# Tomorrow



## slowp (Feb 2, 2009)

Since there are few of us around this time of year, I will be working on a small crew bucking off rootwads, and very slowly at that, and hooking and unhooking chokers to get a path cleared through this and the trees decked.





The main objective is to get a clear trail to where a bridge might go, so the bridge engineers can work. There used to be a bridge here. A very pretty one and a nice rock gorge underneath.

It'll be something new for me, and I have no idea how to keep Twinkle's chain sharp. Probably can't in mudslide stuff.

We will have an excavator coming up to help. I'm already seeing stuff I probably won't mess with unless we have a way to stabilize it. Stay tuned.


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## forestryworks (Feb 2, 2009)

looks like fun! have at it.


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## treejunkie13 (Feb 2, 2009)

What will you be using to move the stuff? You mentioned chokers. Looks like it will be hard on the chain.


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## Gologit (Feb 2, 2009)

One thing I always think about when I'm working on a slide is...Is it done sliding? If you're in a crew it's good to brief them on exit routes.


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## hammerlogging (Feb 2, 2009)

If I'm cutting through mud caked logs, like bucking after muddy drags, I'll just touch the tip around the top at full speed, then let the chain speed and blowing chips clean the path of the cut down, Be safe and enjoy the practical work. 

As far as the textbook cowboys go, I wish there was more fieldwork required for people in the resources departments, more ground work, nothing substitutes for time in the woods- functioning work, not just data collection.:greenchainsaw:


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## hammerlogging (Feb 2, 2009)

My wifde made me do the little dude. Pretty cool. Rock on.


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## slowp (Feb 2, 2009)

Gologit said:


> One thing I always think about when I'm working on a slide is...Is it done sliding? If you're in a crew it's good to brief them on exit routes.



Yes, we'll go over that. We've had a week of dry weather which should have helped. We have a tractor backhoe for skidding. Skidding will be done on the ice covered blacktop to a wide spot. I'm hoping the excavator, which is contractor supplied, is big enough to hold some of the trees for bucking off the rootwads. 

I might use my broom too.


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## Bushler (Feb 3, 2009)

That looks like it could be pretty dangerous. Danger, enhanced by dull saw chain. Be carefull!


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## Humptulips (Feb 3, 2009)

Spend a lot of time cleaning and chopping of mud filled bark. It will save you time.. You'll still rock yuor chain but maybe less often.


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## Gologit (Feb 3, 2009)

Mud? Better take a bunch of extra chains.


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## slowp (Feb 3, 2009)

Humptulips said:


> Spend a lot of time cleaning and chopping of mud filled bark. It will save you time.. You'll still rock yuor chain but maybe less often.



I like that idea. I'll throw in my little axe. I'm not taking my rig with everything in the world in it, but I'll try to remember an axe. We'll probably switch back and forth from bucking to chokersetting. It will be slow, cuz this is not our normal day job and we're not young.

Later on, the deck will either be sold for timber or firewood. I'd like to see the stuff up the hill sold for timber, but that will take planning, and that area is a riparian slide now. Probably have to buffer it with the down trees since there aren't any standing ones.


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## Burvol (Feb 3, 2009)

This is where long bars shine. Be careful Slowp, I really like your input with the logging here, and we can't afford to loose you. I know you understand how dangerous blown down wood with more on top of it is. OK, that being said, go have fun. opcorn:


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## forestryworks (Feb 3, 2009)

Burvol said:


> This is where long bars shine. Be careful Slowp, *I really like your input with the logging here, and we can't afford to loose you.* I know you understand how dangerous blown down wood with more on top of it is. OK, that being said, go have fun. opcorn:



+1


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## RPM (Feb 3, 2009)

slowp said:


> Since there are few of us around this time of year, I will be working on a small crew bucking off rootwads, and very slowly at that, and hooking and unhooking chokers to get a path cleared through this and the trees decked.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hey Slowp - slow and steady in that stuff for sure. Is that a reinforced earth retaining structure through the curve - low side of the road? We did one of those last year using geotextiles and welded wire mesh. Layered the outside of the road up in compacted lifts - actually pretty easy to put in. Looks almost identical to your situation with the slide and all. Little smaller in scale - we ran into old glacial lake bottom clay - ughh what a maintenance nightmare!

Have fun...be safe!


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## Metals406 (Feb 3, 2009)

Stay safe and have fun slowp!


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## 371groundie (Feb 3, 2009)

you can also cut the near half of the log with the bottom of the bar, then cut the far half with the top of the bar. this way dirt isnt pulled through the cut. makes chains last longer. 

also, a wire brush can be had dirt cheap in the clearance bin at any harware store, and rides in your back pocket with nary a care. good for scrubbing mud off wood. just make sure you take it outa your pocket before you try to sit in your pickup!


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## slowp (Feb 3, 2009)

The big excavator was delivered last night so we could do it the easy and safer way. The excavator handed off the trees to the little backhoe, the engineer hooked the choker up, the backhoe skidded the log to me on our decking area, and whoever was handy unhooked, then I bucked the rootwads off and anything else...Chaserette work. Twinkle cut excellently, I filed her chain at lunch and she was good for the rest of the day. I'm done, the excavator is in the depths of the slide and it takes too long for the handoff.
Here's some pictures I took. 

Twinkle takes a break to pose for a picture.





The big excavator starting out this morning.\




A salute to the purple crocs! I drove the fuel/equipment truck. It was dark when we left and I didn't look at the gearshift and then arrived up at the slide and it wouldn't back up, kept dying. Then I saw the shifting pattern on the knob and hmmmm 6 gears with reverse to the left and up. 




The little backhoe tractor decking.




The excavator made it this far today.





Rootwads are still kind of tricky when on the landing. I coffeed up good and had to jump back a couple of times. I had to drive the monster truck back in this afternoon....and the music radio is poor compared to the Chevy Vortec.


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## Burvol (Feb 3, 2009)

Uh oh, you put up a picture of Twinkle w/ an unflushed cut? Is that a sliver I see as well? We'll let it slide, and call it a real life picture. 

Barbie's Sister wants a wrap handle


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## slowp (Feb 3, 2009)

Burvol said:


> Uh oh, you put up a picture of Twinkle w/ an unflushed cut? Is that a sliver I see as well? We'll let it slide, and call it a real life picture.
> 
> Barbie's Sister wants a wrap handle



Yes, I'd have to fire me if I worked for me. I couldn't cut straight until this afternoon. Twinkle got bound up a few times, I had a hard time figuring out the bind--and I said unoriginal and inefficient language. Luckily, the guys had had me saw stuff for them before, and knew my ways because I forgot to state my beginning of the job disclaimer. "When I run a saw, bad words may spew forth, that's just the way it is, there is no offense intended and the words in no way represent the views of the agency.":biggrinbounce2: But I was a good chaserette, I gassed up Twinkle when there was a lull, filed the chain, even trotted up to unhook the logs. I was the only one not slipping on the ice, nobody else had rubber calks. 

Lucky for me, we'll either sell or post the stuff as firewood, there isn't enough for a load and I had no idea what lengths to cut. So, I'll keep my day job.


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## Gologit (Feb 3, 2009)

Burvol said:


> Uh oh, you put up a picture of Twinkle w/ an unflushed cut? Is that a sliver I see as well? We'll let it slide, and call it a real life picture.
> 
> Barbie's Sister wants a wrap handle



LOL...I saw that but you beat me to it. I don't know about Twinkle but Barbie cuts crooked. Sometimes. It has a mind of it's own...kinda like it's owner.


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## polexie (Feb 4, 2009)

Great pics, tricky job, stay safe.

Thanks for sharing!

Lex


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## slowp (Feb 4, 2009)

Burvol said:


> Barbie's Sister wants a wrap handle



Now, now. The President says we all need to sacrifice. Not buying a full wrap and bigger dogs will be my contribution. Full wrap = Higher taxes.


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## Burvol (Feb 4, 2009)

slowp said:


> Now, now. The President says we all need to sacrifice. Not buying a full wrap and bigger dogs will be my contribution. Full wrap = Higher taxes.



It's the way of our people. The wrap handle is very important to us. I got to go, on the way out the door. I got some darn nice wood to kill today. Back in the JUICE!!!! WHOOWEE!!!!


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## slowp (Feb 4, 2009)

You know, in proper Chaser fashion, I've got to say that if the :censored: fallers had done their job, I wouldn't have to worry about cutting straight.
But they did a good job of limbing.


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## wilbilt (Feb 4, 2009)

Burvol said:


> I got some darn nice wood to kill today. Back in the JUICE!!!! WHOOWEE!!!!




Son in law is supposed to be driving tomorrow, so I have heard. The story is hauling chips somewhere in Butte County. We are crossing our fingers and avoiding the casino, LOL...


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## slowp (Feb 4, 2009)

Got a call on the radio today. I felt like Mrs. Peal of The Avengers show. They said, We need you and Twinkle up here. So Twinkle and I returned. Our crew was working more efficiently today. I think we did the same amount but in less time as yesterday. 
Here's me by my pile of rootwads. Twinkle had the nerve to throw some mud in my face!






Meanwhile, up at the slide area....








One of these guys thought he saw some caterpillar yellow iron mixed into the slide. But the mud re-covered it.




I guess we are done for a while.


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## forestryworks (Feb 4, 2009)

that's a big pile of root wads. what happens to the root wads? burned?


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## slowp (Feb 4, 2009)

forestryworks said:


> that's a big pile of root wads. what happens to the root wads? burned?



I don't know, I'm just the chaser.... 

Nah, I imagine they'll be loaded in a dump truck and hauled to where ever all the waste (dirt piled from the slide, you can't just dump it over the side anymore) is hauled to. Finding a waste dumping spot is one of the hardest parts of fixing roads.


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## M.R. (Feb 4, 2009)

"I guess we are done for a while." 

:agree2:  

Until the lowboy brings in some more toys.


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## Burvol (Feb 5, 2009)

Damn, that was bigger than I thought. I drove by a good one here two days ago as it was coming down! (But not that big...)


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## Humptulips (Feb 5, 2009)

slowp said:


> Got a call on the radio today. I felt like Mrs. Peal of The Avengers show. They said, We need you and Twinkle up here. So Twinkle and I returned.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## ak4195 (Feb 5, 2009)

I hate slop,you deserve multiple adult beverages and hot bubbly water.

ak4195


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## Bushler (Feb 5, 2009)

Looks like a not very fun job. Be carefull, its hard to tell sweep from bind on that kind of material. I got whacked pretty hard last fall by a right of way tree I was bucking. Like being a pin ball, it whacked me and knocked me up against another log, the sprung back and whacked me again. My hip hurt for a month.

Is the excavator stuck?


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## slowp (Feb 5, 2009)

Humptulips;1365926
Didn't Mrs. Peal wear something like a skin tight leather jump suit. Better get with the program.[/QUOTE said:


> She didn't have to wear PPE. She'd look fat too.  The shovel did not get stuck. It came close to contributing to the down iron debris shortage in the creek bottom though. That guy definitely has to be one with his machine, and was earning his pay.
> 
> Yes, these trees had a lot of sweep--pistol butt because they'd been growing on a slowly moving slope. I used my wedge religiously, and still got the saw stuck. I also tried to get the skidder-backhoe operator to lay them out where I had room to move when they rolled. Rootwads like to roll, even on the flat road. I also did a lot of longbutting, just to stay safe. I'll have to write myself up as "needs improvement" in the utilization check off box.


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## Gologit (Feb 5, 2009)

wilbilt said:


> Son in law is supposed to be driving tomorrow, so I have heard. The story is hauling chips somewhere in Butte County. We are crossing our fingers and avoiding the casino, LOL...



Who's he driving for?


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## wilbilt (Feb 6, 2009)

Gologit said:


> Who's he driving for?



My daughter told me but I forget the name. Bamford, maybe? I'll have to ask again. They say the memory is the first thing to go...

I do know he is happy to be back to work.


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## Gologit (Feb 6, 2009)

wilbilt said:


> My daughter told me but I forget the name. Bamford, maybe? I'll have to ask again. They say the memory is the first thing to go...
> 
> I do know he is happy to be back to work.



Good deal...if he's working at all right now he's doing better than most. Bamford is a good place to be if he wants to learn about logging. Tell him to keep a suitcase packed, though...they travel all over. I'll PM you later.


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