Hello!
From Northwest Louisiana here!
I've been lurking around here off and on for awhile and don't have much of anything to offer being a noobe to the tree working world and all.
In fact, I never gave it much thought until my large pine tree was struck by lightning last summer and put a big stripe down the side of it. Thinking that it was going to die, I started doing a little research on what might be involved in removing it, I found that a whole world existed dedicated to the profession!
Over the years, I've occasionally seen tree climbers removing huge trees and have always been amazed at how they worked! I seriously thought those guys had to be nuts!
My research though has taught me they are masters of a very well disciplined skill!
Well the tree never did die and looks pretty good so far and seems to be healing where the bark is missing. I had some steel fence posts leaning up against the tree and the lightning must have diverted down those away from the tree rather than into the roots. Not sure though if that's why it's not dead yet!
Anyway, I'm getting the itch to learn how to climb now. I'm finding all sorts of information on the Internet and even sent away for a CD on recreational climbing!
I've even plunked down a few dollars and bought me some gear!
I haven't gotten off the ground yet though!
My body shape is such that I have somewhat of a belly and I tend to want to turn upside down in the saddle! All I seem to get done is wrapping my arms around the rope to stay upright!
So I'm doing more research to figure out why other climbers seem to sit upright in their saddles and I don't!
I read where a chest harness would fix it but haven't tried that yet.
So anyway I just want to say y'all have a nice site here and I really enjoy all the information and videos.
I'm sure I'll probably never do what y'all do here but I really enjoy learning about it anyway!
Kind of like a weekend hunter who reads about the Safaris I guess!
I guess now I'll go back to my lurking and keep listening and reading about all the action!
