Too Sketchy to Drop?

[Toasty-Yote]

The ash recently died in my dad's yard. It is about 50' tall and as you can see, is covered in vines. Some looks like Virginia creeper and some is very thorny with red berries. No idea what exactly it is but the thorns are nasty. I cut most of the vines at ground level today but I am guessing vines like that will take at least a year to lose most of their tensile strength.

My question is if you would drop it or leave it. There are two main trunks and both of them are intertwined with the vines so that if I were to cut one, it could pull down parts of the other trunk in unpredictable ways or just leave it hanging/leaning by the vines which is another sketchy situation. I don't have a tractor and enough rope to pull it down even if I could get the rope high enough to get some leverage. I think I already know the right answer but wondering if anyone has ideas on how to do this somewhat safely. I feel there is at least two really good cords of ash right there and although he has a large woods, my Subaru Impreza really only has access to the outskirts for loading the rounds.

 

[Slimdusty]

Is there any structures within the fall zone? If that is a no, I would feel comfortable falling it (from what I can see in the pic). Stay within your own comfort zone, that’s the most important criteria.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

There is nothing around it that I am worried about it dropping on (other than me). I just don't like the idea of dropping one trunk and it pulling random pieces off the other trunk as it falls. I guess, as long as I got out of Dodge when I heard it starting to crackle and fall, I would mitigate that risk somewhat.

 

[stoveliker]

If you do, make sure you wear a proper helmet.

 

[bigealta]

And make sure u have multiple good clear escape paths.
i'd start with cutting all the vines then the small leaner trunks.

Maybe wait till the snow is gone for a better escape plan.

It does look like there are lots of dead branches up there so i would be thinking pulling with a rope. You can get cheap ones at depot.

If you do cut them make sure you do a good hinge, take your time to get it right.

 

[weee123]

I’ve personally cut a tree down like this that was intertwined with wisteria into another cherry next to it. It pulled the cherry down with it so be prepared for two trees to come down potentially.

 

[EbS-P]

I’m a hard pass on any felling that isn’t super simple. Are you in dire need of this wood?

If I were to do it I’d throw a rope between the two stems and then use/pull that rope to remove all vines between the two stems.

Then Clear out the base. Then take the the left stem. It’s got a hard lean small notch bore cut. Then then asses the remaining stem.

In that amount of time one could fell 3 easy trees.

 

[Duds13]

I wouldn't attempt it.

1. Dead ash - could easily snap off near the top as you are cutting
2. If there's Virginia creeper wrapped around it, highly likely there is poison ivy too.
3. Looking at the photo things could go wrong quickly getting twisted up in the vines.

That's just me though. I know my skill level and I'm far from a pro.

 

[Murray01]

If it’s feasible, hire a pro to knock it down. Done that lots with trees near structures and power lines. You do the clean up save a few $.

 

[Slimdusty]

If it’s feasible, hire a pro to knock it down. Done that lots with trees near structures and power lines. You do the clean up save a few $.

Thats a good idea

 

[Toasty-Yote]

Thanks everyone. I will take another look at it in May when I can assess escape routes better. I do have a felling helmet but I also recognize it won't save my neck if I catch a 70lb limb falling from the top.

 

[Whitenuckler]

Thanks everyone. I will take another look at it in May when I can assess escape routes better. I do have a felling helmet but I also recognize it won't save my neck if I catch a 70lb limb falling from the top.

I thought it might be possible to drop it all at once? I'm not sure where the branch off point is, and the diameter. Might need a big saw. Probably not a do-it-yourself solution.

 

[Mutineer]

One other note, there isn't 2 cords in that mess, I'd be surprised if you get a half cord out of it.
And I concur with tying a rope up as high as you can and get the base cuts started then pull from a safe distance. What's life without a little risk to get the blood pumping anyway?

 

[all night moe]

Where abouts are you? PM me if you want. If not to far, I'm willing to help.

Side note: Me hates creeper. Some nasty stuff. Nothing like ivys. There is no oily substance to clean off. It's all a reaction to the nerve endings. Learned my lesson and it only took once. A guy had them loaded in his white pines along his driveway. The tree guy I did the work for cut all the vines a year prior. They were completely dead without a glimmer of life. This was mid summer. He swung me around with his little 70' sign crane, ripping them out of the trees. That's what the HO wanted.....the vines gone. I wore a short sleeved shirt and the next day, my forearms were covered with a rash like I've never seen. No ivy treatments of any type offered any comfort. A week later it subsided. Worst thing I've ever encountered. I'm very tolerant to ivys. I'm in it frequently. This virginia creeper is nothing like I had ever experienced. So, to be clear, if you wish to wait till May......I will not be your huckleberry LOL.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

I am near Utica. I definitely want to wait until May or June since the area around it is a little boggy right now and I also want the riding mower cued up to mulch all those multiflora rose vines after I pick the wood out of that mess. I like the idea of pulling from the top after there is a significant back cut. Using that technique, I wouldn't mind dropping the whole thing at once. With enough leverage I could actually do this with paracord thrown up into the crown and looped around a branch. I just ordered 200ft for about $10 on Amazon and as a bonus I will have enough for probably the rest of my life. My favorite bootlaces are paracord with the inside strings stripped out. They last forever, super limber and you can cut your way out of zip ties if you get kidnapped by villains.

 

[Whitenuckler]

I am near Utica. I definitely want to wait until May or June since the area around it is a little boggy right now and I also want the riding mower cued up to mulch all those multiflora rose vines after I pick the wood out of that mess. I like the idea of pulling from the top after there is a significant back cut. Using that technique, I wouldn't mind dropping the whole thing at once. With enough leverage I could actually do this with paracord thrown up into the crown and looped around a branch. I just ordered 200ft for about $10 on Amazon and as a bonus I will have enough for probably the rest of my life. My favorite bootlaces are paracord with the inside strings stripped out. They last forever, super limber and you can cut your way out of zip ties if you get kidnapped by villains.

I wonder if you secure that big side "branch" to the main tree as high up as your ladder will go, then that branch would pull the main tree down to the left. Of course it might also split off at the bottom depending on where the cut is. It sure looks like it would be good to drop the whole thing to the left.

 

[qwee]

If it was me, I would cut the little one to almost falling, and stick a wedge in it at an angle (not 45 degrees say 60 degrees). I would then cut the big one. I would drop the big one with wedges - such that the big one hits the small one. So the big one starts falling and knocks the little one down with it. This eliminates the vine problem.

The worst scene is if you just jumped in there and cut the big one and it started falling and the little side tree's vines hold it and it goes somewhere weird. So I would use the big one to take out the little one. If the vines pull the big one towards the little one it works because that is where you are sending it anyways - so you are working with those vines - not against them.

 

[all night moe]

Utica is a bit out for me. A tad to far.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

So I have actually decided not to drop it. It is definitely at my ability limit of what I can do somewhat safely but more than that, I took another look and I would be hard pressed to find a 16" length anywhere in that trunk that doesn't have a very large knot. I know ash is pretty easy to split but as a point of pride, I only use a maul and even after I split them, those knots are going to make stacking a pain in the ass. I have very limited space for uglies. I'm gonna let the bugs, birbs and squirrels have it.

 

[EbS-P]

It is definitely at my ability limit of what I can do somewhat safely

That should just be a hard pass without even thinking. Now with my edits I’m ok pondering for a bit and performing a risk assessment.

I fully support your decision.

 

[ScottLewis]

 

[Murray01]

So I have actually decided not to drop it. It is definitely at my ability limit of what I can do somewhat safely but more than that, I took another look and I would be hard pressed to find a 16" length anywhere in that trunk that doesn't have a very large knot. I know ash is pretty easy to split but as a point of pride, I only use a maul and even after I split them, those knots are going to make stacking a pain in the ass. I have very limited space for uglies. I'm gonna let the bugs, birbs and squirrels have it.

Put up some nesting boxes to attract birds.

 

[Toasty-Yote]

So I ended up taking down one trunk so far. The other trunk will have to wait for a while, if ever, because it has big dead branches all around the crown and I have no idea where it is leaning. There are about five more smaller ash trees ready to come down within 50 feet of it so it looks like the coming winter is going to be a primarily ash after burning primarily red elm and with some cherry this year. There is still a big chunk of trunk to buck but I ran through my 3 Dewalt batteries and then focused on burning all the multiflora rose vines that were left behind.