No Crane, No Problem: How We Climbed and Rigged a Massive, Declining Oak

Embace difficult things, and do something that scares you every day. While we weren’t exactly scared to remove a large, declining black Oak in Windsor, Ontario… we had right to be concerned.  A large limb had failed the previous summer, and there was obvious dieback and dead limbs in the tree.  While every tree presents unique challenges, at 100 feet tall and close to 50” DBH (diameter at breast height) this monster had the added difficulty of having to be accessed through the garage.

In other words, 15,000 to 20,000 pounds of wood had to be hauled through the house. So, while the stature of the tree was impressive, its size and location necessitated a careful, complex removal.

The Challenge: A Backyard Giant

Removing any large tree requires some skill, and definitely precision, a touch of courage, and ropes and rigging that are up to the task. Its sheer size and weight (Black Oak is dense and heavy!) meant heavy rigging- and bringing in a large crane for the process was not on option. It was going to be roped down, one piece at a time, and then we were going to have to figure out how to haul the wood.  

The Solution: Expertise Aloft and On the Ground

So, I had my good friend Brennan of Hemlock Tree Care down from Montreal. This way, we rotated climbing (4 hours up high) with ground work (4 hours on the ground) while Cathy took care of all the ropes and ground rigging. I would climb in the morning, and Brennan would climb in the afternoon, which kept the aerial work efficient, safe, and the climber always fresh. 

A tree with that size canopy (100 feet sideway) requires a lot of strenuous movement laterally as well as up. We accomplish this using most tricks in the arborists climbing book- everything from multiple, redundant tie-ins, captains hooks ( a type of grapple), using two or more safety lines, and the mental state of being very aware of the climbing.  Planning your work positioning and comfort while aloft is very important. 

For rigging- we brushed out the tree using a combination of Rock Exotica Omni Swivels, and then transitioned to rings and ⅝ inch then eventually ¾ inch line for the larger wood.  By my rough calculations, the heavier dynamic pieces would have inflicted about 20KN of force had it not been for Cathy, who was excellently arresting the pieces in a way to minimize peak force (and prevent the pieces from snapping the rigging).

The Unexpected Detour: Through the Garage!

Here's where things got a bit funky. Due to access limitations on the property, the only way to remove some of these incredibly heavy 1000 lb log sections was directly through the client (Mark’s) garage.

This wasn't a decision made lightly! Protecting property is always paramount, even when facing unique logistical puzzles like this.  Still, Mark assured us the cement was sound.  We utilized roll off bins for the work, and Dan from Golden Eagle Trailer also rented us his excellent, and brand new Bobcat MT100.

We were able to buck the final 10ft in 16” cookies- each weighting 800-1000lbs each, and with some creative ballasts (namely, a crew of 3 hanging of the back of the machine) we were able to very slowly, very carefully load the wood into the bin. 

So, it was an intense, but eventually rewarding couple of days.  Again, thanks to Hemlock Tree Care and Golden Eagle bins for their support, and of course our absolutely excellent customer Mark!