How to Remove a Giant Ponderosa Pine

After watching our pine tree do a wild figure-8 dance during a windstorm this spring, we came to the sad conclusion that it was best to take the old tree down. At an estimated eighty to one hundred feet high and probably one hundred years old, I hated the thought.  It wasn't just the cost, it was because it seemed like a fairly healthy tree despite the many holes in it's trunk put there by the the pileated woodpecker and the many flickers that visit in the spring.  Add the fact that we were finally paving our driveway after sixteen years which required doing some rock work around the roots and we decided that for the safety of our house and passers-by, it had to be done.

Friday afternoon I spent three hours photographing the proceedings as Tony Wilkinson and his crew from Action Tree (Any tree, anywhere) did a very professional job and taught me the recipe for tree removal:

1.  First you need one big-ass crane:

Brandon...

2.  Add five lumberjacks:

Tommy, Andy, Tony and Steve.

3.  Add one tree chipper....

4.  Get out of the way and watch the fun!

Just a little off the top please...

one...

two-three

5.  Upon completion of tree removal add one Stump Grinder.

They were kind enough to cut up the wood and with a little work and a year to dry out we'll have some nice fuel for our fireplace next winter.

The wood looks beautiful and we saw no evidence of pine beetle but if you look closely there is evidence of racoon...