Blow Down Maize and Root Ball Pop-up

[MtnHermit]

Blow Down Maize:

Doing a little trail maintenance and encountered this blow down maize:

Surprisingly easy to clear, green wood and smallish diameters. I'd never cut green wood with a chainsaw before, much easier than the dry deadfall I'm used to blocking for firewood. There was even an aspen leafing out, must have just bent over unlike all the conifers which either uprooted or snapped.

Root Ball Pop-up:

In an earlier thread I was warned to beware of root balls poping up violently, one forum member even posted a video. I was expecting the dramatic, especially when the gap opened up as I neared the bottom of the cut. But what I got was an "Ahhh, thanks for taking that load off me." Saw my first noodle about 2" long, dry wood doesn't noodle in my limited experience.

This trail is one of two system trails around an extinct volcano, they total 27 miles. I've only done the loop once, took me three days. Mostly trails just like this between 10 & 11,000 feet.

 

[ShaneLogs]

Nice cuts! Good job! What you doing with the wood you cut ? Just throw it off the trail or do you have permission to take it ?

 

[Gologit]

Are you still boot-legging your trail work or did you get a permit?

 

[MtnHermit]

What you doing with the wood you cut ?

Almost without exception, trail cuts are abandoned as close to the cut as possible. In both of these cuts, they are 2-miles from the TH of a foot only trail.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[ShaneLogs]

Almost without exception, trail cuts are abandoned as close to the cut as possible. In both of these cuts, they are 2-miles from the TH of a foot only trail.

Thanks for the comments.

So it sounds like hauling the wood out is not a option ? R u packing and hiking up on foot to where you are cutting ?

 

[MtnHermit]

So it sounds like hauling the wood out is not a option ?

Not for me, even if I could get permission to remove the wood, unlikely, I wouldn't bother, too many easier options for firewood.

R u packing and hiking up on foot to where you are cutting ?

The only options are foot and horseback. So far I've only done day hikes, no overnight backpacks for trail maintenance. I have a popup camper on the truck and stay in it overnight. In this case it was an 8-mile day with two-dozen blow downs and I hit the wall at six. So I stashed the saw and related gear under the maize blow down, then hiked back up in the morning to finish.

I carry the saw with some seat belt webbing and a Fastek buckle through the wrap bar. Carries quite well. I've also carried it inside my backpack, but that requires removing the B&C each time. It is easier to carry, just less convenient. There are specialty frame packs to carry a saw but they cost more than I paid for the 435. So I'm cheap.

 

[redprospector]

Are you still boot-legging your trail work or did you get a permit?

Hmm, I'd take that as a; "Yep, I'm still boot-legging".

Andy

 

[RandyMac]

funky ass lookin' corn.

 

[redprospector]

funky ass lookin' corn.

Now Randy, you know that you can get alcohol from just about any "organic" material.

Andy

 

[Gologit]

Hmm, I'd take that as a; "Yep, I'm still boot-legging".

Andy

Yup...looks like it. He doesn't like to answer questions about the legality of his activities . Funny thing though...he's sure left one extensive photographic record of what he's been doing.

 

[redprospector]

Yup...looks like it. He doesn't like to answer questions about the legality of his activities . Funny thing though...he's sure left one extensive photographic record of what he's been doing.

Hahaha. It seems like I remember someone else leaving such a trail a few years ago. But I won't dig up those old bones.

Andy

 

[ShaneLogs]

Not for me, even if I could get permission to remove the wood, unlikely, I wouldn't bother, too many easier options for firewood.


The only options are foot and horseback. So far I've only done day hikes, no overnight backpacks for trail maintenance. I have a popup camper on the truck and stay in it overnight. In this case it was an 8-mile day with two-dozen blow downs and I hit the wall at six. So I stashed the saw and related gear under the maize blow down, then hiked back up in the morning to finish.

I carry the saw with some seat belt webbing and a Fastek buckle through the wrap bar. Carries quite well. I've also carried it inside my backpack, but that requires removing the B&C each time. It is easier to carry, just less convenient. There are specialty frame packs to carry a saw but they cost more than I paid for the 435. So I'm cheap.

Wow! Sounds like a hike it self just getting up there! I have hiked my stuff up the snowmobile trail before to cut and it was not nearly as far as that and I didn't really like it. I usually go with my buddy and take the four wheeler with the trailer and cut, limb, and buck and take the wood back home to the truck. I can ride my four wheeler in the summer and my snowmobile in the winter from my house right to the trails