You never know what a Mountain Man gets into...

[Spots]

Spent some time at my old mans and decided to get in some climbing practice. Spotted an small maple, roped it and geared up and went up 3 times. Climbing is a ton of fun and a good skill, but hard work.









And then practiced free hanging descents, just drop the gaffs out of the tree and ride the rope down.





Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[Motasyco]

Having some experience with gaffs, I know that's not easy and requires some skill.  Way to go.

[maroonandwhite]

That's awesome!

[LI0NSFAN]

Used to do this alot in my younger days. I tried it recently and it whipped my butt, guess I am in not in climbing shape anymore.

[Spots]

Thanks guys. Im nowhere near as fast or smooth as my dad, but I like it, and its a hell of a lot cheaper to climb and drop trees yourself then to pay megabucks

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[Chris]

Where would one go to learn this invaluable skill? I'd love to be able to do that safely.

[Spots]

Where would one go to learn this invaluable skill? I'd love to be able to do that safely.

My uncle was a climber for the power company, but my dad basically borrowed some gear and taught himself. He bought some better gear and a dvd and a few books on it and got better. It was just a necessity to learn with the logging we do and the cabins and homes we've built.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.

[JAB]

That is quite impressive.  My late father worked pulpwood, etc. in his younger days in the Lookout Mountain area.  I have seen him climb trees to trim branches or top the tree (so it would fall right when cut at the base) without the use of any equipment, whatsoever, just using his feet/legs and one hand (one hand because he was holding a chainsaw in the other.)  He usually had branches he could grab ahold of all the way up when I saw him do that, though.  I have also seen him jump out of fairly tall tree (not as tall as the one Spots was climing in the pics), land on his feet and simply walk away.  Me, I'd fall and break my neck even with the equipment (a man has to know his limitations.)  Of course, dad started working pulpwood when he was about twelve years old so I guess it is fair to say that he had some experience.

 

There is a reason I say that dad had to die of cancer because nothing else could kill him.

Edited July 29, 2013 by JAB

[JAB]

Where would one go to learn this invaluable skill? I'd love to be able to do that safely.

 

Based solely on posts on this forum, I think it is safe to say that Spots and his father have oodles of invaluable and somewhat rare skills upon which they can draw when needed.  Some of them I'd like to learn (especially the whole blacksmithing thing.)  Others, like this, are amazing to see but would just get me killed if I tried to do it.  I know me well enough to freely admit that.

Edited July 29, 2013 by JAB

[Spots]

Where would one go to learn this invaluable skill? I'd love to be able to do that safely.

Based solely on posts on this forum, I think it is safe to say that Spots and his father have oodles of invaluable and somewhat rare skills upon which they can draw when needed. Some of them I'd like to learn (especially the whole blacksmithing thing.) Others, like this, are amazing to see but would just get me killed if I tried to do it. I know me well enough to freely admit that.

Thanks man, we try. Most of my dads knowledge is born of necessity. Growing up they had mules and horses, so he learned to work drafts. When he got married he had very little money, and needed a home so he learned as he went, cut logs and built himself a log house. He ran equipment for a living, and basically had to teach himself on the fly. Blacksmithing was something that intrested him, and comes in handy for repair work around the farm. Same with wood work. He was intrested, and makes unique stuff that they couldn't afford. He reads a ton, and has a never quit attitude. He isnalso very competitive, and passed it on to his kids. If you can climb that tree in 3 min, he'll do it in 2 and a half kinda thing. The climbing and logging skills were born of necessity. When he built my sisters house he had to drop some very large trees, in nasty terrian. When a tree was dead beside our house, he could either climb it and cut it or pay $3k to have it done. Im just lucky to have a dad whobhas that kind of attitude, believes in keeping the old skills alive and is also very do it yourself orentied.

Tapatalk ate my spelling.