The tree was 25 to 30 feet above the cut. The cut was approx 12 feet from the ground, standing on the roof. The tree was 15 inches at the cut.
The tree leaned over the cabin east northeast so I chose to use a hinge cut. A hinge cut is where ya don’t cut a wedge facing the way you wish it to fall, but back cut through two-thirds of the way or so until the tree barely starts to fall, and hopefully uses the uncut part as a hinge to lay itself down slowly as possible.
It didn’t happen that way…
Cutting three quarters of the way through, and the tree did not budge.
Cut another inch or so… Nothing. Shit!
Administered a short wedge, and smacked it with a sledge. Didn’t budge. Slipped the saw back in and cut another inch… Didn’t budge again. Beat the hell out of the wedge more. Nothing. WOW!
Put the saw back in. There is less than 2 inches keeping this baby from going over, and I figured it’d break. Again… Sh!T!!
Started cutting until it barely started to move. Pulled the saw. Shut it down, and set it down real quick in case I had to find a way out of the way.
That’s when the rush comes! 🙂
It tipped very slow at first. It broke. The momentum caused it to nose dive over the edge, branches scraping the roof. Hit the ground and the trunk came back and hit the old part of the porch that was gonna be torn off anyway. Bent up the tin a bit but fixable.
I LOVE THAT RUSH!
Hey Hal, Im glad to hear that it all worked out for you and you are still with us. As a young man, I spent a lot of time in the woods in the Pacific northwest. I cant count the cords of firewood Ive cut. Later in life, when I was in my early 40s I had a tree service for 5 years. I have fell my share of trees, both big and small, some in residential areas in very precarious positions. If someone tells you that they don’t have just a bit of anxiety, if not more, when they are felling a tree, then it is my belief that they are either a liar or a fool. No matter how much experience one has, when felling trees, you are dealing with mother nature, and sometimes there can be a surprise in store. There is no other feeling like that of a tree on the ground, once fell, and there are no injuries or fatalities to report.
Rock on brother,
Swifty
I now have great respect for tree fellers. Thanks Swifty. And Hal, like Swifty said, glad you’re still with us.
🙂 I will be!
” No matter how much experience one has, when felling trees, you are dealing with mother nature, and sometimes there can be a surprise in store.”
That’s right, brother.
And that one surprise can really nullify all the no surprises!
I’ve always compared it to that smart-ass second guitarist who changes your chord with one note.
Hope all is well.
What a cool story to wake up to. You told it so well, Hal. I felt like I was there, holding my breath, wanting it all to work out okay. Glad you’re safe.
🙂
.
Thank you.
My neighbor had an arbor he’d labored on for 5 years(he said) and I had an Alder tree that had a lean towards his yard. He was very worried about this tree so I had my brother-in-law Bob, who is a logger by trade, come over and assess the situation. Bob said the tree would probably last, but it’s an Alder, so who knows? He climbed about 15-20 feet up the tree and tied a rope around it. He hands me the rope and starts a cut. Bob barely got the bark scuffed when he thought better of it and asked if his pick-up would fit in back. Bob then takes the rope from me, ties it to another tree and we head for the front, when bang!! that Alder split halfway up the tree and hinged directly onto the ARBOR. That rope was snapped like nothing and I’d have been flung into another county!! 🙂
The excess leaves on the tree cushioned the impact and no damage to his arbor. I just had to clean up his yard before he got home from Black Friday shopping. I don’t think he ever knew. Whatta Rush!!
Yikes. You got lucky there! Cool story.
Cleaning up is the worst part.
I’ve had similar experience with Cottonwood tree limbs.
They tend to snap off when cutting.
We should try that particular cut on Trumps neck, with any luck his head will fall towards our Bill of Rights!
Nice job Hal! Helps to know what the hell you’re doing right? LMAO
‘…with any luck his head will fall towards our Bill of Rights!’ ……Mark, that is priceless! LOL
Site is messed up you guys…cant log on getting weird messages about passwords being compromised.
I’m able to comment but it’s on a completely different type of site, doesnt look anything like our regular site.
It looks like they’ve been hacked. Mark, can you get in touch with Henry & Laura? I called but got their answering machine.
Me too. They’re at Laura’s moms house I think. No answer for me either. This crap had to happen sooner or later
(Laughing)
I wouldn’t bet on it.
Better off hanging tannerite on it and slap it from a few hundred yards away.
You don’t want to get any of that funky zio-sludge on ya, man!
great story Hal…and guys…….LOVE IT!!!
🙂
Just want to say you men are awesome!! So brave & strong.
ditto that!
Bravery is just doing what got to be done no matter the feelings.
Strong is much more than muscle.
You women here carry these traits as well!
🙂
This info deviates from the felling of trees but I think it is very noteworthy. Today is 11/3 and Seattle Sea Hawks will play in Seattle at Century Link Stadium of which way too many predictive programming incidents have pointed to a nuke going off @ the stadium, today. Very similar to 9/11. Not saying it will happen but there sure are many pointers that indicate it could. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwfZitI_hGg
just watched it Katie, quite interesting
one thing for sure…I’d stay away from that bridge
Dam , be careful
Friends of ours showed up over at our place for us to watch their dog for a few days
Her foot in a cast and him in a neck and back brace laying like a slab of beef in the passenger seat , all for cutting down his own tree
I’ll trim branches
And maybe fall trees in the woods for firewood
But I ain’t climbing nothing with a saw and trying to cut it down or off
I’ll make a phone call
56 and don’t want to be in a wheelchair when this war kicks off
I kicked the dogs out of the yard/kennel. They were sitting in the cab of the truck watching 🙂
Couldn’t help but think of Slim Pickins riding an atom bomb down while up there.
cool!!! I CUT TIMBER FOR A LIVIN ONE SUMMER……
IM HAPPY YOU DIDNT TEAR NOTHIN UP MAN!!!!!!
GOOD JOB.
There is a 12 to 14′ stump still, but the wind won’t be banging it up against the cabin anymore.