I screamed from my gut. I thought my leg and foot were both broken. Anyone listening who heard all the cracking would think so too. I had never broken a major bone before. Just a hand (neighborhood football, age 13) and a collarbone, age 47. That’s the most common motocross bone to break because when you fall you often land on your shoulder, and sometimes when your helmet hits the ground the bottom edge rotates into your collarbone.
It was only 3 months until the biggest race of my life – the biggest race on the planet. That’s the first thing I thought of. My race is over.
Before I could figure that out, I had to get this tree off my foot. It was Wednesday night – riding night. My trusty 5 friends came over to ride, but today I wouldn’t ride. I’d save my neck and figure out something else to do while they rode. I had cut maybe 500 trees down in my life. The property around the track is nothing but trees. If I cut this big giant hickory down, we could straighten out this awkward turn and make the track flow a bit better.
Nowhere to drop it. Nothing but trees around. I planned on dropping it onto the smallest, sickliest other tree around that would be sacrificed under the weight of this 75-foot tall mature hickory. Here we go…timberrrrr…Ut oh… The head of the tree catches on another, the tree rolls around and winds up falling 90 degrees from the ideal location selected. I’d never do this around a house or power lines – but we were in the middle of the woods.
The giant slaps down on and settles into three smaller oaks that bend like rainbows under its weight. I knew there were stresses there. A dangerous situation. But I had dealt with this before. Take off a 3-foot section of the trunk. Make the tree shorter and lighter. And again, and again. I consider myself an expert with a chainsaw.
Then I cut the next section of the trunk off and the tree did not fall to the ground. It was suspended in the three smaller oaks. I studied the complex situation for clues on where I could safely cut next. The big hickory leaders were on the left side of this oak, and the right side of that one, with one in the middle…the oaks were bent over and saying “get off of me.” I had cut the trunk of the hickory up to the first big split, which was now suspended 6 feet off the ground.
Oh crap. I reach my Husqvarna up and start to cut a bit to feel where the stresses might lie, looking and feeling for clues with every inch the blade advanced. Suddenly the big hickory split like a wishbone and released from the oaks, with a lot of their help. The 20” round freshly sawn trunk came at me to avenge its killer. I stepped back…and back again. Thinking I’d outsmart the tree chasing me to terra firma, I sidestepped, to let it go right by me. As if it had eyes, it followed.
The tree plowed horizontally into my shin until gravity took over and it dropped onto my foot and plunged it into the earth. That’s when I screamed. I was pinned, like a mouse with his leg in a trap. I could not move my foot or pull it out. There was maybe a thousand pounds of tree on the bottom edge of that log, and my foot was under it. Lucky I was wearing safety toe boots, which I seldom do. The other guys came running. I yelled for them to get the tractor, but in the few minutes it took them to get there with it, I realized if we touched the tree it would slide farther towards me and break my leg.
My foot and toes were so squished inside my boot, that my foot was going numb. Mike Lane and the other guys dug a hole alongside my foot to take some pressure off, and then cut the back of my boot vertically with a knife, and then along the sole to make a flap. I was barely able to pull my foot out. Slow wiggle. Slow painful wiggle. No broken bones. A miracle. But there was plenty of damage.
I thought, “my race”…
The part about the mouse trap gave me exactly what I needed this morni, a good laugh, thank you for entertaining us with your writting
Tree cutting does seem to require skill and patience but I am glad you made it without any serious injuries.
Even though you had told me this story, I was deer in the headlights mesmerized in the reading of it.
I am glad you weren’t hurt
Janesky you are NUTS!!
Earlier, when I read the message, the lighbulb went out, so the comparison you made with the mouse, made me laugh out loud, I always find it fascinating how one word leads to another action and we find ourselves fighting for safety while battling with rough trees that grow in the back yard.
Larry,
You often say that you read every one of these and so I just wanted to pass this along. Since a few days after the Think Daily Live event, I have not logged on FaceBook due to you offering that suggestion to us. It has been a crazy good experience so far and has changed a whole lot for me. My relationship with my gf has improved a whole lot as I am much more present in my own life and enjoying what I have and not wasting time on what FB has out there. Thank you for the nugget and stay safe out there…we kinda enjoy reading your messages here 😉
I would like to add a reminder to keep water around whenever there is any form of physical activity involved. Hydration is crucial for a body to stay healthy and earmuffs, or a form of protective ear piece to keep the noise of the various vibrating machines from damaging the internal ear. Sensitivity diminishes with age and the damage sometimes can not even be detected right away. It is something to think about before any actions is taken. Please always try to work smart or in this case safe. Trust in your own judgement of the situation before making a rush decision that may not be the best option. Life is precious and tree cutting may be necessary in some cases but it presents unexpected dangers.