Dale Matson
As anyone with wooded property knows, there is always work
to be done. Chainsaw work is a subset of skills that calls forth early training
and memories associated with it. Yesterday’s work was no exception. There is
chainsaw work on level ground, on hillsides and above ground.
In the 60’s “High Rangers” (cherry pickers) were just being
introduced in tree work. These were trucks with a bucket that was mounted on a
mechanical arm that could be raised and lowered that would move you into a tree.
It was such advancement over a saddle, climbing ropes, a buck strap and spurs
(some call them tree hooks). Hydraulic lifts were much safer and easier than
getting a rope into a tree and making the slow climb up. We always wondered if a bird had dropped
something sharp in the crotch of the tree that held your climbing rope until we
could look and see. We also had a haul rope for tools like a small chain saw
and pole pruners. We had a scabbard on your saddle with a handsaw with a paint
pot attached to the scabbard.
We had a great
foreman named Bill Gardener. (So many names fit the professions) who was a
tall, lanky Oakie. He had broad shoulders and was built for climbing. He was as
fearless as they come. Well…. almost fearless. He was deathly afraid of snakes.
We tied a garter snake on his climbing rope once and he refused to climb down.
It always seemed like we were betting small wagers about everything.
He was a tough teacher. Every cut bigger than a half dollar had
to be painted over with tree paint. You started at the top and worked your way
down to avoid getting the paint on your clothes. Every cut had to be flush with
the major branch or trunk; nothing “you could hang your hat on.” If you missed
a shiner, he would wait until you were back on the ground and send you back up
to paint it. Of course you had to pass by cuts that had been painted and get
tree paint (almost the consistency of tar) all over you. Trees are surprisingly
dirty anyway. Bill used a bench grinder jig to sharpen each saw chain after
work for the next day. If you got the saw dull in the morning, you worked with
it the rest of the day like that. A dull chain on a chainsaw is three times the
work. It made you careful.
We did a lot of side jobs after work. There was plenty of
work to do. In the 60’s Dutch elm disease (imported from the Netherlands) hit
the Midwest and eventually killed all of the magnificent American Elms. Many
lined the city streets. Planted along both sides of the street, they created a
cathedral–like arch. It was sad to see so many killed by the elm bark beetle.
I think back to those times and that I could work all day
plus side jobs after work. Four hours of tree work these days is pretty much
all I’m good for. Yesterday’s job was a bit different. We had a black oak that
had grown up next to a cedar and kind of wrapped itself around the Cedar. Both
were next to our shed and I worried that the Oak would push the Cedar into the
shed. I took off some of the oak limbs standing on top of the shed I put a
cable in the top half of the tree and Sharon pulled it away from the shed with
the Tahoe as I made the back cut. The remaining trunk looked easy. I made the
notch to make it fall away from the shed and started the back cut on the other
side of the tree. It was so grafted to the cedar tree that when I had
completely cut through the base of the tree, it just hung there. I had to put a
chain on it and use a “come along” (hand winch) to pull it away from the cedar.
I finished by cutting the brush off the tree and while Sharon was stacking
brush for chipping, I cut up the logs. There is a good kind of tired after tree
work.
You can see the huge 'dent' in the cedar tree created by the oak branch.
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