When the "high lead" logging era began, which was hauling the logs above ground, the companies were confronted with many problems. One being the need for ways to get the heavy cable blocks high above ground level. With "high lead" logging, the donkey steam engines pulled the heavy cables and the noses of the logs were lifted high over the many obstacles, making it easier for the rear sections of the logs to follow. This method ended the ground lead style where the logs were dragged on the surface of the terrain.
The trees selected for "spar poles" were then rigged and they served especially well to transport logs over canyons and rough terrain. A tight line was strung between "spar poles." A traveling carriage was equipped with steel slings and choker cables that were attached to the logs to secure them.
The trees, chosen for the "spar poles," were often 6 to 8 feet in diameter at the butt and up to 250 feet in height. The limbs were removed, the tree was topped, and guyed in numerous places and rigged with hauling gear. This was all done by "high climbers." The high climber, as depicted in tree picture 28 page 9, used a pair of climbing spurs and a wide belt. Attached to this belt was a long Manila rope with a steel core. The steel core was for safety purposes to prevent the rope from being cut by an accidental stroke of an axe. The high climber used a special slip knot that kept him at the proper distance from the tree as he climbed and adjusted for the taper. With him, as he climbed, he had an axe, a crosscut saw, a flask of kerosene (to cut the pitch), and small wedges to prevent binding. He would also bring along his lunch as he would not come down until the tree was topped. The axe and saw dangled from a rope on his belt, well below the climber at a safe distance.
As he climbed, he would adjust the rope often and lop off the limbs he encountered on the way up. The first limbs usually started from around 100 feet from the ground. The height at which the tree was topped varied, but usually was 200 feet up where the diameter would be at least two feet. When reaching the proper height, the climber would begin to chop an undercut on the side in which direction he wanted the tree to fall. When the undercut was completed, he would begin the back cut on the opposite side. If the saw pinched, he would tap in the wedges with the flat side of his axe. When the top began to lean and the back cut started to open up, he would withdraw the saw and let it drop to the end of the cord on his belt. As the rope continued to tip toward the direction of the undercut, he dug his spurs in harder and prepared to brace himself for whatever happened in the next few seconds. As the heavy top, with the heavy remaining limbs kicked off the stump, there was a big reaction in the opposite direction. This created a violent motion. The top of the spar pole would begin to spin around in a circular motion that was often 70 feet in diameter. It acted as if a bucking bronco wanted to get the intruder off its back. The movement continued for probably 15 minutes or more, then slowly come to a halt.
If all went well, the preceding description was tame. It could get worse in many cases. The tree, where it was being cut, could split down and spread and would pull the climber against the tree breaking his back, or break the belt could break and the climber would fall to the ground, or he could be squeezed to death. If this was to happen, because of a gust of wind, before the back cut was completed, sensing the danger, the high climber needed to release his spurs and drop down, relying on his rope to save him on the way down. The top could also "barber chair" at times with devastating results. These were many of the incidents that happened in this dangereous job. Occasionally, the tree would not kick off at all and just slide back over the stump after the hinge wood was broken off. The result being that the top section would drop down close to the spar pole and the limbs would brush the climber off. I'll discuss the rigging phase later.
Art Martin