# Alder (hardwood) Logging In The Area Of The Smoke Eating Cows



## slowp (Jan 9, 2012)

I do not know where the cows were today. One is in a freezer. I shall be trying to document the alder logging going on in their vicinity. Here's the equipment that arrived today. The lowboy driver was smiling--maybe they are nicer when on private ground?:smile2: Falling began but they got a late start. 

This looks to be a delimber.







Here is another species of Grapple Cat.





View attachment 216266
View attachment 216267


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## rwoods (Jan 9, 2012)

Pretty country. Ron


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## 2dogs (Jan 10, 2012)

The local dirt worshiping hippie liberal/communists are off on a new tangent this winter. They are mounting on all out assault on burning wood. I expect this year or next year to be the last for heating with wood. They have effectively banned ag burning and woody material burns. By their admissions prescribed fires and charcol BBQs will be in the targets next. Every few days there is a letter to the editor about how someone can not go outside because a neighbor is using his woodstove. There is also a push to not use domestic wood products, to only use wood or bamboo from offshore sources.


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## slowp (Jan 10, 2012)

Please don't turn this into a political thread. I'm hoping to continue the documentation of the small scale logging. By the way, I thought they'd be using a feller buncher but one guy is doing the cutting, with a nice sounding chainsaw. 
I'll see if he is camera shy tomorrow, maybe.


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## 2dogs (Jan 10, 2012)

slowp said:


> Please don't turn this into a political thread. I'm hoping to continue the documentation of the small scale logging. By the way, I thought they'd be using a feller buncher but one guy is doing the cutting, with a nice sounding chainsaw.
> I'll see if he is camera shy tomorrow, maybe.



Oops sorry. That was not my intent, I was just relating what is going on in the area I live in.


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## Gologit (Jan 10, 2012)

2dogs said:


> Oops sorry. That was not my intent, I was just relating what is going on in the area I live in.



I was going to add to your post with some of the latest lunacy from our side of the hill. I better not. Don't want to get into trouble with the retired forester person.


Slowp...let's see some video of that delimber. Looks interesting.


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## slowp (Jan 10, 2012)

If I can walk I'll try to get some tomorrow. They weren't going to work today, so we went up skiing. It was sunny up dere and we looked down on the fog.


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## chucker (Jan 10, 2012)

nice looking country for sure! pics are interesting to say the least . some old iron with the delimber. ??so is the delimber self powered or otherwise?? its even better when you can have your head above the clouds, instead of in them as normal wet weather.... lol


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## Gologit (Jan 10, 2012)

slowp said:


> If I can walk I'll try to get some tomorrow. They weren't going to work today, so we went up skiing. It was sunny up dere and we looked down on the fog.



Thanks...I'm really curious about that delimber. See if you can find out how old it is.


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## Cedarkerf (Jan 10, 2012)

We got some Alder logging goin on across the crick heres a few pics. 4 oclock in the after noon on our side of the hill in the trees in January make for poor picture lighting


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## slowp (Jan 11, 2012)

Two guys and a log truck driver. 

The wind was blowing pretty hard today, but they were falling and shovel logging. 

Here's the delimber at work on a Doug. The saw runs on diesel and is operated by radio control Pretty cool!


[video=youtube_share;XgqPrangUDo]http://youtu.be/XgqPrangUDo[/video]


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## chucker (Jan 11, 2012)

its a different piece of equipment.. never seen one like it so are there more like it in your area? were they cutting 200" lengths or some other ctl?? thanks for the video!!


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## slowp (Jan 11, 2012)

chucker said:


> its a different piece of equipment.. never seen one like it so are there more like it in your area? were they cutting 200" lengths or some other ctl?? thanks for the video!!



The preferred length is 33' for alder. He read the other lengths off, but I can't remember except he said they really want 33.

And no, I've never seen a delimber like that. 

Here's the faller. We had a pretty good east wind blowing today. I apologize for my big mouth at towards the end....a bad habit. I think he was doing OK under the conditions.


[video=youtube_share;Wu8-T7NinQg]http://youtu.be/Wu8-T7NinQg[/video]


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## Gologit (Jan 11, 2012)

Thanks for the video. I've seen that type of delimber but I've never actually seen one working. It sure points out how much faster the modern delimbers are but they're getting it done. The guy on the shovel looks like he's got it figured out.

How many loads a day? And did you find out the make of the delimber and how old it was?

And yes, I heard your comment at the end. Sounded like a forester talking. Do it right and nobody notices. Do it wrong and somebody always has a few words to say.


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## slowp (Jan 11, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Thanks for the video. I've seen that type of delimber but I've never actually seen one working. It sure points out how much faster the modern delimbers are but they're getting it done. The guy on the shovel looks like he's got it figured out.
> 
> How many loads a day? And did you find out the make of the delimber and how old it was?
> 
> And yes, I heard your comment at the end. Sounded like a forester talking. Do it right and nobody notices. Do it wrong and somebody always has a few words to say.



I mentioned to my friend that everybody messes up when being watched.

The one guy has been cutting a day and a half, the second load was going out about 1:30. I don't think there would be time for a third trip today. They are running one truck. It is a very small operation--acreage wise also. 

Didn't ask about the delimber make or age. Sorry about that.


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## chucker (Jan 11, 2012)

" And yes, I heard your comment at the end. Sounded like a forester talking. Do it right and nobody notices. Do it wrong and somebody always has a few words to say." you can always give a forester a sharp saw and their the way things are to be done !! right from the book or from the way it lays.... lol


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## slowp (Jan 11, 2012)

A bit of shovel logging.....

[video=youtube_share;_em9GZEXAW4]http://youtu.be/_em9GZEXAW4[/video]


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## slowp (Jan 11, 2012)

Another tree hits the ground.

[video=youtube_share;LbtX3syK8vY]http://youtu.be/LbtX3syK8vY[/video]


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## forestryworks (Jan 12, 2012)

That's an old pull-through delimber. Oldie, for sure.

See those a lot in Oklahoma. Didn't expect to see one out West!

Thanks for sharing, Slowp


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## slowp (Jan 12, 2012)

forestryworks said:


> That's an old pull-through delimber. Oldie, for sure.
> 
> See those a lot in Oklahoma. Didn't expect to see one out West!
> 
> Thanks for sharing, Slowp



It sounds like they've had that delimber for a while. They like it. 

I may be going out this weekend and getting some alder firewood. I like alder. It doesn't turn my house into a sauna as fast as the other woods. 

They are decking the firewood nicely.


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## slowp (Jan 12, 2012)

I've never burned birch. Alder burns but not very hot. It also doesn't keep very long. A lot of people burn it, or used to before it became popular as a wood for cabinets. That's about all I know. I burn it and I like it. 

It is good to cook salmon on alder slabs. Yum.


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## chucker (Jan 12, 2012)

alder is about 90% the same as birch except for the bark .. splits like soft maple and works great for smoking like pete said..


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## rwoods (Jan 12, 2012)

slowp said:


> Another tree hits the ground.
> 
> [video=youtube_share;LbtX3syK8vY]http://youtu.be/LbtX3syK8vY[/video]



Not a critique - just a question: What's all the "hand sawing" on the face cut about? Ron


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## Gologit (Jan 12, 2012)

rwoods said:


> Not a critique - just a question: What's all the "hand sawing" on the face cut about? Ron



Look at the wind blowing those ferns around. If you start your face in a tree that's rocking as much as that one probably is you want your first cut wallowed out quite a bit. I think he was wide-kerfing to keep the bar free when the tree moved. Otherwise it can sit down on your saw, bend your bar, make you all embarrassed and otherwise ruin your whole day.


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## forestryworks (Jan 12, 2012)

Gologit said:


> I think he was wide-kerfing to keep the bar free when the tree moved.



Way easier to do that with square than round, for sure!


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## Sport Faller (Jan 12, 2012)

forestryworks said:


> Way easier to do that with square than round, for sure!



I didn't think square made any difference..... til I ran it and we were putting out enough noodles to make Nate's property look like the floor in a sawmill


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## rwoods (Jan 12, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Look at the wind blowing those ferns around. If you start your face in a tree that's rocking as much as that one probably is you want your first cut wallowed out quite a bit. I think he was wide-kerfing to keep the bar free when the tree moved. Otherwise it can sit down on your saw, bend your bar, make you all embarrassed and otherwise ruin your whole day.



Thanks. Makes sense. I thought he was afraid the tree could snap in the wind and he was making sure he could run without leaving a stuck saw. Ron


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## Gologit (Jan 12, 2012)

rwoods said:


> Thanks. Makes sense. I thought he was afraid the tree could snap in the wind and he was making sure he could run without leaving a stuck saw. Ron



That could be too. Sometimes running is your best choice...with or without the saw.


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## slowp (Jan 13, 2012)

The wind was at a marginal point--my unskilled opinion. Out in the cow field, there were little whirlwinds twirling around. Little branches were flying through the air. I was wondering if I would have to cut my way home. I had the Barbie Saw in the back. It was blowing pretty hard. 

I didn't know why he was sawing back and forth, but I figured it had something to do with the wind. He was stopping a lot and looking around, and that either had to do with the wind, or two women that he thought might be in the way. We stayed on the landing and I used the zoom to film.

Alder is a tricky tree.


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## 056 kid (Jan 15, 2012)

bigskyjake said:


> I didn't think square made any difference..... til I ran it and we were putting out enough noodles to make Nate's property look like the floor in a sawmill



Not to mention being able to open up even the slightest dutchman. Night and day. .


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## madhatte (Jan 15, 2012)

Pretty sure I recognize that delimber. I think that was the crew I was following on the root rot study.


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## slowp (Jan 16, 2012)

My friend talked to the faller, who said I took pictures at the absolute worst time. He was having trouble with the wind, and things were not going well.


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## chucker (Jan 16, 2012)

slowp said:


> My friend talked to the faller, who said I took pictures at the absolute worst time. He was having trouble with the wind, and things were not going well.



to my idea this would be the best time to take pics!! it just goes to show the rest of the novice world that all is not the way it seems!! tv reality shows are far from true to life as most of us know and see!! you did good "slow pete" , for showing it the way it was and more than often the way it is!!


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## hammerlogging (Jan 16, 2012)

056 kid said:


> Not to mention being able to open up even the slightest dutchman. Night and day. .



Good to hear from you again, by the way.


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## slowp (Jan 16, 2012)

madhatte said:


> Pretty sure I recognize that delimber. I think that was the crew I was following on the root rot study.



They are from the lower Cowlitz country.


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## 056 kid (Jan 18, 2012)

hammerlogging said:


> Good to hear from you again, by the way.



Thanks Joe.


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