Felling 7 trees!
We’re quickly beginning to understand that the balance between protecting and managing the land is delicate, and this project carried some internal conflict for us. Seven big leaf maples were growing in a very bad spot: right on the hillside behind the barn. We know we need to stabilize the slope to protect the structure, so once the leaves had mostly fallen, it felt like the perfect time to tackle taking down the trees.
Patrick and I devised a method that felt mostly safe: with thick tie-down rope secured around each tree and me on the tractor keeping the line taut, Patrick would make his cuts with the chainsaw. As soon as the tree began to fall, I’d lurch the tractor forward to help guide it exactly where we wanted it to land. After testing the technique on a few smaller trees — and realizing it actually worked — we knew we had it under control.
Thankfully, it went off without a hitch, and now we’ve got enough firewood to keep us warm all year long.
Felling one of the tallest trees - a great big WHEW!
