The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Urban and Community Forestry => Topic started by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:01:41 PM

Title: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:01:41 PM
We had an early snow and ice storm that started on October the ninth.
It came up to our part of the Canadian Prairies from the States - called a 'Colorado Low" by the weather people.
It was  doozie!
The Trans-Canada Highway was shut down.
Electrical power was broken to thousands of homes.
Some First Nations reserves and small towns had to be evacuated.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/IMG_3995~2.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1571593320)

Winnipeg City and the Province of Manitoba declared states of emergency.
. . . and all of this on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend!
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:04:22 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191011_143253~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571592138)
 
I moved my mill to a safe place, parked it, covered it with a heavy tarp and joined forces with my son's tree service.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:13:42 PM
We are a city of 750,000 people and have many 100 - 150 year old Elm trees.
Old streets in historic neighbourhoods that are full of character. 
Also full of tree victims.
It's been a very soggy wet Fall. That resulted in most trees having the leaves on.
When a lot of wet snow and rain combine with low temps and high winds - trees get to be tippy and the weak ones shatter. What a mess!
The species that did the best were the elm and oaks.
The ash, birch, alder trees were hit hard. Thousands of them blocking streets, falling on houses and vehicles.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191011_123211.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571591292)

Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:15:30 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191011_123110.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571591290)

Street blocked.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 02:28:43 PM
Other end of the street blocked too . . . 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191011_122605.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571591285)
 
I'm posting this a week later. 
The days have been a blur. My back hurts, my legs hurt and feel like a truck has run over me, twice.   :o
I should know better than to try to keep up with the 30 year old kids!  :o
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: lxskllr on October 20, 2019, 06:16:10 PM
Too bad about the trees, but it's good you made it through without damaging yourself aside from over exertion  :^)
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 06:58:35 PM
The in'laws house had two large elm branches break off.
One laid down on their roof, only tearing a section of eavestrough off.
The second fell across a power line going to the neighbour's house. The electric mast was torn off the house, laying the live cables across their garage roof and driveway.
The repair crew from the utility company did show up, three days later.
It's been a miracle that nobody has been zapped in all of this.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 07:00:03 PM
Quote from: lxskllr on October 20, 2019, 06:16:10 PM
Too bad about the trees, but it's good you made it through without damaging yourself aside from over exertion  :^)
Sunday is a day of rest.
😀
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: samandothers on October 20, 2019, 07:35:14 PM
Glad y'all ended the work safe.  Bad timing for the holiday.  BTW, Happy late Canadian Thanksgiving.  Wet snow, freezing and wet ground are bad combos.  

The pictures look all too familiar.  Worked many an ice storm scouting electrical lines.  Snow by its selft is not bad but freezing rain or with snow is not a good thing.  I think they were worse storms to work than the hurricanes.  The weather is cold, poor footing, wet and not able to see what you may be walking on.  

Hope you catch up on the rest and body aches subside.  
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: WDH on October 20, 2019, 08:26:13 PM
So it begins.........Before you know it, you will be froze solid.  Be careful. 
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Southside on October 20, 2019, 08:42:44 PM
Put a frozen Togue on those sore muscles. It will be just like Blue Emu, only you will stink.  :D
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:25:05 PM
Thanks for the well wishes guys, but this is the sound of self inflicted soreness, thats all . . .
Safety is a big concern, from the little stuff to high tension wires when operating a lift.

Hey y'know how @Yellowhammer is on about the "take steps to save steps"?
My son must've taken that to heart, 'cause he picked up a trio of head-sets that work like an intercom system. Holy Cow! Do those things ever work out well. The biker sawyers in the crowd probably see 'em as old news, but for me it was a revelation.
I could carry on a conversation while operating a Stihl 660 at full throttle with a person stuffing branches into a chipper about a hundred feet away.
Noise cancelling microphones/circuitry are the bomb!
Steps saved galore!
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:28:06 PM
Quote from: Southside on October 20, 2019, 08:42:44 PM
Put a frozen Togue on those sore muscles. It will be just like Blue Emu, only you will stink.  :D
I end a working day with the three S's.
But, you're right, I prolly still stink.
Another but, the pooch loves my 'musk'.  8)
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:40:19 PM
The storm created a "all hands on deck" situation.
Grandfathers ('OPA', me) and Granddaughters (Avery) joined in.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191012_130118.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571592145)

She had a headset and kept her Dad (in the background) and crew updated.
With an iPhone in the chipper truck, she could relay messages, take phone calls and give the crew warnings of cars on the road or pedestrians coming in to get their trees done next.
She was full-on safe and out of harm's way, she was in the cab except for the rest breaks we took.
She may have been taking cash for chipping payments, too. Not a bad way to spend a no-school day.
Clever operator for a ten year old.  ;D
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:48:21 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191018_125023.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571591612)
 
Hey all you tornado and hurricane clean-up guys; shattered wood cuts funny.
Wants to spring and jump in strange ways. Kinda like Poston at a BBQ.  ;)
All y'all are exactly right!
now I've done that too.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:51:42 PM
Quote from: WDH on October 20, 2019, 08:26:13 PM
So it begins.........Before you know it, you will be froze solid.  Be careful.
I sure hope so.
Really don't wanna look like Magicman at 110 degrees in the Sandbox.
Man, I don't how you guys DO it!
Hats off.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: YellowHammer on October 20, 2019, 11:53:34 PM
Wow, what a mess.  I like the headphones, too.  Be safe.  
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: thecfarm on October 21, 2019, 06:20:24 AM
Yes,what a mess.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: WDH on October 21, 2019, 07:02:59 AM
Quote from: Andries on October 20, 2019, 10:48:21 PMWants to spring and jump in strange ways. Kinda like Poston at a BBQ.  ;)
:D :D.  So true.  :D :D
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Pine Ridge on October 21, 2019, 01:33:28 PM
Straight line winds and a couple possible tornadoes came through here in southwest missouri last night,  we are cleaning up the debris today along the roads. Storms can make a huge mess in a hurry.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: samandothers on October 21, 2019, 07:56:23 PM
Storm smells I remember most are pine and chargrills cooking thawing food.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 21, 2019, 10:27:49 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191014_162655.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623510)
 
The snow is starting to melt away, but the mangled trees remain.

Here's a standard working day:
We'd show up at an appointment with chipper truck and saws.
People would pop out of their houses like gophers in the spring.
"Hey, are you city or private?" 
We're private.
"How much for those trees and those branches over there?"
One Standard Goat Unit. ($300.00 in metric bucks . . . it's in the FF dictionary)
"Great, here's the cash."
Want a receipt?
"Nope, and I'm phoning Mabel to let her know that you guys are here . . ." 

We'd spend most of the day on one or two city blocks, with the work rolling in faster than we could write down addresses.
Start at sunrise, finish at dusk, dump chips in the dark, do it all over again in the morning.
It'd be awesome to be able to spread this popularity out over the calendar!
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 21, 2019, 10:35:22 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191017_140729.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623020)
 
Big oak at a big house.
The storm tore it down the middle starting at about 35 feet up.

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191017_140746.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623588)
 
Two thirds of the trunk was torn off, and about half the branches were still up there.
I wouldn't call it a "widow maker", more like a big mousetrap with a very fine set to the trigger.  :D
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 21, 2019, 10:41:23 PM
We had a big lift on site - no climbing this tree.
I had my head up, spotting for my son when out of the corner of my eye comes this cutie . .. 

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191017_143645.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623575)
 
Tame, curious and a great legs.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: YellowHammer on October 21, 2019, 10:51:25 PM
That's some pretty serious tree cleanup.  
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 21, 2019, 10:59:54 PM
I don't think I'll ever see an explosion of trees like this again YH.
It'll take months to straighten this mess up, and we're getting a lot of help:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-urban-forestry-staff-winnipeg-help-cleanup-snowstorm-1.5328243 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-urban-forestry-staff-winnipeg-help-cleanup-snowstorm-1.5328243) 
There's crews in our town from the Dakotas, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
It's like an Arborist's Swarm.
The cost is estimated at over $100 million.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 21, 2019, 11:09:06 PM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191021_144300.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571709974)


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191018_114849~0.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623931)


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191018_162449.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571590936)


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191018_162418.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571590936)

I see a lot of milling and firewood processing in my future, and that's good thing!
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: slider on October 23, 2019, 06:52:55 AM
Andrais how tall is your lift.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 23, 2019, 10:36:44 AM
Slider, it has a sixty foot reach.
It's a rental unit, self driving and HEAVY.
My son operates his tree service on a part time basis, and specializing in climbing trees in hard to reach places. Places where the bucket trucks and big lifts don't fit or can't go.
That particular unit was really good. We shared costs with the electrician who was reconnecting the power mains to the house. Smooth controls in the bucket, even tho it was electric over hydraulic.
Better than the usual Genie lift rental units, but that could be because of the abuse of rental use.
Title: Re: Manitoba Treemagedon
Post by: Andries on October 23, 2019, 10:45:46 AM

(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/19307/20191017_140551.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1571623482)
 
Bucket on its way up to do the branch drops.
Note the thin mid-section, still holding up the weight of what's left of the canopy.
Most Def not a climbing tree!