Friday, September 18, 2015

THE "WIDOWMAKER"



You don’t need to tell me that felling and cutting trees is dangerous. My extended family has suffered two losses through woods accidents – my mother’s first husband and then my half-sister, Nina.

Mike says that my brother Chuck taught him everything he knows about cutting wood, and he practices those lessons annually when he and a friend assist each other in getting firewood. I’m always relieved when they don’t have to fell a tree – and so are they.

The area in question -- looking eastward from the north field
Yesterday, as we continued to clean and clear after the fire, we got into a very dangerous situation. The pine in question was the one that broke in the lane. It wasn’t super-big, but it had twined a limb around a buddy pine. After Mike cut it, it refused to fall. 
 
Every attempt was made to encourage it -- wedges, another  cut, etc. -- but it was determined to remain standing. So, Mike attached cables to a limb of the tree and attempted to pull up the lane. The tree didn't fall with the initial effort.
 
Tree pulled off stump
With the second try it pulled off the stump and was now standing on the ground with the support of its neighbor -- a precarious situation.

Mike climbed tree to attach cable
 
Yes, it was scary, but I preferred we should take care of it nevertheless. So, Mike climbed the tree to attach the chain as high as he could. 



And now it's down
Then he turned the Dakota around and pulled from the other direction – down the lane instead of up. And that did the trick. The tree fell. (The dogs and I were well out of the way.)

We cut only this broken tree. Two other pines remain standing. But, I suspect I will have to say good-bye to my favorite “pine-apple” tree. I picked the available apples and made sauce last night. KW

6 comments:

Chris said...

Scarey! Glad it turned out okay. And Mike needs chaps!

Hallie said...

Chaps like the clothing or chaps like friends? "Going into the woods with my chaps to cut some logs..." ;)

Chris said...

To wear. Google chaps for chainsaw and you'll find lots of sources for them.

Anonymous said...

And, after the fire, it is really nice to see the house standing. Yes, watch out for those hung-up trees. Don't be under them when gravity has its way.

Chuck said...

that last comment was really from Chuck

Kathy said...

When I and my chaps head into the woods, it's best if we wear our chaps. I never heard of chain saw chaps. Mike usually wears coveralls.

Yes, Anonymous Chuck, it is good that the fire moved away from the house. Getting the hung-up tree to fall was a frustrating process, and I'm glad it's over.