Tree Top Timber
Some 30,000 pounds of counterweight, seen at left, was used to anchor the crane that brought down a ponderosa pine in front of The Fort Dalles Museum on Friday morning, April 9. The crane was lifting between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds at a time. The crane must be level to operate - thus its position above.
A chainsaw with a longer bar was lifted hoisted up to Miguel as he had to cut through wider sections of the trunk as he climbed lower on the tree.
Josh Woolsey of Gorge Arbor Care woke up with a big job today, Friday, April 9.
He and his crew were on site at the Fort Dalles Museum, removing two 120-foot ponderosa pines at the intersection of 15th and Garrison streets. The trees were estimated to be 100 years old and each weighing around 18,000 pounds.
The hazard trees were removed because one had a steep lean and the other had a split top with a high chance of shearing off. Both were dangerous as there was a high probability of them falling, Woolsey said. The trees could easily do both property and possibly human damage as they are in the middle of the residential neighborhood.
Fort Dalles Museum had a Ponderosa blow over on Jan. 13, and cause damage to the Surgeon’s quarter. See our story here. Luckily no one was injured.
So a little preventative maintenance was needed today.
Crews circled up and discussed their plan for removing the trees as well as setting communication signals and going over ideas to improve their safety.
But it is not easy removing danger.
Woolsey hired Ness Campbell Crane + Rigging out of Portland to assist in piecing up the trees. Climber and sawyer Santiago Miguel used a cable hanging down from the crane to create a choker on the trunk of the tree. The crane operator would then pull the cable taught. Santiago then climbed below the cable and cut the trunk through with a straight cut, essentially chunking the tree up into 20-foot sections.
After the section broke free the crane would safely lower it to the ground, where a crew cut off the branches and a backhoe placed the pieces to large to grind into waiting dumptrucks from Summit Excavation.
Top of the first Ponderosa Pine is brought to the ground.
