Cook Forest.

This weekend I along with several of my colleagues (Alan Krieg, Arch Authenreit, Rob Kruljac and Mick Stabile) had the opportunity to travel to Cook Forest State Park to measure trees via tape drop. David Rohm of Wild Excellence Productions had teamed up with us as well in order to capture footage for an upcoming documentary he is producing about the  park and how Hemlock Wooly Adelgod is affecting it.

We conducted 4 tape drops in the short day that we were there (averaging a tape drop every two hours), and although we had the opportunity to climb in a beautiful forest, we certainly didn't set any records. On a positive note, all three of the hemlocks we climbed and measured were free of any HWA infestation.

The findings:
White Pine: 134'11", 10' CBH
Hemlock: 127'1", 10'3" CBH
Hemlock: 119'7", 9'5" CBH
Hemlock: 118', 8'6" CBH

Our efforts were concentrated at the southern end of the park, in the middle of the fire tower road loop and behind the river cabins. Both areas were drainages in the 1500' elevation range. Although we were aware of superlative trees existing that had been measured in the past, our goal was discover something new, an unrealistic goal with only one day for measuring!

This park is beautiful and the forest here is mesmerizing. I can not wait to return for more exploration. Stay tuned for a video to follow.

Productivity.

I just read an interesting article about a corporate vp of marketing for a large company and how productive they have to be on a daily basis. The article touched on balancing the demands of the job with what someone can realistically handle. And of course how important it is to be organized and balanced.

And I immediately thought of production arboriculture. What can you handle on a daily basis, how much should you take on, how do you stay organized and most importantly, how do you keep clients happy?

It must be an ongoing conversation with oneself, this productivity thing. Of course, we want to be better arborists, we want to be productive every second of the contract, but there are so many variables. Injuries, life, cancellations, weather, all these things can affect how productive we are with a work schedule.

Here's a few things I think help my productivity:

Make a constant schedule, with regular hours, and commit to them. Keep a checklist of jobs to check off. Limit your time for doing business so that there is a good balance away from all things work. And feel a sense of urgency to get business done during business hours. Keep it realistic.

Keep a clean journal. I always detail the jobs I do, note specs, the tools I used, the tree and an average size. It's my idea that I'm creating something every day and it matters on a personal level to write down that legacy of arboriculture.

Understand what you're capable of. I'm sure everyone has made the mistake of thinking they are capable of unrealistic things. It hurts financially, and it also hurts mentally. Give yourself enough time  to enjoy the work you do. Rushing through things will almost always lower the quality. Poor quality is bad business.

Stay organized. Tools, taxes, finances, vehicle, insurance; be sure to have your ducks in a row. This way, there will be less surprises.

All in all, when you set yourself up to be productive, you will be. It must be that simple?

Process.

I'm pretty big on routine. Every morning, arriving at the job site, I receive a task and then I'm expected to execute. I guess I have mental checklist of sorts. It's from that mental checklist that I then create a list of tools that I will need to execute my plan. Then of course, half way through working a plan out, the plan changes because of an angle that I wasn't able to see from on the ground. Maybe a tweak in the plan, maybe a tweak in the gear. Reset. Rework. and the cycle goes on and on.

For me there is beauty in my process. Really it's just problem solving that never ends. It could be as complex as setting up a rigging scheme or as simple as needing a better angle on a branch collar with the pole saw. You could have all the tools and the gear in the world, but those things won't operate themselves. As arborists, we are problem solvers. And problem solving is all about process.

Breaking jobs down into small tasks and steps, as part of a bigger whole can reduce stress and lead to a more enjoyable work day. Sometimes there will be an intimidating list of chores to complete on a job site. The end is unforseeable. Don't worry, start with something that makes you comfortable, a simple crown raising, some swipes at deadwood. Accomplish one step of the plan and the move on to the next. Chip away at it, as they say. This is process: breaking larger schemes down into smaller goals to accomplish. Make the process artistic, make it unique, make it your own. Let your own personal style float. you through a plan and take pride in the artistic work we do. Don't just go through the motions. Keep the ultimate goal in mind, execute through teamwork, and really enjoy the sense of accomplishment when the task is finally fulfilled.

Some gear.

I'd like write for a moment about some gear items I've purchased and used over the past few months.

First, the Matt Cornell Rope Saddle. I'd like to say that the concept behind this saddle is awesome. The aesthetics of the saddle is what sold me, just a beautifully crafted piece and so reminiscent of the gear of old. Also, the lasting guarantee of the pads and the ease of replacing the nuts and bolts of the saddle is a wonderful advantage.

On the downside however, the saddle is extremely heavy, without any gear on it to begin. The leather of the waistbelt/back support, once saturated with sweat, presents an irritable situation on the lower ribs and hips. Also, because the rope that is the true rated support of the saddle is not actually connected to the waist belt, when you rotate while lanyarded in to the D-rings, the saddle itself moves while the rope of the waist belt does not, causing a heavy amount of friction on the scaffold knots that anchor the hip rings (or side D-rings). Just after a month of constant use I noticed heavy wear on the right side scaffold knot of the hip ring.

As far as it being customizable, there is really no end to the creativity that the saddle allows for. You pay for what you get, and with the MCRS, you get a whole lot of material. If lightweight is your thing, this is at the opposite end of the spectrum. If you're a badass, then this is the saddle for you.

Next, the Sidewinder lanyard management device by Ropetek. I just love this piece of gear. I was so plagued by a good approach to managing my lanyard. I tried coils, knots, clips, you name it. Nothing was as quick and easy as the retractable features of the sidewinder.

As far as the downside, it is a bit bulky and exposed on the side of the saddle. Also, every so often I find myself having to un-hockle the back end of my lanyard, even with a swivel-style rope snap, because of the back end of the lanyard being fixed inside the device. On this piece of gear though, the  good outweighs the bad.

Finally, I've just recently picked up the Omni block 1.5 from Rock Exotica. Although I've only had it in circulation for about week, I've used it for light rigging applications such as hauling up my polesaw and pole clip, lowering light pieces of brush, re-directing rig lines and re-directing speed lines. Also, being that I have it girth hitched to a piece of HRC hitch chord, I can install it above my climbing system in-line on rope and create a 3:1 mechanical advantage while climbing. The midline attachment quality along with the swivel feature make this piece of kit super well rounded. Thumbs up here as well.

That's all for now. Climb high and stay safe.

Pittsburgh Climbing Competition 2015.

I Had a blast competing this weekend in Pittsburgh with some great friends, both old and new. The Western comp is always an excellent event and despite the rain, there was some outstanding climbing! Great set-up, my hat goes off to everyone that made it possible. Here is some footage of the action.

Injury.

As industrial athletes aches and pains are common place. We deal with these things everyday, sore muscles, tight tendons and the list goes on and on. But what about major injury, so as to render a climber incapable of their craft in canopy access?
I recently just sustained a major shoulder injury. I think it's a torn rotator cuff, I have about 30% mobility in my arm and I can't climb trees, which, by the way, is how I provide for my family. So what do I do now?
Much of it is luck, really. I'm lucky enough to contract for a company that has a place for me in ground operations and fine pruning. My situation is unique in the sense of who I work with. While I wait to see a surgeon I can complete tasks that I'm still somewhat capable of. So I'd like to lay out a quick guide to the things I need to focus on while dealing with my injury.
First, my role has switched from climber to ground support, so I'm trying to be more helpful in the pit. This means that my responsibilities include tree inspection, organizing rigging gear and readying saws and other cutting equipment for the climbers, and of course I can't leave out dragging brush. I can run rigging, tend tag lines and keep other climbers hydrated and comfortable. Although my right arm cant handle it, I can still tuck a good bundle of slash under my left arm, and I'm thankful for that.
Don't forget the mental aspect as well. Knowing I can't climb is tough mentally for me. Yesterday morning, coming to the job site and realizing I couldn't be in the air made me want to cry. And so not only has my shoulder sustained a serious injury, but my ego as well. I can't tell yet what hurts more. So I'm challenged mentally to stay positive and to dial back my ego for another day.
I've always said that even as a contract climber you should find an everyday crew of professionals to run with, people that are safe, that care for each other and that are loyal. This is important because no matter how good you are, technical tree work requires a highly skilled and motivated team. Without a team, a great climber is worthless, and I'm thankful everyday for the guys I work with. They've bailed me out countless times, taught me contless lessons and now even provide an environment I can go through the healing process in and still be considered a contracting arborist.
I've often thought about what I would do if I couldn't climb. For now I'm throwing chaps on and hanging out in the rigging until I get this old soup bone figured out. Stay high.

What is an Arborist?

I'm sure you could easily Google 'arborist' and find a wealth of information and definitions on what an arborist is, or what an arborist does. There are so many disciplines within the profession that it can be baffling. Consulting arborists, sales arborists, climbing arborists, municipal arborists, utility arborists and the list goes on and on and on.

As a contract climber, arboriculture for me has always been about the exploration involved with climbing trees. Setting a line and ascending up into the unknown holds quite a mystique. You never quite know what awaits in the crown of a tree, whether it be a structural imperfection, insect activity, animal presence or a view that you never could have anticipated. Climbing and pruning and inspecting in order to preserve a living organism that very well may outlive your own life is quite an experience. There is a feeling of satisfaction in that, knowing that your work and purpose will outlive you.

Tree preservation is what motivates me as an arborist. Pruning trees for health and vigor and aesthetics all while keeping the health of the tree in balance with the lives of the people that own it. I've said this plenty of times before too, that arboriculture is just as much about people as it is about trees. Well, to a certain extent that's true, but I truly like to forget about the people sometimes and really just make it about the tree. I feel like as arborists we have different understandings of the trees we care for, interpretations that unless you've dedicated your professional career to preserving trees, you could never have. As arborists, we have to translate those interpretations for people. We give trees a voice.

Also, I think that it's crucial for us as arborists to make the right decision all the time. We need to define a danger if one exists, but not create the idea of danger when there is none. Arborists have a duty to protect trees, and by way of that protect people around trees. Sometimes I think this balance gets abused when more of the business creeps in and some of the science leaks out. It's not always about what's easy of economic or efficient; it absolutely needs to be about what's right. But I think that there's so much we don't know. Information changes so rapidly in the world today that sometimes it's hard to define what's right. And ultimately, I believe that knowing what's right is really what a great arborist does. Making the right decisions for trees and people. Decisions that may be around of centuries.