Above: Today we're at the historic residence of the aviator Howard Hughes. Unfortunately, the huge old stone pine out front split nearly in half when a co-dominant leader broke off, narrowly missing the house when it fell.
Above: Options for accessing the backside of the tree are limited as anything heavier than a tractor would ruin the lawn and grading. Were this not the case, circumstances would still favor the free-climb method. Going up!
Above: Wasn't it Leonardo Da Vinci who said "Give me a big enough saw, and I will cut down the world."? We might add a strong rope and a sharp pair of cleats, but that's about it. Let gravity do the rest.
Above: Timber! Look out above. Smaller branches can be dealt with manually. Ones like this are destined for the wood chipper, where they will be reincarnated as mulch. Circle of life.
Above: Speaking of circles of life, we counted 72 rings on this fallen leader, dating the tree back to 1947 (wow). It's a shame, but a perfect example of why co-dominant situations must be dealt with early and often.
Above: "Don't break your back moving that thing by hand, that's what we brought the tractor for. Conserve your energy, Lord knows you're going to need it."
Above: All breakdown is done on-site with same-day removal ensuring nothing ever lies around. The front-loader makes short work of larger pieces, with the chipper on standby to process the rest.
Above: We're like the Tony Gwynn of tree services. It's outa there! With removal and disposal crews working in tandem, any debris is immediately cleared with ant-like efficiency.
Above: For scale, Robbie's about 7' so do the math: that's a big branch. To the left of the shot you can see how bad the co-dominance had become. Look at all that decay, decades of it.
Above: This piece alone probably weighs 1000 lbs, but it is no match for the modern miracle of heavy hydraulics. What is its fate? To become a table? A sculpture? Some good firewood, in all liklihood.
Above: To access the side of the tree facing the driveway, a boom truck is employed, enabling the arborist to maintain distance while improving overall stability and maeuverability.
Above: When attempting to remove the top of a large tree like this all at once, a good undercut is crucial to ensure it falls where you want without recoiling and splintering the trunk. See video.
Above: Mission accomplished. The top came off cleanly, in a single piece, and landed right where we planned. Let's cut that thing up and get it out of here, and finally get some good closeup shots!
Above: That is one gigantic top. Needless to say, it's a lot easier to negotiate from ground level. Next step is the trunk, which will come down in an easy piece, followed by the stump, a beast unto itself, and a story for another day.
Above: We have been serving the Rancho Santa Fe/Olivenhain/Fairbanks Ranch community since 1976, and as the only local area specialists, the choice is clear: Rancho Santa Fe Tree Care. Get your free consultation today.