Adventures in Oak-Land (2012 Part I)

Cabling a 200+ year old Bur Oak (Quercus Macrocarpa)

This amazing Bur Oak is in Green Lake, WI.  It's not too tall, but it's a fat one!  We measured the diameter at breast height and it was determined to be over 40".  That means that if it grew really fast at about five years per inch,  then it would be over 200 years.  We are pretty sure that it grew slower than that, so six or seven years per inch wouldn't be too much to assume.  We know its over 200.  The giant was a tri-stem with one of the stems being quite subordinate.  This subordinate stem was starting to tear out due to the leverage that was developing at its connection to the parent stem.  We decided to cable it in order to preserve it for as long as possible.  It was healthy otherwise and did not seem to have a significant amount of decay anywhere. 
This was a whopper of a day! 

Dave and Erik setting lines.

Will getting set up.

Will getting into position to install the rigging block.  We will run a rope through the pulley and down to the GRCS.  The rope will be attached to the stem that we are going to cable to give it some support while we are out there working on it.

That's a lot of wood!

Installing the block.

Setting up the rigging in the center of the tree.

Dave came up after lunch.

Here it is in all its glory.

Installing what seemed like miles of Cobra. 

Will and Dave working together.

Lots of reaching today! 

Dave looking good!

You want to have a little "sag" in the cable.

Coming down for the day.

 This was huge tree and a pretty big day!