winter indoor activities

Here in the northwoods of Wisconsin it is the "dead of Winter".  The few jobs that I have in the area are almost all completed and my mind has been wandering and wondering.  I love to get outside, but it's so darn cold here that my daughter just can't be out with us for longer than three hours at a hitch.  I don't feel like it's fair to my wife to have em both holed up in the house while I am out exploring the forest on snowshoes.  So... wanting to be productive, I decided to go online and advertise on Craig's List as well as start this blog and a separate Facebook page for the company.  I may not be working now, but I am planting seeds for the future.  Clearly this won't pay my bills today, but the future looks brighter everyday.  We hunker down, pay what little we can, and live in an efficient manner.  This is working for us for the moment.  We took Ellie, my daughter, to the Sayner Library.  Wow, it's an amazing place that Katy's, my wife, grandma was a big part in getting going.  It's great to think that Ellie's great-grandma had a stake in it and that now Ellie is reaping the bennies of her work.  I believe that these are the riches to which we have to look forward.  I don't believe that we will ever own a mansion, but we won't be homeless either.  I just got word that the temp is creeping above 10* F...  We gotta get outside to snowshoe.  More to come.  Maybe some pictures too.

Yesterday's job

We worked for a client just outside of Eagle River, WI yesterday.  We took down two Northern Red Oaks in a forested lot for a homeowner.  It was great.  The take-downs were not just easy up and down climbs.  I was glad to have had my GRCS so that I could pull one of them over after climbing it and removing all but the really dead and decayed top.  The other was a shaped like a banana.  It had HEAVY forward lean.  We got it down and had a couple of hours of moving the wood to a wood shed using a sled and gravity because it was on a hill.  The knee deep snow made gators a must and the sledding was much easier and efficient than hauling it any other way. The whole job took ten hours.  I feel fortunate to have clients up here.  Not every tree service in the Northwoods has been able to work in this environment.  We love it though. 

Winter

I love winter!  It's just amazing to be up here and living in the woods with lots of trees and lots of snow.  It has  snowed almost daily and that has been a beautiful experience for me as I have always love the snow.  We have been out snowshoeing around the many lakes up here as well as out into the NHAL Forest along Plum Creek.  Near the confluence of Plum Creek and Plum Lake we saw otter trails!  I knew that they were up here, I just hadn't seen any signs of them.  Just awesome to see different parts of the whole dynamic picture.  Looking out at the outhouse, it's coming down pretty hard.  I bought an OtterSled yesterday.  What an amazing tool for wood moving in the snow!  I have extensive experience with these sleds and have rigged up a sort of harness for use with it in moving wood.  I feel that this one tool alone gives me an advantage as far as making my goal of working through the winter a reality.  Most clients would like to have the wood produced from my operations taken away, and this tool makes the removal a lot easier.  Because of the weather however, the driving conditions are pretty bad for big trucks... It's a good thing that I don't have a big truck and that my Subaru has 4 wheel drive.  I can work up here in winter and am outfitted for it.  Indeed the trees (especially Oaks) like to be worked on when they are dormant.  Kinda reminds me of people who would rather be "put out" for a surgery.  Oak pruning is great in the winter and when the weather isn't too bad, it can be downright fun.  It's great to swing through the canopy any time of year, but making cuts on Oaks and Elms should ONLY be done when the trees are dormant.  That statement is supported by much research and there are municipalities in the state do not allow any pruning of these species during non-dormant periods. So I am off to move some wood from a removal I did last week.  I have just been waiting for the right day... SNOWY... 

Welcome

As the first post to my first blog, this post will be a welcome to all who read it.  I appreciate your interest!  I am an arborist in North America.  I love trees and what happens to them when they are LEFT ALONE.  I heard an expression once, "...the wild takes over...", and I think it's a beautiful concept.  I care for trees for a living.  My life has been a wild journey of discovery and love as well as challenge.  The one overarching theme has been my love for the natural world and my love to challenge myself physically, mentally and emotionally within that wonderful organism.  Please also understand that there are some trees that grow up wild and have to be cut down because of their choice for location.  Damage to lives is unacceptable, damage to property in my opinion, is, if the person who built didn't consult with an arborist BEFORE construction.  Historic trees should not have to be removed for sidewalks, parking lots or other clear signs of the demise of the human condition. I especially appreciate insight into problems and practical solutions.  If we work together and communicate our best ideas effectively, we can maybe solve some problems.   Have Respect and please feel Welcome!