I was a little rusty from the winter layoff. Screwed up the first 2 trees - could not get the bar level. But it gave me a chance to work on some other skills like adjusting the hinge to correct for the bad cut and still getting it to fall where I wanted. After the first 2, I was back in form. I dropped about 8 big trees - 40-70 footers. Oak, ash, hickory and a couple mystery hardwoods. Those plus what is already on the ground from storms and what I have left over from this winter should be more than enough for next year and give me a big start on 2010. I want everything bucked by end of the month if not split and stacked. Tall order, but I'm rested and ready to go.
A couple observations. I got a stump vise for christmas - makes life infinitely easier when sharpening on site. Also got a felling lever, but didn't get a chance to use it. I did use wedges to direct some trees that weren't leaning the direction I wanted them to fall and it worked quite nicely. Last couple years I'd just fell the direction the tree wanted to go and leave any pushing the wrong direction alone. Spent the winter reading "Professional Timber Falling: A Professional Approach" and it was more the worth the couple bucks I paid for it. I learned a ton of theory from it that I was actually able to put to use. Hinges, bad leaners, making cleaner notches, etc.
A couple observations. I got a stump vise for christmas - makes life infinitely easier when sharpening on site. Also got a felling lever, but didn't get a chance to use it. I did use wedges to direct some trees that weren't leaning the direction I wanted them to fall and it worked quite nicely. Last couple years I'd just fell the direction the tree wanted to go and leave any pushing the wrong direction alone. Spent the winter reading "Professional Timber Falling: A Professional Approach" and it was more the worth the couple bucks I paid for it. I learned a ton of theory from it that I was actually able to put to use. Hinges, bad leaners, making cleaner notches, etc.
