COOL article on Mt St Helens Logger

[coastalfaller]

I remember when I was bucking for my dad when I was first starting out cutting. He had fallen a nice 4-5' fir alongside the road. It had fallen over a little ravine, one that I had to reach up to cut. The top bind was pretty severe and apparently I had not cut down from the top enough. They were logging in the same unit and trucks were hauling down the road as well as the logging crews. I promptly ripped that log about 20-30' down each side. My dad just gave me that "you dumb s#(% " look and took a big piece of fir and stuck it in that ripped log. "There" he said. "Now that alligator won't have to go hungry". Talk about humiliated. I took special pains after that to make sure I didn't rip any more logs. I guess that stuff only happens right next to the roads.

Hahaha! Yeah, I think that's mandatory that it only happens in plain view! Something about a law and some guy named Murphy!

 

[nw axe man]

Here's one that was a lightening strike. The guy who called me up said that it was about 72" so I packed up a 66 with a 36" bar thinking that that would be plenty to get it on the ground. Turns out it was 8 1/2' through. Good thing it was punky on the butt. This was just below a clearcut that was cut about 1967 by my dad. Just up the hill was a 10 footer that he had cut that an article had been written in the local paper with a picture of it. This was some nice timber in here.
I did get a lot of coals down my back on this one as it was on fire at the top of it. I think I posted another pic in another thread of this one.

 

[madhatte]

Wood on fire is spooky stuff. I have almost always been surprised by how falling burning timber turns out. Keeps me on my toes, for sure. That big 'un would be a handful. Don't know that I'd have the cojones to commit to it.

 

[nw axe man]

Yeah, it can be spooky but it does make you more aware. My trees on fire are limited to slop overs and lightening strikes. I've never been on a project fire. I was always too busy.
I'm sure you've got what it takes to fall something like that. Most of it is experience. That's a hard thing to get anymore on bigger trees. The last one I fell was an 11' fir full length tree. I knew it was going to be the last one I'd probably ever fall so I had two video cameras on it and one guy that shot about 450 still shots. As mentioned before if they ever opened up the old growth there'd hardly be anyone that knows how to properly take care of it.

 

[OregonSawyer]

Yeah, it can be spooky but it does make you more aware. My trees on fire are limited to slop overs and lightening strikes. I've never been on a project fire. I was always too busy.
I'm sure you've got what it takes to fall something like that. Most of it is experience. That's a hard thing to get anymore on bigger trees. The last one I fell was an 11' fir full length tree. I knew it was going to be the last one I'd probably ever fall so I had two video cameras on it and one guy that shot about 450 still shots. As mentioned before if they ever opened up the old growth there'd hardly be anyone that knows how to properly take care of it.

You know we're all anxiously awaiting those vids, right? :msp_thumbup:

 

[nw axe man]

You know we're all anxiously awaiting those vids, right? :msp_thumbup:

Yeah, the problem is that I'm dumber than a stump when it comes to getting pics/videos on this site. The cameras that were used were about 10 mgpxls and there's too much info on them to put here. Jameson said to put them on Youtube but I'm lost there too. If it had anything to do with a chain, bar, axe, wedges, saw, etc., I'd have no problem. They're kind of long too. Especially of the 11 footer. Had to wait for traffic and such.

 

[056kid]

If you have the pics on your pc already, just open them with paint and re-size them with the "resize/skew" deal under "image" and save.

 

[nw axe man]

If you have the pics on your pc already, just open them with paint and re-size them with the "resize/skew" deal under "image" and save.

When I try to put them on it says that there's too much information to upload. It takes 300x300 mgpxls apparently and no more. I just went into Image like you said and see what you're talking about but I don't think that's the problem.

 

[056kid]

So when you brought down the picture to a reasonable size on paint it still would not let you? Might try a few times, it usually takes me a few tries to get things right. I am not good at all with TV lookie typie boxes haha.

 

[nw axe man]

Yeah, I tried. I'm not good with those either. I have a friend that's pretty sharp with puters. I'll have to call him up.

 

[Gologit]

Yeah, I tried. I'm not good with those either. I have a friend that's pretty sharp with puters. I'll have to call him up.

I'm a cave man when it comes to computers but PhotoBucket was easy enough for even me to figure out.

If I can do it you can do it.

 

[RandyMac]

Yeah, it can be spooky but it does make you more aware. My trees on fire are limited to slop overs and lightening strikes. I've never been on a project fire. I was always too busy.
I'm sure you've got what it takes to fall something like that. Most of it is experience. That's a hard thing to get anymore on bigger trees. The last one I fell was an 11' fir full length tree. I knew it was going to be the last one I'd probably ever fall so I had two video cameras on it and one guy that shot about 450 still shots. As mentioned before if they ever opened up the old growth there'd hardly be anyone that knows how to properly take care of it.

There is a good supply of old gimps to handle to big stuff, just need a lad to pack the gear.

 

[atvguns]

subscribed

 

[slowp]

Here's one that was a lightening strike. The guy who called me up said that it was about 72" so I packed up a 66 with a 36" bar thinking that that would be plenty to get it on the ground. Turns out it was 8 1/2' through. Good thing it was punky on the butt. This was just below a clearcut that was cut about 1967 by my dad. Just up the hill was a 10 footer that he had cut that an article had been written in the local paper with a picture of it. This was some nice timber in here.
I did get a lot of coals down my back on this one as it was on fire at the top of it. I think I posted another pic in another thread of this one.

The diameter estimator had probably listened when we were being chewed out for our under running timber sales. :msp_biggrin:

 

[nw axe man]

There is a good supply of old gimps to handle to big stuff, just need a lad to pack the gear.

Now isn' that the truth.
I have a son who loves to pack anything for me as long as he gets to cut a little and just be out there with me. Most fortunate one am I.

 

[nw axe man]

The diameter estimator had probably listened when we were being chewed out for our under running timber sales. :msp_biggrin:

Yeah, it was Gary. Every time I see him he brings it up. I just chuckle.
How's that retirement thing going for you?

 

[slowp]

Yeah, it was Gary. Every time I see him he brings it up. I just chuckle.
How's that retirement thing going for you?

You may have heard my imaginary jake brake today as I went by your house with a load of wet hemlock for the winter after the upcoming winter firewood supply.

 

[nw axe man]

You may have heard my imaginary jake brake today as I went by your house with a load of wet hemlock for the winter after the upcoming winter firewood supply.

Yeah, even I was out getting next years wood cut. I have a pile of nice fir logs that I let sit too long for milling that I'm cutting up. I got about a dozen nice ones last weekend so am rotating the inventory. Last one I cut had a piece of wire or something in it that I hit. All of a sudden I started cutting in a circle. Looked at the teeth and found one side had been knocked off. Makes for cranky cutting.

 

[slowp]

I have next winter's wood mostly in the woodshed. Now I'm working on the 2012-13 winter wood, I think.

For some reason my saw cut straight. I'll have to fix that. Everything is on a slope here. :msp_smile:

 

[nw axe man]

There is a good supply of old gimps to handle to big stuff, just need a lad to pack the gear.

I wouldn't mind being one of those old gimps. I hate to think of the immediate cost of getting into that kind of shape again. Talk about sucking air!
I guess I'll just have to stick with taking down the bad ones once in a while. At least it makes me feel alive again.