Down and out for another big spring pole

Today's forest story involves cutting down a big red maple spring pole.  This particular bend created a rather difficult cutting situation, but the tree was humbled in the lovely sun and above freezing temps.  Yes, we're having yet another winter thaw.

The first picture shows the trunk prior to use of the bowsaw.  Loppers helped clear the small trees and branches in the way.

This is the look up at the spring pole from beside the trunk, prior to cutting.  Notice the large number of branches at the top of the bend, a common feature of spring poles.  Trunk along the top of the bend receives a great deal of summer sun, leading to dormant buds sprouting quickly and creating branches.

This shows the humbled tree after cutting.

A lot of energy resides in a spring pole.  The sheer force of the falling tree ripped the bark and some inner wood off the compression side still attached to the ground.