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["Alan Haigh" <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

I start pruning as soon as the snow starts in Dec. and I'm in the snow belt. I prune every working day, from the first snow that sticks until early April, even in blizzards and even when I have to knock the ice off the trees to get my footing.   I've used my Little Giant ladder on ice slopes where spikes would have been very helpful and most don't dare even try to walk. I have about 2 decades of winters under my belt, including one where we got over 300 inches of snow and plenty of others with over 100.  Why would 3 feet ever be more stable than 4?  On very uneven ground you can use a large flat stone or piece of wood to stabilize a single loose foot. 

 

I also tried a Wheeler saw once and threw it away.  My Silky cuts about twice as fast.