Digital Image File

Our Class: Root Ball 101

The object of our affection is the root ball itself. Sandy just short-cut the whole GripHoist procedure in this picture by digging out a small specimen all by herself. It sometimes happens, and the tools we use for digging are: shovel, rock bar, Pulaski, cutter-mattock, and occasionally a lopper for cutting smaller roots. The trick is to dig away the dirt which adheres close to the root ball as this dirt is a lubricant to a chain or cable which may then roll up and slip off over the top.

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I remember digging for an hour to expose this long root ball. If I had worked another hour I probably could have had it cut all the way out of the ground, but the day was hot and the work was hard. Ten minutes by GripHoist and we have it almost out of its hole in the second picture. Picture 3 shows a small root ball crying "uncle". Marion is watching progress on one which has the chain wrapped a little high, and perhaps it will work its way up and escape over the top. Sometimes a root ball is pulled halfway out and the chain slips, requiring that slack be given so the chain can be re-attached at a lower point. Ultimately, the item is lying on the top of the ground and Marion is removing the chain.

A Great Picture Sequence!

Here we see exactly what happens in time-lapse during the pull of a root ball. Picture 2 details the chain attachment. Picture 3 - Pow! - the root ball practically explodes out of the ground. Picture 4 shows Dave detaching the chain. After the GripHoist crew has moved up to the next problem Sandy comes along to fill up the hole and dress the trailbed.

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Finally We Take a Break!

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From left to right I think I can identify: Pete, Mike, Marion, Doris, Arleen, Dave, Angela, Jerry, and Don. Campy is behind the camera. The beautiful scene is fog coming over the ridge below the work site, which was unusual since it only came the day after a brief rain the night before. The trail is an "after" view, taken a day or two after we had passed through and removed every root ball we could find.

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