I knew Don Blair personally. He was a great arborist. I attended 3 of his rigging classes in the late 80's and early 90's. One of which was held at the Baltimore Zoo in Maryland. At the time I worked for the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. I worked there for 26 years, and was the driving force behind the College going from contracting Companies like Guardian Tree Service and Berlet Tree to forming it's own tree crew. I remained close to Don for many years after I retired from the climbing world. Glad to see his name is still in the mix today.
Man seriously I’ve been watching all your videos for a while getting my first gigs as a tree worker/arborist and I have no words to thank you for your inspiration work ethic and faithful good will! It’s what are giving me the biggest joy to work and financial freedom to me wife and baby! Just waiting for another extra $ to get my 2.0! Aloha from Hawaii bro! Climb safe and blessings to family
I started my own company this year and have a solo operation. I know how satisfying it is showing up in my truck with my "kill kit" (complete with mb speedline kit) and leaving at the end of the day with a tree dismantled. I love the feeling of having a rough idea of how it'll get done and knowing I have the skills to make it happen once I'm up there with whatever I run into. I'm unfortunately usually cleaning up by myself, less fun but satisfying all the same. 😂 I wouldn't trade this life for anything!
I have been doing that for the last two years trying to correct thirty years of neglect and encroachment of volunteer ash and cedar around the home and opening up the mosquito factory that surrounds us. Burning the scraggle is more work than cutting the useable wood! But the safety and being able to have pride ( and thousands of dollars in the bank, giving me an excuse to buy second hand saws) really has been worth the effort. She called in a ex school “expert “ who taught forestry and he gave a thousand dollar estimate for one tree. I told her “hold my coffee “ and grabbed the saw. Challenging but stirs the creativity!
Thank you for that video August. That's pretty cool I do a lot of solo work myself. I appreciate all the videos great motivation. God bless you and your family stay safe climb on brother💪🙏👍
Enjoyed the video. My kind of job. Excellent filming. Nice solo rigging and limbing. I do a lot of solo rigging....even when I have my faithful ground man along. Love the omni-blocks. I just got a new Husky 540i....like it alot. I now switch back and forth between my Echo DCS2500T and the Husky. The Echo is lighter and better balanced...great limber. The Husky has more pulling power and handles the bigger wood. Both make my life in trees a lot easier. Same for my Monkey-Beaver Harness. (Video review coming).
I commented here before about emergency calls being my favorite. There was recently a small tornado with minimal damage. I was able to help multiple people remove trees off cars and houses. 21 years of serving people in need is the main reason I continue climbing.
Another awesome episode - well said about solving problems you are always very good at putting feelings and ideas into meaningful words of wisdom. I certainly appreciate you August
I like this kind of tree job/video because it's like my first tree climbing experience. By myself, next to and over my house and pump house, using branches and nubs for friction etc. Except a big pecan tree for me. I started using a Petzl Spin L1D which I like. Great fun to just figure things out as I go.
Very well done, sir! NOT used to seeing you *ALONE* up, up in a tree! Good thing you had the *ORGANIC* new toy to help you out. I knew it was YOUR video as everything you cut and dropped landed FLAT - *AUGUST is in the house* ! Thanks as you just pleased 150K plus those who have NOT SUBSCRIBED yet! Hey *IT'S FREE* !
So much good stuff here. Good one liners - good edit, and I learned stuff about liquid amber. They're beautiful trees, but it's definitely a beauty that takes work!
Great video I've been spuring trees since 98 and many times no ground man I pulled out my bag of tricks but ain't it every time you put on the climbing gear you're going to show people some tricks. Thanks for sharing from Michigan
When you said…it would be nice to drive around and do this kind of job…”kill kit”…light, maybe quiet (as in Husky)..self rig…I smiled….because this is where I have arrived…sold all my Vermeer equipment…kept my truck of course and a smart dump trailer (as in small but for heavy loads)…what an amazing relief…in fact I still do big jobs but …no more road closing, no more deafening sound, no more huge monthly financial liabilities… just my skill. Money is indeed rewarding as well. Most rewarding is the customers reaction…because I pass the savings on…what I loved about this video…you pure…haha..and I do love the rest of the crew! Vision…!
You are so graceful in every move you make. I bulldogged so much for so long I’m paying for it now. It’s a art form not easily learned but watching you really is something I wish I could explain to the young guys. It never gets old watching you. I hope to visit that part of the country soon. This Florida grind leaves me wondering what it would be like where you’re at. To cool, best videos ever. I can’t bring myself to consume you and 3 others. I’m to inpatient to sit through nonsense doesn’t matter in real life what everyone else seems to think is how it really works on site
Lol …the classic hit man strikes again .. I love those kinda jobs as well it’s cool when you can work alone an knock out trees. That’s kinda why I do contract climbing. If you got one good ground man you can really do just about anything. It when you gotta pick the mess up is when the team coming together shines . It gets can get to alot when you gotta do the clean up as well
nice to see you take down this tree. Back here in Holland by this tees all the time is braking out the top by hard wind. Nice to see the your back is dowing better.👌
There are a lot of those sweet gums and black gums on our property. The sweet gums leave a mess with the gumballs. The birds leave a mess after eating the black gum berries. Nice one man show.
I’ve came down out of a lift and bucket before to unhook my lowering rope(rigging line) but never done that climbing but I barely ever climb. I have also used nubs to wrap the rope for extra friction, glad to finally see someone else do the last part
I’m just a solo weekend warrior so I always have to improvise to find solutions. Definitely enjoy figuring out the puzzles. Every once in a while I need help from the homeowner. My day job I’m extremely clock oriented. Put my 40 in and no more, I’m outta there. Working my own gig I’ll work myself to death.🤔
That is some heavy wood Great video August I cut a lot of those that fall after a wind storm but I want to start climbing I'm going to get a monkey beaver harness VERY soon
Love the vacation planning. I am exactly that way. I don't like planning, because things never go according to plan anyway. Then people get disappointed when it doesn't go a certain way. I like problem solving on the fly, in the moment.
As much as I want to be project oriented, family needs have forced me to be time oriented. So I'll set a timer alarm where if I'm working on something and the alarm goes off, I stop at the first possible stopping point.
Definitely project oriented. Dream about 8:00-4:00. 😂 seat of the pants… planning? We always find a way to get it done. As you know, Ten people will do a tree 10 different ways. I do a lot of things that I never see anyone else do. May share some someday. Maybe not… Stay safe working alone. Sometimes I do it. A local guy went out alone a while back. They found him deceased. Pinned in a tree the next morning. Work safe! 👋
August, have you seen the solo rigging technique where you use slings to retrieve your lowering rope after each lower. It’s slick. Allows you to rig branches as long as you have enough slings for each branch
Hey August, got a question my friend, I'm in N.Zealand, how can I get my hands on the monkey beaver saddle? I haven't seen it in any store over here, thanks n stay safe bud
I'm a hobbiest not a professional, I was recently removing a 70 ft maple over the house Solo. Tried to manhandle a small log on a spar caught the back of the bar kicked it out of my hand into my roof. Should have tried harder to find someone to untie rigging. Seems I lack patience and experience, really should have known better. Anyway I learned a lot from this video, thanks.
Thank you for the wonderful content as always! I don't remember you using a rope wrench and prussik before, what inspired you? I Really enjoy watching your creative and fun solutions as always!!!!
In Australia, we have a veteran journalist called Sally Sara (she'd probably hate that I called her that! 🙏), who reckoned that you only needed 2 things to travel anywhere - a passport, and a credit card. In her case, preferably a company credit card with a monster credit limit...😂
i could not get any company's to come out. Either to many trees or too dangerous over my house . So i bought the rope s flip lines spurs battery saw and did exactly what you did here, tied off the limbs. no damage and saved $1000s.
I knew Don Blair personally. He was a great arborist. I attended 3 of his rigging classes in the late 80's and early 90's. One of which was held at the Baltimore Zoo in Maryland. At the time I worked for the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. I worked there for 26 years, and was the driving force behind the College going from contracting Companies like Guardian Tree Service and Berlet Tree to forming it's own tree crew. I remained close to Don for many years after I retired from the climbing world. Glad to see his name is still in the mix today.
It's good to be able to analyze the problem and proceed logically , not letting it get bigger than it is. Well played August.
Man seriously I’ve been watching all your videos for a while getting my first gigs as a tree worker/arborist and I have no words to thank you for your inspiration work ethic and faithful good will! It’s what are giving me the biggest joy to work and financial freedom to me wife and baby!
Just waiting for another extra $ to get my 2.0!
Aloha from Hawaii bro! Climb safe and blessings to family
August, your videos and all the opening monologs are just fantastic!!
I'm a "little old lady" who thoroughly enjoys your channel. Stay safe!
Except that I'm not little I'm an old lady who enjoys these active videos.
I started my own company this year and have a solo operation. I know how satisfying it is showing up in my truck with my "kill kit" (complete with mb speedline kit) and leaving at the end of the day with a tree dismantled. I love the feeling of having a rough idea of how it'll get done and knowing I have the skills to make it happen once I'm up there with whatever I run into.
I'm unfortunately usually cleaning up by myself, less fun but satisfying all the same. 😂 I wouldn't trade this life for anything!
I have been doing that for the last two years trying to correct thirty years of neglect and encroachment of volunteer ash and cedar around the home and opening up the mosquito factory that surrounds us. Burning the scraggle is more work than cutting the useable wood! But the safety and being able to have pride ( and thousands of dollars in the bank, giving me an excuse to buy second hand saws) really has been worth the effort. She called in a ex school “expert “ who taught forestry and he gave a thousand dollar estimate for one tree. I told her “hold my coffee “ and grabbed the saw. Challenging but stirs the creativity!
Thank you for that video August. That's pretty cool I do a lot of solo work myself. I appreciate all the videos great motivation. God bless you and your family stay safe climb on brother💪🙏👍
That was a pleasure to watch. You are very good!! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
👍 Always enjoy your
perspective.
Special Ops August and
his MonkeyBeaver “kill-kit”
😎❤️🌲 great video
It appears solo gigs require more "monkey" than group projects.
Competence is a joy to watch. It encourages setting the bar higher in your own life.
Enjoyed the video. My kind of job. Excellent filming. Nice solo rigging and limbing. I do a lot of solo rigging....even when I have my faithful ground man along. Love the omni-blocks. I just got a new Husky 540i....like it alot. I now switch back and forth between my Echo DCS2500T and the Husky. The Echo is lighter and better balanced...great limber. The Husky has more pulling power and handles the bigger wood. Both make my life in trees a lot easier. Same for my Monkey-Beaver Harness. (Video review coming).
I heard that August is so tough he's got a brown bear rug in his bedroom. The bear is still alive.
A pleasure to watch you work….thanks for sharing.👍👍
I commented here before about emergency calls being my favorite. There was recently a small tornado with minimal damage. I was able to help multiple people remove trees off cars and houses. 21 years of serving people in need is the main reason I continue climbing.
Another awesome episode - well said about solving problems you are always very good at putting feelings and ideas into meaningful words of wisdom. I certainly appreciate you August
Crushed it. So much skill. Thanks August!
I like this kind of tree job/video because it's like my first tree climbing experience. By myself, next to and over my house and pump house, using branches and nubs for friction etc. Except a big pecan tree for me. I started using a Petzl Spin L1D which I like. Great fun to just figure things out as I go.
Hey August, great work! Love the solo video! And appreciate the extra it takes to do the video yourself as well as the tree work.
Very well done, sir! NOT used to seeing you *ALONE* up, up in a tree! Good thing you had the *ORGANIC* new toy to help you out. I knew it was YOUR video as everything you cut and dropped landed FLAT - *AUGUST is in the house* ! Thanks as you just pleased 150K plus those who have NOT SUBSCRIBED yet! Hey *IT'S FREE* !
So much good stuff here. Good one liners - good edit, and I learned stuff about liquid amber. They're beautiful trees, but it's definitely a beauty that takes work!
great segment sir. you always amaze me. i get nervous just watching you wobble around in the tops.....lol. thanks for sharing.
I agree, make a mess, collect, on to the next. Good job
Great video I've been spuring trees since 98 and many times no ground man I pulled out my bag of tricks but ain't it every time you put on the climbing gear you're going to show people some tricks. Thanks for sharing from Michigan
Man, you just wanted to see if you still got it? Man, you do and never lost it. One man band
Your tree mission ... should you choose to accept it ...
That tree looked almost like a trebuchet.
Thumbs UP to Don Blair and his Father the real UKE MEN! Don if you see this I am alive and well in Raleigh County, WV. God's Speed Sir.
When you said…it would be nice to drive around and do this kind of job…”kill kit”…light, maybe quiet (as in Husky)..self rig…I smiled….because this is where I have arrived…sold all my Vermeer equipment…kept my truck of course and a smart dump trailer (as in small but for heavy loads)…what an amazing relief…in fact I still do big jobs but …no more road closing, no more deafening sound, no more huge monthly financial liabilities… just my skill. Money is indeed rewarding as well. Most rewarding is the customers reaction…because I pass the savings on…what I loved about this video…you pure…haha..and I do love the rest of the crew! Vision…!
It's fortunate that you like being in trees. That's where you often find yourself.
You are so graceful in every move you make. I bulldogged so much for so long I’m paying for it now. It’s a art form not easily learned but watching you really is something I wish I could explain to the young guys. It never gets old watching you. I hope to visit that part of the country soon. This Florida grind leaves me wondering what it would be like where you’re at. To cool, best videos ever. I can’t bring myself to consume you and 3 others. I’m to inpatient to sit through nonsense doesn’t matter in real life what everyone else seems to think is how it really works on site
Watching those limbs snap like that just make my back hurt. My the tree gods watch over you and yours.
That's the first sweet gum tree I've ever seen in the PNW.
Great video and commentary as usual. Thanks for the inspiration.
I really enjoy watching your videos. I have been learning a lot from them. I am a wild land fire fighter for my day job but I climb on the side.
Fun for you, AND fun to watch 👍👍. Here and now problem solving with the tools at hand. Love it!
Thats awesome! You werent kidding in the least saying that gum tree is brittle, crazy brittle holy cow. Looked like a lot of fun!!!!! Kick ass!!!!
Lol …the classic hit man strikes again ..
I love those kinda jobs as well it’s cool when you can work alone an knock out trees. That’s kinda why I do contract climbing. If you got one good ground man you can really do just about anything. It when you gotta pick the mess up is when the team coming together shines . It gets can get to alot when you gotta do the clean up as well
Love my monkey Beaver saddle 1.0. Game Changer on my back
Keep it up August! Thank you for the encouraging content!
I like those jobs. It never is what you think beforehand. Great job. Stay safe
Kiwi, down under. Love your videos. Thank you 😊
On to 150k subscribers soon August. Congrats!!
Great to see the “old school” come out to get the job done. Great job. Have a blessed day.
Not only is my guy a tree sniper but you also did a really great job on the edit mr hunicke. Good stuffs
Awesome job, I used to go by myself all the time in my bucket truck and a couple of times climbing. Great content and stay safe my friend.
nice to see you take down this tree.
Back here in Holland by this tees all the time is braking out the top by hard wind.
Nice to see the your back is dowing better.👌
There are a lot of those sweet gums and black gums on our property. The sweet gums leave a mess with the gumballs. The birds leave a mess after eating the black gum berries. Nice one man show.
whenever I saw alone, I prefer to be by myself
lol
Seems like he could not have done this job quite the same way without help, so not exactly alone
Fantastic show of knowledge. Amazing that saw did so much work with only one battery.
Never thought to setup a little fork for friction. Nice rigging 👍
I’ve came down out of a lift and bucket before to unhook my lowering rope(rigging line) but never done that climbing but I barely ever climb. I have also used nubs to wrap the rope for extra friction, glad to finally see someone else do the last part
That was fun to watch, see your rigging.
Great skills on display by a master.
Great video. You rock!💪
I’m just a solo weekend warrior so I always have to improvise to find solutions. Definitely enjoy figuring out the puzzles. Every once in a while I need help from the homeowner. My day job I’m extremely clock oriented. Put my 40 in and no more, I’m outta there. Working my own gig I’ll work myself to death.🤔
"improvised organic lowering device" 😁👍
That is some heavy wood Great video August I cut a lot of those that fall after a wind storm but I want to start climbing I'm going to get a monkey beaver harness VERY soon
Sounds great!
Love the vacation planning. I am exactly that way. I don't like planning, because things never go according to plan anyway. Then people get disappointed when it doesn't go a certain way. I like problem solving on the fly, in the moment.
With any luck there will be a nice BBQed rat on the table when you get home. Thanks for the video...
working up high, alone... gotta know precisely what your doing, and do it with safe deliberation. Nice 👍
As much as I want to be project oriented, family needs have forced me to be time oriented. So I'll set a timer alarm where if I'm working on something and the alarm goes off, I stop at the first possible stopping point.
Nice one phil. Long way down untie branches
@9:28 - As they say at the Pendleton RoundUp, "Let 'Er Buck!!!"
Note to self: Sweet Gum trees don't hinge for beans!
Nice work!
So good at your job
Definitely project oriented. Dream about 8:00-4:00. 😂 seat of the pants… planning? We always find a way to get it done. As you know, Ten people will do a tree 10 different ways. I do a lot of things that I never see anyone else do. May share some someday. Maybe not… Stay safe working alone. Sometimes I do it. A local guy went out alone a while back. They found him deceased. Pinned in a tree the next morning. Work safe! 👋
August ur a beast in the tree,I do the same stuff sometimes, especially when the ground guys move 2 slow or are busy you know
August, have you seen the solo rigging technique where you use slings to retrieve your lowering rope after each lower. It’s slick. Allows you to rig branches as long as you have enough slings for each branch
Where can I see this in action?
She stood back a lot as you cut. I like my solo work too!
Man that Gum just SNAPS, crazy to see
mentioned everybody but truck drivers
"Special ops....." with the Kill Kit. Love it! 😎👊
I can very much relate to that August.
Keep yourself safe! 😃👍❤🏍
Randy
Good job August 👏 👍
August to the rescue and he saves the day!
Magician!
Hey August, got a question my friend, I'm in N.Zealand, how can I get my hands on the monkey beaver saddle? I haven't seen it in any store over here, thanks n stay safe bud
We sell online.
cannot stand a sugar gum spikey ball tree! All of them need to be pulled as they begin. Nice work!
cue the music, insert the like a boss glasses over August
I'm a hobbiest not a professional, I was recently removing a 70 ft maple over the house Solo. Tried to manhandle a small log on a spar caught the back of the bar kicked it out of my hand into my roof. Should have tried harder to find someone to untie rigging. Seems I lack patience and experience, really should have known better. Anyway I learned a lot from this video, thanks.
Old video, but it's a good one
Thank you for sharing 👌 😊
Neat vid, August…..using the tree as one of your tools. 👍
As akways wishing you go home safe and sound after these jobs.
The 540ixp has been nothing but impressive to me. Curious about the 300 series batteries though.
Thank you for the wonderful content as always! I don't remember you using a rope wrench and prussik before, what inspired you? I Really enjoy watching your creative and fun solutions as always!!!!
I use whatever is laying around 🤷🏼♂️😁
Hitman Hunicke. I like it ... Oh, Hunicke, Oh Hunicke, where do you roam? Wherever the four ... a screamin' battery saw for hire ... 🙂
Interesting thoughts on the wallet and vacation. Imagine a vacation where you never use your wallet except for gas and potentially food at most.
I work in north Florida, I get to cut these amber tree's alot they call them sweet gum tree's here they are super heavy
Is that a sweet gum tree?
I'm not a troll.
I repeat, I'm nOT a troll.
Ok.
Hope the team are all well Sir
In Australia, we have a veteran journalist called Sally Sara (she'd probably hate that I called her that! 🙏), who reckoned that you only needed 2 things to travel anywhere - a passport, and a credit card. In her case, preferably a company credit card with a monster credit limit...😂
Just riveting on multiple levels. Who said learning's not fun? Whether you get to use it or not.
that was one cool video , showing how to do it , stay safe
August , you are the number one
i could not get any company's to come out. Either to many trees or too dangerous over my house . So i bought the rope s flip lines spurs battery saw and did exactly what you did here, tied off the limbs. no damage and saved $1000s.
Satisfying. ^_^
Damn August, you act like you've done this before. Seemed like a lot of tree for 1 man. Great job though.
What rope did you use for rigging that one? Looked really flexible. Great job as always!
Scandere
first video im seeing you use this top saw. its a husky? how do you like it , reccomended?
It's good
Back in the saddle, being a dangerous man. 😉