More Lift Essay, Research Paper

When logging needs more lift it is sometimes necessary to raise the mainline for easier and faster production; specifically, the logs being pulled by the yarer should not scrape the ground, or hang up on stumps, so when more lift is needed a high climber is called in. No matter if a high climber is setting out to top a tree, or hang blocks in it for more lift he must posses the correct tools and take precautionary steps while in the tree.

Possessing the correct tools and knowledge, climbers can do this job affectively.

The climbing spurs used by loggers are similar, but much longer than the spurs used by utility folks to climb utility poles. The more aggressive spurs were used because these trees have bark on them. A leather-climbing belt doesn?t do the job because it does not reach around the tree. High climbers use a rope that is suppose to be at least part cable, so reducing the risk of accidentally chopping through the safety rope; furthermore, one of the precautionary step the climber needs to determine is whether the tree is sound or not. When climbing the tree the climber traditionally carries a single bitted axe with them, thunking the tree with the hammer side of the axe every step of the way up the tree and listen for hollow spots. If the report from the thunk isn?t right, look for another tree. A climber would climb the tree cutting off the limbs as he went up and finally topping the tree. A profound hazard of the job is conk rot. People tend to think of these big trees as all being sound solid wood. Well some of them were; infact, fir trees tend to die from the inside out as the sap wood is the most durable, but if water gets into the heart of the tree through a broken limb or injury these trees would rot on the inside and become dangerously weak.

Most of the time the large trees that are used for more lift are near 200 ft tall. Pulling on a tree at that height would create too much of a leverage; certainly, pulling the tree to the ground, because the yarder pulls taunt on the main-line cable connected to the tree. Usually when hanging the blocks for the main line they are placed no more than 110ft, so topping the tree to get rid of the extra weight becomes a necessity. Topping the tree is the most difficult and skilled part of high climbing. It has taken two hours of work making your way to where the tree is going to be toped; subsequently, using up a good portion of precious energy just when the most dangerous part of the climb begins.

Furthermore, enjoying or overcoming heights is only the beginning of the climbers life, courage is needed, and lots of it. Having the top of a tree come at the climber with nowhere to go is enough to make any person buckle. Once the tree is topped, then a pass block is hung in the top of what is to be called the spar pole, and this brings up the rest of the equipment and rigging including guywires, and whatever was needed. Possessing the correct tools and knowledge are the most important trades for the lost art of high climbing.