Ideas for felling this tree

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Thanks ya'll, I was thinking what I would do if I pinched the pole saw, as I would really hate to get around that thing with another saw or wedges.

I guess I am having a really hard time telling where the forces are, I would love to just cut that bottom one from the bottom, as I think the tree is resting on the hemlock, but worry the root ball to lift the load and pinch my saw.

Ya'll are right about not having much saw experience,most of its been clean up after storms atmy place and various neighbors house's. Never felt real comfortable taking down big trees, its always been trialand erro for me throughout life,mostly error though, I just pulled my stiches (10) from wacking my knee two weeks ago with my saw, funny thing though is I married a logger's daughter,he made his own company over 40 years, but really is not in the best health anymore to really give me any ideas on this one.

I have a pretty good come along,and would be able to throw ablanket or two on the cable to lessen the chance of a decapataion if it over loaded the cable.
I thought about just trying to cut some of those hemlock branches in an effort to free up the load,it may just come down then,using the pole saw of course, I may be able to reach them from the uper point where I took the picture.

I really don;t have any doubt the root ball will come back down once its unloaded. One of the problem is the location of the stump,it limits my areas of escape since its on a ledge, and even then I have to hop of the small ledge onto another cliff edge to get away,its really only one direction I could jump if I had too.

I wonder what would happen if i laid another across it,or if I would have a bigger mess then?

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Again Tollster, I have to write, your own posts read in volumes, LEAVE IT ALONE !!!! I would hate to read how you have cut yourself or worse. If I were closer I'd be more then happy to help or even show what cuts to make. Isn't there someone that can give a hand for a few minutes? IMHO from what you're writting your playing with fire.

 

[sixdogs]

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Times two.
Hate to see this sordid episode played out on "1000 Ways to Die" or in one of those "Darwin" emails.

 

[MossRoad]

We just had a story in the local news this morning about a man that was cutting a large branch off of a tree. It fell on him and he ws pinned under it for 6 days until someone found him.... alive!

Most would not be so lucky. Last year a man was killed a block from my house when a tree he was cutting fell on him.

So, as others have mentioned, if you aren't confident doing this yourself, that's your brain telling you something. :thumbsup:

A 61-year-old man was trapped for six days after he fell from a ladder and was pinned to the ground by a large branch that he was cutting from a maple tree at his northern Indiana farm.
The Goshen News reports (Wakarusa man found six days after falling from tree Local News Goshen News, Goshen, IN ) that a neighbor discovered Jim Miller on Tuesday afternoon at his farm in Wakarusa about 25 miles southeast of South Bend, after Miller's sister asked him to check in.
"I thought the worst," said the neighbor, Paul Miller.
Jim Miller had fallen about 15 feet from his ladder last Wednesday. His chain saw was left hanging in the tree and the grass beneath his body had turned yellow as he lay on the ground, unable to move, in unusually hot weather.
"I called his name and he opened his eyes. He couldn't move. He knew what day it was, though. He asked me what day it was and I mistakenly said Monday," Paul Miller said. "He said, 'I thought it was Tuesday,' and he was right.
He was in fair condition Wednesday at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, nursing supervisor Patty Smith said, who could not release information on Miller's injuries.
Firefighters and neighbors assisted in the rescue.
Paul Miller said Jim was thirsty after his ordeal.
Temperatures hit record highs for each of the six days Miller had been trapped, ranging from 77 degrees to a high of 83 degrees on the day he was found. The temperature dropped below 60 only one night, to 55 degrees on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, highs are normally in the upper 40s and lows of about 30 at this time of year

 

[blucoondawg]

I have cut many hanging trees, its hard to tell in pictures but it doesn't look like a really bad one, its already leaning far enough that it's easy enough to tell which way it wants to go, however actually cutting it is hard to explain on here, but I can tell you one thing, I would not mess with a pole saw at all, don't worry about cutting branches off and I would not be standing under the leaner to cut the branches off, it isn't the safest spot to be. If it were me I would probably cut them off separately starting with the bottom one as it looks like that will fall easily, I would notch them in the direction the will most easily fall then take my time on the back cut, going slowly so you can take notice of what the tree is doing, and make sure you have good footing and a clear path so you can run or jump outta the way if something goes bad. But if you aren't comfortable falling larger trees then you should definitely not deal with something like this, and don't do it alone.

 

[SandburRanch]

The picture I'm seeing is that of limb size on the Hemlock and the Hemlock has very little to do with this hanger but the root ball is what is supporting this cantilever.

If the tree isn't causing a danger to human or animal life I wouldn't touch it and let nature take its course. How many owls would we suspect may perch on that snag watching for rodents before it finally gives way sometime in our life.

And before we know it a seed will lodge in the root ball void to be nourished by leaf litter and another species will emerge to prevent erosion on that steep hill side just as the fallen tree did for years.

 

[powerpace]

How long have these trees been this way? There is not many roots holding anything from my view.

The trees look to be about 8-10" thick. That's a weed tree, around here takes about 5 minutes to fell and buck even with a root ball. You have to be careful with any tree but it will be easier than you think once you get into it. Several ideas posted will work for you. If I were you and your're not sure of the stresses involved. Compression or tension. If it is hung up in the trees the compression will be on the top, tension on the bottom. If the root ball is holding it up the tension will be on the top and compression on the bottom. In my opinion the root ball is holding this up with weight of the trees cantilevered out. Tension on top compression on bottom.

First, cut 3 or 4 shallow cuts on the underside of the bottom trunk. Second, cut on the top side of the bottom trunk nearer to the root ball but still above the bottom cuts. This will give you a hinge. You will be able to gauge the speed of cut and springyness as you cut. Do the same for the top trunk. I'm guessing the rootball is not going anywhere if it has been there awhile.

It's expected to rain about 2" inches here today and 6" in the mountains. Everyone with a chainsaw will be busy with problems like yours. Land slides and blocked roads will be the rule. With brush trees and four foot thick Douglas Fir down. Carrying a axe, shovel and chainsaw in the pickup is not unusual.

 

[1bush2hog]

The only way I would saw that tree is if I was able to get it on the ground first with a comealong. There is no safe escape route that I can see, and unless you have experience making the cuts that some of the pro's can it's not worth risking your health and possibly even your life.

That tree might fall on it's own in time after some wet weather and heavy wind.

 

[deezler]

Some good advice in this thread, including the words of caution.

But it seems like no one has asked: WHY EVEN CUT THEM DOWN? Those trees are in the middle of the woods. You have no visible trails, structures, storage, or anything of the like in the area. Just forget about them and stick to the easy stuff.

 

[tbutman]

I come across stuff like this all the time in the woods. Don't over think it, It's not that big of a deal. Put your choker chains on it about 3' forward and let them hang. Cut up from the bottom of the over hanging trees a couple inches on both. Hook your primary into the top tree and a secondary into the lower tree then cut the trees from the top down 1 at a time and be ready to step back. Chances are the stump won't even fall back into the hole. After both trees are free from their stump, winch them in and gloat over what a crazy bastard you are make sure if your alone to have a cell phone in your pocket lol

 

[SandburRanch]

Some good advice in this thread, including the words of caution.

But it seems like no one has asked: WHY EVEN CUT THEM DOWN? Those trees are in the middle of the woods. You have no visible trails, structures, storage, or anything of the like in the area. Just forget about them and stick to the easy stuff.

QUOTE: If the tree isn't causing a danger to human or animal life I wouldn't touch it and let nature take its course.