How would you tackle?

My farm has lake access via a trail that goes down a ravine. It’s quite steep. There are also dead ash trees on the ridge and this trio topples over and got hung up on a small walnut.

This isn’t something I would normally tackle but it’s blocking an important trail. The top two trees are free from the ground. The bottom one is still attached.

Was thinking of getting chains and straps and pulling with my tractor. I don’t want to touch anything with a chainsaw.

Any advice? I guess I could hire a guy with a large excavator or something.

 

If I could get a rope over them I’d try dragging them out first. I might try to cut the bottoms loose also but it’s hard to tell without being on site.

 

I'd give the tractor a go as what do you have to loose ? The the chain going up the incline should help with the butt digging in issue.

 

I'd try to get a rope in the top of the walnut and pull it, maybe the tree's will fall to the ground if they're not hung up in anything else.

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Try the tractor.
Like others above have said. You have nothing to lose.
If it doesn't work, go to plan B

 

I would do the tractor. Put your rope or wire cable around the smallest one first. I am sure it will come down easy. Then the next one and the next one.
Once down then you can do your cutting.
Get an old sock and put some rocks in it and tie off a long piece of para chord. Use that for your throwing line to get around the tree up high.
You can then tie your pulling rope or cable to the para chord and get it around the tree.

 

Ok glad to hear tractor idea makes sense. If I am chaining or roping, butt end or top? Was going to try and pull the top tree from the butt.
To be clear, it’s two dead ash trees that are broken off and one dead ash tree still attache at the root. All three are hung up to the walnut, which is at far left. and is mostly straight.

Gonna go back tomorrow and re-evaluate. I’m not tackling this weekend. Snow is pretty deep and I don’t want to get stuck. Hopefully I can get a window in the Spring before the ground gets soft.

 

Attach more to the top of the tree. From the picture the smallest one looks like it is closet to you and would come down first.

 

Without being there, I'd try from the butt of the trees first. Climb the bank & chain the butt of the top tree, drag it across the one it's laying on as a pivot, repeat with the next one, cut the third free and go again. A winch would be my weapon of choice if available.

 

The smallest is still attached to the roots. You suggesting just to pull it to dislodge the two bigger ones?

 

That’s what I was thinking. But I will look again to see if the top end makes more sense to.

No winch. Maybe I’ll look for a used one. It could be handy with all the dead trees down ravines here.

one thing I need to do before pulling anything is clearing up a few smaller logs already on the ground. Hopefully not too punky

 

I can see the value of that trail. Probably no other way of getting to the lake. Tractor and chains would be my approach bearing in mind that too high of a line angle will take weight off of your wheels.
Edited. After looking at the pic again, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the whole mess blows down next time the wind gets whipping.

 

Since the two are already loose at the bottom I would hook to the butt end of the middle one and pull it first, then the go the far one that is loose. The one that is still attached may give you a sliding guide so to speak. After that I would carefully cut the one attached and hook into it. Now that said my assessment is from pictures and sometimes things look different live.

Edit: looks like you may have to cut the stump in front of the back one.

 

I’d wrap a chain around the butts and pull them up the hill. I would think even a four-wheel-drive pick up would move a tree that size. Probably be a lot easier if the whole tree was laying up at the flat instead of carrying blocks up to the tractor to get them out of that hole

 

A few more pics. Butt end and tops.

 

I would take the exact same approach.

Other thoughts/suggestions would be if you have a 50+ hp tractor get at least 2000# ballast on the 3 point and pull from your drawbar. Less than a 30 hp I would really look into a winch and snatch blocks!

Looking at pictures of the top I bet you could pull it down easily from the top, however I would pull from the butt end first just in case it didn’t come loose you don’t have chains stuck up top!

If you have a FIL I’d try down pressure first if I could reach above it. Even better thought is go buy a grapple, then if that fails get the winch, cause you really need both!

 

My tractor is >50hp.

Using the FEL makes me nervous. Worried about logs bumping each other and toppling in the wrong direction. Plus the trees are hung up maybe 15’. I do have a grapple. But same concerns.
Having looked at it again I think the play might actually be the middle log at the butt with a chain.

 

With a bigger tractor and front end loader, I’d still pull it from the butt end but as an alternative you could pull it up the hill by raising the loader up. Only issue is rehooking chains multiple times. That would reduce the weight of the butt digging into the ground the whole way up. I wouldn’t approach it from the top or middle of the tree because you never know when limbs are going to bend or break and come shooting back at you