BOBBIE LOEB CHECKING OUT A DOWNED CYPRESS ON THE POINT REYES MESA
In the last storm, a Monterey cypress about 100 years old and 100 feet tall was uprooted and blown sideways. It was found leaning against another tree in a cypress stand on Cypress Road. Nick Whitney, of Pacific Slope Tree Cooperative, was contracted by the county to remove it. He rented a 275-ton crane and, with his crew of four, safely lifted the tree at 60 feet off the ground—at a weight of about 30,000 pounds. The tree, with a base diameter of 54 inches, was cut into 10 or so sections, the largest measuring 35 feet long, 22 inches wide and 8,000 pounds. At one point, the crew held a section with their own 17-ton crane while the big crane picked off other sections. PG&E shut off power for the day on Cypress Road, due to the tree’s proximity to electric lines.
“No humans or animals were harmed.” — Bobbi Loeb, February 2019