Thread: Forest Giants

This brings back some memories, while a forest foreman with the NZFS at Pureora, I got called into the office by the OiC. The aerial spraying company who did the Radiata pine dothi spraying said that their pilots were getting worried about flying amongst the dead native spars ( dead standing trees)in the pine plantations. As they flew lower than the dead natives, bits could fall off the spars as a plane was going past. The result would not be good. So my job was to go out into the pines and fall all the standing dead spars.
Armed with a stihl 096 with a 5 foot bar, taller than I was, away I went. Every tree was an ugly malformed monster. Left behind by the native loggers 10 years eariIer because it had no or little commercial value, or rotten. Weeks later the job was almost complete.
There was one Totara that I drove past every day. This one is going to give me trouble. Left for last.
The tree was complete except no foliage. A standing Pureora Forest Giant. Out in the middle of a Pumice quarry flat.
Leaning back on the trusty B1600 mazda ute having a smoke, as you did in those days. Eyeing the tree to see where it may fall. I decided that it was too dangerous to fall. Although standing straight as a die, it was hollow. In fact the local pig hunters used the tree to singe pork. A good three metres across you could live in it. Problem was, at the bottom of the trunk there was only about 100mm of wood holding a 50-60m high tree up. No wood for a scarf. Tree with no lean. Leave it alone and bring in the gelignite.
As I was contemplating this, one of the mechanical stall who shall remain nameless drove in. When I explained what I was doing he grabbed the saw and muttered something about how a man would do it. Oblivious to my words of warning, he started the saw and just barely touched the tree.
I’m sure you have all seen the 911 twin towers imploding. Well this is what the tree did. It was waiting, the trap was set. Then sprung
It collapsed in record time. When the dust settled, no mechanic. He was buried under tonnes of wood.
Do I radio for help first or confirm theres a body ? I start looking then hear a pathetic call for help. Pulling branches away I find a man crouched down and surrounded by a massive branch over a metre in diameter. It had grown almost in 270 degrees to form a circle and fallen around the fool protecting him completely. Helping him out of the debris, he walked to his vehicle without a word. Enough said.
The saw was not so lucky. I had to fill out the accident and write off forms.