Had a 60-foot oak split right down the middle during a light rain last spring

I was up in NorCal for a routine trim job on a mature coast live oak. Everything looked fine from the ground - no cracks, no fungus at the base. Got maybe 15 minutes into the climb when I heard this deep pop sound. Next thing I know, the main leader just tore apart. I had to rappel down fast while chunks were falling. Turns out there was a hidden pocket of rot near the crotch that never showed on the outside. Ended up having to take the whole tree down instead of the planned crown reduction. Has anyone else dealt with a tree that looked solid but was secretly compromised inside?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_wells1mo ago

Had a similar thing happen with a 70 foot red oak in Massachusetts a few years back. Customer wanted deadwood removal and a light thinning. Got up into the canopy and noticed one limb was moving more than it should. Tapped on the trunk with my climbing saw and got that hollow thud sound. Turned out there was a cavity that went about 15 feet up the main stem. I cut a test notch low down and saw nothing but dark wet wood inside. We had to bring in a crane to take it down in sections. Tree looked perfectly healthy from the street. Only way to truly know is to do some exploratory drilling or sound testing before committing to a climb.

diana_park1mo ago

Damn @anthony_wells, how often do you actually find hidden decay like that before you climb?