A few years ago I had a gang of pines to take out. We had been going at it all day long. I was on the last tree I was going to do for the day. Not many obstructions on the ground so this is a quick one, right. Well I was ready to go home so I climbed with the flipline in one hand and the saw in the other, just lopping away. I get to the top and tie in getting ready to blow out the top and start blocking down. Well my haste had the groundies swamped. they were all out front chipping away. So now I am bymyself at the top of the tree. I look around and decide just to go ahead and cut the top off and be done with it.
Heres where it really goes wrong. I made a face cut. and then made my backcut waaaay too fast. I cut my hinge before the top had really got going. So now it is loose. The butt end pops backwards. Hits me in the left chest area. then slides down my side, cutting me (not dramatically). Then as it cantilevers over the top of the spar it hooks under my left arm. Which then tries to catapult me over the tree. My buckle on my climbing harness caught the top of the spar as I was going over with the top. Luckily it was enough of a stall that I finally broke free. Well after all that force the spar was loaded up. So I go from looking like a parade balloon on top of the spar to being slingshotted backwards. My flipline came over the top, But climbing line stayed put. Then I swung into the trunk having the wind knocked out of me. As one of the groundies came in the backyard and spotted me danglin' he pulled out the phone to dial 911. That was when I got my breath enough to let him know I was OK.
It was three days before I felt good enough to climb again, or even do ground work. It was two months before I cut another top. I could not do it. Then one day I had to do it, I was the only climber and it had to be done. Once I got back on the horse I was good to go.
What did I learn?
-Sometimes it is faster to take your time
-Don't be left alone at the top of a tree, Who knows how long they could have been out front if I had fallen or had been seriously hurt.
-I always tie in twice when blocking or topping now
One more, The first time I climbed I slipped at twenty feet. Gaffed out to each side of the tree and slid down on my ballocks.Yeah that killed a lil pride
