Ice storm tree down

[Mike N]

Finally cut up that pile of beech logs in the previous post. Some were massive, and being beech, heavy as concrete. Scary having them suspended above the ground. To keep from getting a foot, or leg, crushed I used cut rounds and wooden wedges as supports and to keep the logs from rolling while I worked. Rounds are now ready for splitting. Phew! My legs and feet are intact.


Had a large (20" dbh) beech deadfall over one of our walking trails. Swamp on one side and steep bank on other, so we couldn't reroute. Deadfall had to be dealt with. Spent some time deciphering the safest way. Didn't want to just carve out the trail as the tree was leaning heavily downhill. Lotsa potential energy there. Finally decided to sever the log from behind a hemlock tree so the freed butt end and root mass couldn't tip and slide down onto me. I stuffed some small logs under the root mass to hopefully hold it in place. These could also create a fulcrum to tip over, depending on the weight distribution of the lower log vs the root mass.


The upper end of the deadfall was spanning a small marshy creek, one that floods, esp in winter and spring. The severed upper log would drop into the creek damming it and expanding the flood water onto our trail. So I placed some logs as bridge abutments before dropping the log, to keep the stream channel open.


Back to the butt end: I had my wife come down to spot me as I continued. I then fired up the saw and severed the log. The butt end tipped down against the severed upper, pinning my wedge. How much would the upper end move as I freed it? I used an axe to separate the two logs so I wouldn't pinch my saw if the upper mass continued to move downhill. That worked, the upper stayed put, but it see-sawed on the small log fulcrum I'd placed.

My wife suggested we cut 6" rounds to use as stepping stones at the low spots on the trail for when it floods. So I cut that log back 6" at a time watching the root mass all the way as the weight distribution changed with each cut, in case it would tip over down onto the trail. It stayed put and we got the trail open.


Next will be dealing with that massive stump. We don't want it there, and it may become dangerous as the supporting wood and roots rot further. Hmmm....

Not sure how I missed your post, but that’s a big tree! Great photos.

Mike

[Mike N]

A few winter scenes at the pond, waterfall and creek.

[Mike N]

I’ve thankfully recovered enough from my two shoulder surgeries to run a chainsaw again and haul these silver maple rounds out of the woods. I was lucky to have the Pittsburgh Steelers’ team orthopedist do the repairs.No better way to relax in the spring.