I just have to say......

[Just Me]

 I have been reading here and watched a few videos that I had patience for[dialup] and a good arborist impresses the hell out of me and I have spent my life crawling around and over houses.

I hired a fellow a few years ago when I was doing an addition on a house for the rich and the useless, and what he had to take down was 5 oaks, all at least 4' at the stump. By the homeowners request, none could be just cut down, everything had to be lowered. This guy worked all five trees at once with ropes, kept five guys on the ground humping, and never came down, just swung from tree to tree. He had what seemed like a gazillion ropes up in those trees, but never once got tangled up. He would cut part of one and set the rigging so the guys on the ground could lower that down and swing to another tree and so forth until it was all on the ground, with no damage to the over the top landscaping. I have never seen anything like it and it still amazes me when I think about it some twenty years later.

My hat is off to you guys that do this for a living......

Larry

[Ron Scott]

Ditto! They have a special skill and knowledge in their line of work.

[Magicman]

Every trade has it's tricks and talents.  That is one that shines.

[chain]

They have those nice bucket ladders now. Everytime I watch those guys work in near complete safety I think back to when my brother and I helped our uncle build a baseball diamond and backstop. There were six utilitiy poles planted and after we hung the wire and  braced with 2"x6" across the top we had about two or three feet of pole sticking up that our perfectionist uncle said had to be sawed off.

I volunteered with my old trusty 'Mack', starting the saw and warming her up before climbing up the 30' extension ladder; the ladder just was a bit taller than the planking rim. I had three feet or more of reach up about eye level, no safety ropes, just locking my knees into the ladder rungs, cranking, and reaching up and out to whack 'er off. Six times I went up, but can tell you I began to have the shakes from fatigue, but somehow someway I got the job done. Lesson learned,  I wouldn't get on a two-step ladder to cut butter! >:(

[chet]

For me it's always been one of them jobs that I really get a thrill from. But after 2 back surgeries, a hernia, and one knee replacement (da parts are wear'n out) and da fact dat in a couple of months I'll be 57, it's gitten tuff'r.  :D
Am I ready ta quit yet? Not on yer life.  8)

[Troublermaker]

How would like to have this guy job? He got more nerve than I did back when I was in my prime.



http://www.liveleak.com/mp53/player.swf?config=http://www.liveleak.com/mp53/player_config.php?token=07b_1284580365%26embed=1

[Blue Sky]

I knew at some point in my life, I was going to be an arborist.  Started making $ in 1978 in my hometown after a May 8th snow storm dumped 8" of the heavy wet stuff. Now in 2011, am waiting for the deep snow to disappear so I can continue doing that thing I love to do-hang out in the tops of trees.  I picked up some climbing courses over the years and especially like doing advanced rigging techniques in the trees.  I turned 60 last year and although I do not climb as fast as I used to, I really enjoy getting big trees down in small yards with no damages.

[DonT]

I have seen that video before and every time I watch it I say wow.As far as tree climbing goes it can be hot,cold,dirty,bugs(ouch)and strenuous,but once you start you never want to give it up.I have only been climbing for 5yrs now full time and I love going to work.

[Doc Hickory]

All I can say about Troublemaker's video is there ain't money enough in this world to get me up THAT tower....no how, no way!

[PineNut]

Heights don't bother me at all, as long as I can keep one foot on level ground.

[Papa1stuff]

I wouldn't even like to go up inside that buiding!!

[bama20a]

Get up to the top of the tower(in the video) 'Dang"Left my screwdriver :D

[Just Me]

 Towers don't bother me, or heights in general. I used to change bulbs in TV towers and I have climbd across the Mackinaw Bridge many times just for grins. But the towers and the bridge are of known strengths, and I am not operating a chain saw.

I shouldn't say heights don't bother me, in the last couple of years I am getting a little nervious, directly in proportion to how my joints are degrading.

Golden Years my donkey.

[clww]

I worked up in a tree today from 10 until 6:30. Dropped a grand total of 6 limbs, with zero damage to the customer's house, though. That's the main thing-no damage and nobody getting hurt (especially me). I had 5 ropes on the biggest limb today. About 50 feet long and 15 inches at the butt. Pretty heavy 40 feet in the air.