I always noticed how those who put in the most numbers are usually those who get out of the truck first, volunteer to take the first available piece, are the fastest on their first bagup, and already planting before anyone else. They are usually also always the last ones in the truck to go back to camp at the end of the day, planting until the very last possible second. The ultra highballers keep tisking and waving their finger at me, telling me I shouldnt waste so much time at the cache. One remarked, “Look, I am on my knees and resting, WHILE I am bagging up.” This while he was nibbling on his lunch. Because of my age and the fact I had not planted for a 17 year stretch, I often needed to stretch, or to just recuperate. But they warned me, rightfully, that any rest period will slow down the blood flow and you can easily lose momentum. Some wouldn’t even sit down to bagup but rather stand, hunched over. Others would pee while walking to the cache to bagup (fill your bags with another round of trees), wolfing down a sandwich while bagging up and then run off back into the field.
For me though, I would think like the British: “I just couldn’t be bloody bothered, mate!”
I once saw a treeplanter how she ripped open a package of flagging tape, first kicking it along the ground, then slamming the side of it against a nearby bucket. She scooped up a couple rolls and darted off. There was something absolutely no-nonsense about her movements. While I would have analysed the wrapping, looking for where I could tear it open, she already had the dilemna resolved and was running off to plant. Smokers can also make great company around caches during bagups and I always enjoy making what I liked to refer to as “cigarette stories”: stories or interesting snippets of information which takes about a cigarette’s worth of time to tell, and amusing enough to bum another cigarette.
But the ultra highballer will calculate how much such cigarettes will cost them in down time and not even think about it. One planter suggested I shouldn’t waste my time closing the hole on beach sand, saying it closes itself automatically. I would suggest that you keep thinking about everything you do, always look for a better shortcut or how to shave off those valuable seconds, and watch others, asking them for tips. Dont just proceed as ‘business as normal’, repeating the same method, but always look for a better and more efficient way how to go about it all. Push yourself hard. Julia said she always pushed herself harder on the first shift of a new contract, because it would show her body what to expect (the ground is often consistent with each contract) and adjust itself accordingly. I’ve seen people of all shapes and sizes put in large numbers – from small-framed little girls, to the more aged carrying a matured keg of beer around their waste. Many say that it is in your mind. Mind over matter. After my experiences with treeplanting, I feel I can accomplish anything, once I set my mind to it.
If you develop tendonitis you will lose at least a few days of planting, which ends up costing more than if you had noticed the pain and eased off on the exertion. Perhaps change your style of planting to give rest to a certain region of your body. Or purposefully take a day or half day off if you feel you need it. The body and mind has its limits and shuts itself off to protect itself, if you lack the reason and push it too hard. Which can then cost you more money, and possibly some permanent damage.
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what helps me is having fun!
Great site! Takes me back. High Balling is mind over matter (slash) especially when you are talking coast planting. Plant the space the slash gives you, triangle it, use the max mins, move with the lay of the land and don't try to beat it because you can't. Get a rhythm with all your motions from looking to moving to screefing to planting because when you have a rhythm then you can master the tempo, i.e., your speed.
If the rhythm is good by the end of the day you are flying (literally) from the endorphins, the emptying bag, the promise of a good dinner (because you shouldn't eat much during the day, but drink lots): there is no better feeling than that last hundred or so trees of the day.
The best planters I knew never thought of it as cash$ money. It was about the trees, the number, the game, the personal challenge and the challenge of other high ballers. If a planter was in it for the money you had to look out for bad planting, creamed skid roads, and stashed trees.
It's CACHE not CASH
Thanks man, updated. But most important to remember, we don't make cash when sittin' at the cache!