Whenever a chainsaw rings.

I had found myself on the shoreline of a local lake with binoculars pressed steadily into my eye sockets scanning the far shore for any sign of movement. I was beside myself. There was somewhat of a panic that had set in and many questions were running through my mind. To say I felt threatened is an understatement.
I had the thought of getting in my truck and taking a ride to check it out, because the long range optics didn't pick up anything useful. But I had already arrived late to the job site from a lax morning of blog writing and other internetting endeavors. I was wondering if what I heard was an older model 201T, mainly because of the intimidating growl that comes with the muffler mod and the port-and-polish. It definitely wasn't a sixty-six, that's for sure. Not enough body of echo rolling over the water. So, it must be, there must be a climber over there! They're probably gaffing a prune!
Then their chipper started and I was able to focus a bit more. My throw line already set in my own project, I yanked a rope up as quickly as I could and ascended for a better vantage point. As I HAASED up into the crown, instead of looking for imperfections in structure on the tree that may prove hazardous to me throughout the climb, I still couldn't get my mind off the enemy.
"I wonder if they're even certified" I said to myself, irritated. "I wonder if they even have PPE!"
Once aloft I set a canopy anchor and relaxed for a minute, but then the engine rolled over again in a sudden pop and began ripping through more wood, and the worry tore back into my mind.
Distraught with competitive anxiety, I descended quickly and kicked off the trunk transitioning nicely into a limb walk where I installed my lanyard and listened quietly again. I think I even hunkered down a bit. There was a one-inch piece of dead wood just beyond my right foot, so I leaned into my saddle, and began to cut, ever so softly, and listened for the sound again.
Maybe an hour or so later the pop-and-growl came again, and my head turned on my shoulders like a hawk. There was the sound of leaves whipping quickly through the air and then the loud thud of a butt smacking the earth. "Blowing tops!" I though. Flooded with contempt, I reached down onto my right hip and unclipped my own saw from it's resting place. I choked it and pulled and choked and pulled for a good 40 seconds or so. "C'mon" I said, drawn out and frustrated. Finally the engine gave in and it revved up and I made a four inch collar cut with a vengeful grin, not looking at the cut but over across the lake in case their cadre was now watching me.
And so it went for the afternoon, that chainsaw in the distance pushing me to extremes that normally I try and avoid. I wonder what it is that does this to me. Maybe it's just a primal thing that's embedded in everyone's make-up, the desire to be better or to be more valuable or more successful in our own trade, whatever it may be. The more I thought about it, the more silly I felt. I mean, owning chainsaws is a high dollar business, and we know how saturated the tree cutter trade is. But whenever there is one sounding within a two block radius, our biology takes over, and we are in the holds of fight-or-flight. The competition will never die.
For such a close knit community, there is a real divide I think between the elitists and those everyday contractors that may not be up on the latest qualifications or the most cutting edge rigging. But everyone is out there working hard for their families and their loved ones. It would be nice to put be able to put down our guards and be more excepting of the industry as a whole. Hardworking men and women are out there everywhere making a living and it's something to admire.
Maybe for this holiday season, every time a chainsaw rings an angel with get their wings.

The Cost of Doing Business.

However ironic it may be, the tree itself is a wonderful business model and maybe a good thing to turn to when considering how efficient you operate. In Shigo's Modern Arboriculture, his philosophy of energy requirements is a common theme throughout much of the writing. Many times paragraphs are reiterated with the idea that there is a cost for every action. That cost is energy, and trees at different points in there life will utilize and store energy in different ways (potential and kinetic). Think of the business you run, and consider the energy requirements of that operation.

Consider this illustration by the Dr.:

You could take Shigo's illustration in this instance and almost directly apply it to how businesses grow! It really is amazing to find this connection in the trees we care for. Trees, like businesses, are made up of many different systems that are in perpetual motion. Each system requires energy, and if that demand is not met, the system will shut down. Trees are extremely efficient at collecting energy and allocating it, even in poor environments. Parts are shed in order to protect the structure that the tree has created for itself. Maybe you've experimented with different areas of arboriculture in the past, spent money on certain investments that didn't play out, and as a business owner had to shed those aspects of business that weren't producing the sugars needed for survival. It is a beautiful learning curve that we and the trees experience daily.

What is even more fascinating to consider is success or survival based on size rather than efficiency. I'll quote the book again from a few more pages in: 

"There are two ways to survive; grow so fast that your crown is above others, or grow very slowly and keep your mass so small that you can survive on a very small budget. There are many dwarf trees in the natural forest. They do not reproduce and they receive very few wounds because they are so small. The trees that die are those that 'make a rush' for the top and increase their mass beyond the limits of available energy" (Shigo 266).

This can be interpreted on many different levels. But to consider it at face value, small growth is good growth, and even no growth doesn't necessarily mean unhealthy living. Growing large requires heavy amounts of energy and space. There is more surface area for wounding and pest invasion, and the battle field increases thus on many fronts.

But don't let staying small seem so magical and convenient either. Small dwarfs don't reproduce, there's no legacy, just simple living and then they melt away in the shade of the giants. But what about the artistic bonsai tree that's 150 years old and not even 3 feet tall in it's container? It's almost micro- groomed. I believe business can be micro-groomed in the same manner. In this case there is a high level of maintenance required. But the space and mass remain tiny, so maybe there is a trade off.

I could probably get lost in this metaphor for the remainder of the day, but my energy reserves are running low and I need to go harvest some photons.

One Shirt Vs. Two

I'm sure many of you have heard of this new phenomenon known as decision fatigue. In fact I just read a few blurbs on the internet that make reference to it. One of the more common illustrations of avoiding decision fatigue is the example of Steve Jobs always wearing the same clothes everyday to eliminate the stress of deciding on a wardrobe. Basically, the less decisions that you have make on seemingly less trivial things can lead to better decisions on real, pressing issues. Making less decisions is less stressful, to poorly paraphrase. This concept was reinforced when I recently read an interesting blog by Mark Bridge on his reflections of the TCIA expo. He laments on his encounter with a climber bombarding him with questions on SRT and ultimately coining him as an "old school" climber because of his preference of a doubled rope style.
The debate between SRT and DRT is exhaustive and I think to many skilled and experienced climbers it may even be getting a bit boring at this point (probably an overstatement). Base anchors, canopy anchors, redirects, retrievable redirects, suspension points, mitigating loads and vectors, doubling the force, cutting the force in half, one line versus two lines, and then of course the argument that it's just another tool in the tool box.
This debate gives me much anxiety. I feel as though every time I wake in the morning there is a different variation of a retrievable redirect waiting on my newsfeed.
As a tree climber I favor an SRT setup through and through. I'm a bit OCD with my gear prep and organization, as I'm sure many contracting climbers out there are, and when I show up to a job, the last thing that I need to do internally is start up a struggle in my mind on what style of climbing would better suit me for this particular situation. So, with that said, if you were to consider climbing styles as different pieces of clothing, I definitely wear the same shirt everyday, especially when efficiency is critical and people are paying me good money to wear what I wear.
I think it's important to mention that I've been climbing professionally for only about 8 years. Compared to the likes of the Treemagineers, or some of my mentors, or many of you climbers out there that have 20-plus years of experience, of course there will be different tools in your tool box, and different preferences in style as far as implicating those tools. I was, for lack of a better term, birthed into the industry at the onset of the SRT revolution. SRT, for me, was always an easier way of climbing, and so that's what I ran with. That's the shirt that I wear. It's comfortable, it looks good and it helps me everyday to be successful. It's one less decision that I have to make in my work day, so then my workday is less stressful and I am better able to perform and come home safe to my family.
I've dabbled with many of the toys. Some work, some don't, and some work once in a while in the right situation. So there's another gray area that we often hear so much about when it comes to a newly construed tool or variation there of, "well of course it can't be applied all the time, it's very situational and it's just another tool in the tool box". That's fine. But I really do think that at some point there gets to be way too many tools in the box. You would need another person just to help you carry a box that big to get it to the job site. Is that really efficient?
Now I am not arguing in the least that development of ideas and the progression of gear is in vain. That is absolutely not my intention. I am deeply indebted to those who have made those innovations and researched those progressions so that our industry can be where it is today, and so that I could be where I am today. But, I guess everyone needs to find their favorite shirt to wear. Younger and less experienced climbers I feel have such a great anxiety in rummaging through all of the gear and techniques available, especially with the internet as a resources mainly, that it sometimes may become stressful to them on the decision making end. That worries me a bit.
I'll reference another famous adage that I think came from Bruce Lee (although that may not even be true) that we must chisel away the unessential, like a sculptor chiseling away stone to reveal the true art form within the stone. I like this philosophy when applied to my tree climbing and my tree climbing gear. It's actually the one thing I'm constantly doing is trying to get gear off of my saddle, trying to create combinations of gear that can be applied to many different situations rather than just a few. What is necessary, and what is unnecessary? I think I'll go out to the gear box now and get on with it. And wouldn't ya know that it's pretty cold outside too, so one shirt may not cut it.

Hydration, Snacks, and Staying Warm.

As I get myself ready to head out the door this morning, I'm already about 8 cups of coffee deep. A good breakfast for me usually consists of something like an instant Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich and a Hershey's bar, and even that is a rarity. No water, I don't like the taste and typically don't drink any until I'm thirsty, and from what I understand that's already too late.
Taking care of our bodies may be the single most important preventative maintenance we can do as production climbers, even more so than cleaning chainsaws and organizing gear. It's an investment worth making, especially if you plan on going the distance in this industry. Eating healthy, staying hydrated and proper dress can really turn a mundane day into a great experience.
Hydration packs are awesome for taking up into the tree to stay hydrated. Not only can you carry your water, but you can also sneak in a few bars of candy or granola or whatever you fancy, along with some other snacks of your choice. I always run into the problem during long climbs of the shoulder straps on these hydration packs digging into my arms pits and starting to chafe, especially in the hot summer months. In those cases I like to opt for a simple Nalgene bottle or the likes on a carabiner for my harness, and maybe a small fanny pack to tote my snacks around with me.
I do most of my work in Pennsylvania, which has some pretty harsh winters laden with snow and nasty winds. Although work conditions are sometimes dangerous, for the most part it becomes about bearing the elements in order to make money. Now this can take some serious motivation after sitting by the wood fire all night, but it's gotta get done in order to keep the fire burning.
I think clothing in these conditions can be just as important as healthy amounts of good food and strong hydration practices. When you feel warm and dry, there is no doubt you will perform better. Depending on where you're located, clothing types will vary. In the northeast where there are high winds and many times precipitation, one of the best investments I've made is in a good alpine shell. Something that is breathable but can also handle the wind, snow and rain. Couple a good shell with some smart layering of your choice and budget, and you will be well prepared for whatever Mother Nature sends your way.
I used to follow a really cool blog about a multi-sport adventurer out of Alaska named Luc Mel. His website is really cool: thingstolucat.com and if you ever want some cool motivation you should check it out. But in one of his stories, which are mostly suffer-fests, the last resort of motivation that he uses when the elements are really bearing down is music. Now, tree climbing is no unsupported trek across Alaska, but I do like the idea of saving a few of your favorite songs to finish out a tough day. With the advent of the Sena communication units being commonplace amongst crews, and the ability to link our iTunes right up with our comms systems, why not get hyped on some great tunes in order to finish the job?
I'll probably drink a few more cups of coffee and try to scarf down a bagel slathered up in butter before I head out. Maybe I'll download some classic rock ballads too, some big white oaks are on my horizon and the wind is picking up.

Lanyard Adjusters.

I recently acquired an ART Positioner 2 from a good friend. I was previously using a Trango Cinch on 10 mm Yale Beeline Blue, but that was red flagged at the Kentucky Arborist Association TCC. There was an issue with the rating on the Cinch only being compliant with rope that had dynamic qualities (40% elongation is what it ended up being defined as). I stopped using the Cinch immediately. So then after the comp I braved muscling around with hitch cord and a micro pulley for a while, until I just made that sweet deal I mentioned in the first sentence.
With so many options available, changing gear around can become quite a dirty habit. Not to mention expensive. But there is nothing like a great combination of gear that allows us to be that much smoother in our actions and movements. Some tools affect us more than others, and I think a lanyard adjuster may be one of those tools. Too much drag and it becomes painful, too slippery and it becomes dangerous, too big and it becomes restricting. I mean, think about how often you lanyard in. I rest my case.
Hitch cord seems like the traditional, versatile solution to lanyard adjustment. Add a micro-pulley and a carabiner and you have a durable, long lasting adjuster. The problem with hitch cord is two fold though in my opinion. 1) Sap destroys the flow. 2) You can't suck your hips in really close to a stem without the hitch knocking against the anchor or wanting to wrap around the backside. Aside from those two issues, of course normal wear and tear will always be ticking away.
Mechanicals are many. You have your basic cammed setups like the Petzl Micograb and its relatives like the Gibbs, and then the more modern adjusters the ART Positioner and the Petzl Grillon and the likes. That list can go on and on, and all of these devices have their own specific ratings and requirements. In my opinion, as far as tending rope, there is no comparison with mechanicals to the option of hitch cord. Another benefit is in the exposure to sap. Yes, mechanicals still have their threshold in sappy scenarios like pine and spruce where I am, but I find that even if sap accumulates on a mechanical device, it's much easier to disassemble and clean up verses removing it from cordage, which is basically impossible.
Also, I think another deal breaker is the type of rope you use for your actual lanyard. I was on the that Trango Cinch kick for a while because I was running the super small 10mm line, and that ran best through the Cinch for me. Well, when I axed that from my toolbox, my next available lanyard was a 24-strand double braid that I combined with 8mm Yale Veritas. Too grabby for my liking, the hitch cord would really lock into place after a while of being loaded, and then it would become really hard to tend. That's when I did the deal for the ART Positioner 2, and it's running super nice on that same 24-strand rope. Same rope, different devices, totally different performance. Imagine then, the potential combinations.
I think I took it for granted not really studying the ratings and requirements of the lanyard adjusters, namely mechanicals. Some of these devices are really only rated for very specific ropes in order to be compatible and safe. Everything needs to jive in these systems, from the smoothness right down to the size and structure of the individual pieces that make up the whole. Pay attention to these things and re-evaluate your setup. Maybe you can make it safer and more efficient all in one move.

Respect the Crotch.

Much of what we do as arborists deals with branch unions, from setting our climbing lines, to making pruning cuts, to installing cables and braces, to hanging a block or pulley to even just standing still for a minute to take in a breath and the wonderful view. How often though do we take for granted how a branch is formed off the trunk and how special a mechanism this truly is.

I'm not sure how many collar cuts I've made in my life, but what I do know is that even though all branch collars are formed in the same biological process, rarely do two collars look exactly the same. A good place to start understanding the branch and it's attachment is to understand the anatomy. For this I turn to Shigo's Modern Arboriculture:

"As branch tissues develop toward the base of the branch, the tissues turn to form a collar. The trunk tissues begin to form later, and they circle the branch collar with a trunk collar. The new branch collar fits over the shaft of the tissues in the existing branch. The branch and trunk tissues develop connections below the collars...Many times the collar-forming tissues mix with each other and the collars are not distinct." (page 86).

By this excerpt we can see how strong and reinforced the tissues are in the branch collar. This is critical to understand from a climber's perspective, because having a climb line seated perfectly in a branch union will give us the strongest anchor available biologically speaking, aside from tying directly to the trunk itself. Technically, Shigo explains, branches aren't structurally attached to the trunk per se:

"Just as branches are really not structurally attached to trunks, neither are roots structurally attached to the tree base. The small strip of branch tissue below the branch cannot be considered a structural attachment. The holding power of roots and branches lies in the series of collars," (page 87).

 We can therefore see how important it is to target those branch collars when building our anchors. The further we move out along a limb, the further we increase leverage on the branch union, and the further we raise the chances of that branch failing. Seek the collar!

Let's move on to pruning. Earlier I had stated that no two collars look the same, which may be a stretch I'll admit, because every branch collar, microscopically is formed in the same place on the tree and is comprised of a few different things: the branch protection zone, the branch bark ridge, the branch pith, and the actual collar where tissues from the branch and trunk build upon one another.

For pruning purposes, it's important to understand the branch protection zone. A proper pruning cut will land itself perfectly in line with the upper and lower points of this protection zone. Shigo makes it clear that not all branch collars will look the same, some will be more defined while other will be flatter and almost seem nonexistent (page 93). To understand the pruning cut, you must understand the branch collar and how it is built.

This is information is not new. Even when Shigo's book was published in 1991, and excerpt states:

"Much of what we think is new was known many years ago. In 1754 researchers knew that the collar should not be removed or decay would develop rapidly. The protection zone on the branch collar was well understood one century ago. Then why did the flush cut persist? Mainly because of one word-healing. Everybody thought that the large ribs of "callus" meant strong "healing". Now we know that what they called callus was really woundwood," (page 91).

Even with all the information we have in a rapidly changing and technologically advance world, information can still be misinterpreted. It's important I think to constantly re-evaluate what we do as arborists and why we do it. Shigo tell us that many advances is science came not from discovery but rediscovery (page 91). Maybe the moral of this story is not how many pruning cuts you've made in your career, but how well placed they were. Afterall, it's our job.

Wood Anatomy.

Wood is a complex system of many specialized cells and fibers that work together in order to not only support the tree but also act as a transport system for essential elements. As we know, wood also has the ability to compartmentalize decay. As arborists it is important to understand wood, how it's built and how it can keep us safe.
There are certain thresholds of imperfections in wood that may deem a tree unsafe to climb. But imperfections don't necessarily mean that an extremely dangerous situation is at hand either, or that a tree should be removed. Trees are amazing systems and there support system is just as fascinating. A pre-climb inspection is a great opportunity to apply our knowledge of wood, how it's built and how it functions as a support system even with imperfections and decay present.
Shigo tells us to "touch trees" in order to learn about them on a deeper level. Inspecting a tree may include things like looking high up into the crown with binoculars in order to spot included bark in major branch unions, hollows high up on the stem, conks or fruiting bodies that may indicate wood decay and weak structure, sounding low on the stem to listen for absent heartwood and decay pockets in which we can't see behind an otherwise healthy looking outer bark layer. Feel the tree, is it soft? Is it spongy, does the bark flake off clean from an inactive cambial zone behind?
Wood can determine our operations as arborists as well. Consider a cable installation over a weak branch union. In this particular case, the annual growth of wood in a narrow crotch can actually be working against the tree in terms of stability. Each year the wood grows in girth ( a meristematic process) and continues to weaken that crotch as the inclusion of bark grows. As we mitigate that inclusion with a cable or brace rod, hopefully we don't find more decay or unsound wood where we are drilling. Now this is a rare case, but think about how many situations can potentially occur just on the condition of the tree's wood alone! Wood constantly affects the decisions we make as arborists.
So back to the question, what's the threshold of safety when analyzing the condition of wood, the extent of decay, the absence of heartwood? It is so situational, I do understand that, and of course we must consider the value of a tree, it's location, it's history and the list goes on and on. But let us focus only on the tree's wood. Like a basket that is weaved many times over, and on many different planes, internally it seems almost as if the wood of a tree in infinite in it's internal dimensions.
We sound a tree and find that it is indeed 'hollow'. Now what? Does the tree automatically come down? A good application of a resistograph, but let's get real here, is the average homeowner going to pay for a resistograph reading? Maybe in your neighborhood, definitely not in mine. Well, maybe that's for another article. Maybe there is an opening in the trunk in the middle of some callous wood that will allow us to probe and to see the extent of the missing heartwood. Sapwood itself has many structural benefits and can be astoundingly supportive, even in the absence of the static mass that heartwood provides. But honestly, I'm not sure, as a climbing arborist, just what I'm comfortable with.
Of course, we must always error on the side of safety for our loved ones, our friends and our industry as a whole. But when the question arises, "how far are you willing to take it, how far are you willing to push keeping a tree around based on it's structure?, how much higher are you willing to climb above a defect?", that conversation will be about wood and it's ability to carry the load.
Supplemental support, tree injections, maple syrup harvesting, old wounds to the trunk, trees and construction; all these things affect wood and how it functions and how it's forced to respond and still maintain it's integrity. Wood is a fascinating thing yet I always find myself taking it for granted.