Falling pics 11/25/09

[Samlock]

That rate sounds about right. . . Back in the late 90's I worked under a Bell Ranger that was $1k and hour for fuel, and the pilot got $250 and hour.

I don't know if I'd wanna mess with that goat-rope 'fast as you can' helo-logging. . . Too many would be focused on speed and stuff can go bad fast.

####, I've never cut for a helicopter, but I've cut a lot for a harvester coming right behind. Not a good feeling when a big machine is pushing your back. That routine Sam is going to do must be 1000 times worse. Kinda blows off your focusing when you need to keep looking over your shoulder.

 

[coastalfaller]

That rate sounds about right. . . Back in the late 90's I worked under a Bell Ranger that was $1k and hour for fuel, and the pilot got $250 and hour.

I don't know if I'd wanna mess with that goat-rope 'fast as you can' helo-logging. . . Too many would be focused on speed and stuff can go bad fast.

It's not bad when you get some lead time and can get the setting down ahead of time. With the way markets are and people trying to hit them just right, however, the lead on the heli rarely happens! Usually after you're about a week or two in, you get the message, "oh, by the way, the helicopter is showing up in 4 days"! Lovely!

 

[Samlock]

It's not bad when you get some lead time and can get the setting down ahead of time. With the way markets are and people trying to hit them just right, however, the lead on the heli rarely happens! Usually after you're about a week or two in, you get the message, "oh, by the way, the helicopter is showing up in 4 days"! Lovely!

Haha. That goes with the cases a faller gets chased by a harvester as well. With a just a wee bit of anticipation most of the running away from a juggernaut could be avoided. But in reality, by the time contractor realizes that the harvester won't handle the timber (too fat trees, steep slopes, power lines or other obstacles), they usually have already pooped the job, first trying to manage without a faller and then waiting for him to show up. The faller's bill won't naturally improve the case, in terms of money, so they'll try to compensate the wasted time and money blowing the fumes on your neck.

Anyhow, a harvester costs 120-130$ per hour, so there's some pressure, but not worth 3$ a minute. At least so far they've allowed me to refill.

 

[Rounder]

Won't they let you lay it out sidehill? At least saves you walking up and down the hill all day long. That's brutal!

I guess on Monday we're going to try quartering it. Just trying to make it fly fast. The cutting end of things got a little overlooked on this one. Irritating. Hopefully have a few more cutters......but they don't seem to exist.

 

[coastalfaller]

I guess on Monday we're going to try quartering it. Just trying to make it fly fast. The cutting end of things got a little overlooked on this one. Irritating. Hopefully have a few more cutters......but they don't seem to exist.

Yep, that can happen alright. I love the settings where the wood is 180 ft tall and the side lines are 90ft apart. Or where the lines going up the hill suddenly start narrowing to a point to chase a big pumpkin at the top of a setting. No where left to put it but down the hill. Right smack across all your fell and buck that you worked so hard to save out.

 

[Gologit]

It's not bad when you get some lead time and can get the setting down ahead of time. With the way markets are and people trying to hit them just right, however, the lead on the heli rarely happens! Usually after you're about a week or two in, you get the message, "oh, by the way, the helicopter is showing up in 4 days"! Lovely!

C'mon, I though you Canadians were more organized than that.

What I always watch for, and dread, is a big upsurge in the pine market. That's when we get those Chinese Fire Drill jobs...you know the kind. "Can you start tomorrow and be done yesterday? We're moving the skidders and the shovel in now and the landings are almost done." Some things never change.

 

[Rounder]

It's kind of gotten to be a pain. The mills call and want the wood yesterday. Got to work into everything, yarder up your ass, delimber up the yarder's ass, loader up the delimber's ass. Not very efficient when everybody's waiting on everybody.

Seems like Europe has things figured out a lot better. New Zealand too from what I've read.

We're pretty far behind the times here.

 

[coastalfaller]

Yep, we've had entire settings on the ground before the grade crew even gets in the block. It's gotten pretty good again for that, most roads are in before we get there again, but there are definitely settings where we're all bottlenecked. Grade crew chasing the r/w fallers. Fallers chasing the grade crew on the setting. Yarder chasing the fallers. Loader chasing the yarder. Ahhhh, logging, gotta love it! You actually really do have to love it!!! Otherwise what the hell would we be doing out here?!

 

[tramp bushler]

Ya , no , you guys are alot more understanding than me . Thats why I like cutting tower ground for a pulp mill . .
Thats why I haven't cut for a bird outfit . They chase me I'de chase them .
Best I just stay away from them .

Cuttin right of way in small wood sucks too . If the hoe is there . When I get some big fatties that the pioneer can't push over . I'll jump past and cut a few stations then go back and fall them .
. Yup , I don't tolerate getting pushed.

 

[Rounder]

Ya , no , you guys are alot more understanding than me . Thats why I like cutting tower ground for a pulp mill . .
Thats why I haven't cut for a bird outfit . They chase me I'de chase them .
Best I just stay away from them .

Cuttin right of way in small wood sucks too . If the hoe is there . When I get some big fatties that the pioneer can't push over . I'll jump past and cut a few stations then go back and fall them .
. Yup , I don't tolerate getting pushed.

Yep. I've got my pace and that's that. They ain't going to pass me.

 

[Rounder]

Ahhhh, logging, gotta love it! You actually really do have to love it!!! Otherwise what the hell would we be doing out here?!

I think we need proffesional help........at least my wife thinks I do.........

 

[Metals406]

Ahhhh, logging, gotta love it! You actually really do have to love it!!! Otherwise what the hell would we be doing out here?!

I think we need proffesional help........at least my wife thinks I do.........

Well in your case, she's right, and it has nothing to do with logging!

 

[tramp bushler]

Another thing that makes me go ballistic , is some guy that wants to cut in my back pocket . ..
I really don't like flagged strip lines . But with some guys you just gotta have the bull buck flag them in . .
Then there are the bull bucks that give every one a 200' wide strip in 150' tall timber .

Is it any wonder that I work alone .
Only thing that has kept some people alive is that Jesus didn't Save me so I could murder them .!

 

[Rounder]

Another thing that makes me go ballistic , is some guy that wants to cut in my back pocket . ..
I really don't like flagged strip lines . But with some guys you just gotta have the bull buck flag them in . .
Then there are the bull bucks that give every one a 200' wide strip in 150' tall timber .

Is it any wonder that I work alone .
Only thing that has kept some people alive is that Jesus didn't Save me so I could murder them .!

Don't care for that either. At least when you're tree lengthing you can cut a couple tanks straight up the hill and get them corralled a bit. Kind of a pain, but it's worth it with certain guys....They usually get the point.

 

[hammerlogging]

Yep. I've got my pace and that's that. They ain't going to pass me.

Yup, maybe I've quoted my bud before, they can catch me, but they can't pass me.

Its funny how different some things are in different places, but then how alike. I know I HATE having machines around me.

I do all the falling, but I also organize the logging, manage the wood flow, flag the roads, all that ####. So I know whats ahead, how far the skid is, how much winching, how thick the timber, etc. If they start getting within a few hours of me, they're gonna get a hard day or two of logging---- steep, lots of cable pulling, longer skids, something to give me some breathing room-- what difference does it make, it all has to go-- I'll hit those spots when we're days ahead of the trucking too, its all part of maintaining the balance within the system.

Its really interesting about ya'll's softwoods something I've picked up on cutting some white pine patches- I really take advantage of cutting 3 or 5 or 8 stems and then topping, but thats hardwoods. With white pine, or your species, I have a hard time seeing how dropping multiple stems is beneficial since the limbs are so much more bottom to top.

that up and down will kill you, it gets to my knees, lots of pounding. I guess sidehilling is a part of sustainable forestry.

 

[tramp bushler]

I could name names ( but I won't) where doing that was simple a matter of survival .
Course with 3 of them noone needs to worry about them . They're dead .

 

[bitzer]

Goddamit I wanna cut some steep ground! All this talk about tall trees and short lay outs sounds fun. Things can get kind of ho-hum when I'm on too many flats. Anybody want to trade for a week or two? I may need to hire someone to pick up wood for me just to make things interesting.

Thanks for the props boys!

Tramp- I will see what I can do about getting some picking up pics this week. Its supposed to stay dry.

 

[hammerlogging]

never wish away your flats! the only thing I can say for my timber is that its probably taller. AND, one very fone thing about steep ground is that youn are far more likely to have the vast majority of the timber to be leaning the same way. Flats, there's it'll lean lots of different directions which can #### up your pattern and make you dance around cutting this or this first because of irregular leans. Nice and systematic is how i like it,j just enough slope so its alltending the same way. But step, though exciting and often harboring some really nice big timber, is harder, mcuh harder.

 

[Metals406]

Yup, tall ground throws in a whole different dynamic than flat.

Like if you happen to be falling tops up, and the lay has a rise. . . The tree can buck up in the air, turn towards your happy place (escape), and run back at you. Larch are real sketchy like that, as there ain't a lot of limb mass to hold her down. . . Them things love to run.

That's just one example, and there's a bunch more.

 

[tramp bushler]

On the outer coast , the wind blows every day , always has so alot of the timber leans up the hill pretty hard . . It can be a nightmare just getting it on the ground and staying alive . The timber can be huge , but given my option , I'll take a 60% hill and 2 bushel hemlock any day .

Cutting flats can be slow like Hammer said , this one goes here , that one over there , gotta swamp out over there , pack over there to get that one down then come back here to get this one down . .
Walk, walk , walk :msp_sad: