IS BBR the best logger you've ever seen?

[slabMan]

Pat Sygitowicz--The best logger?
I have to give a shout-out to an old timer that may have been the best faller/logger in his time that still had time to be our little league coach back in the 70's NW Washington. I remember reading newspaper articles of how many trees he drops in a day [over 200]and the write up was also about how much he devoted to the baseball little league after work. He would be out there taking infield practice in his logging suspenders and everything he wore at work [minus his corks]. We would just jump in his pickup truck [in the back] and seatbelts? naaah, who needed seatbelts for an entire little league team in uniform, riding in the back of a pickup truck on I-5? [sarcastic humor]. I am not sure of the level of his logger skillset, but I have to say he is/was damn good to us little punks and he spoiled us with as much as he could afford. His name is Pat Sygitowicz and logged out of the Oso area most of the time [1970's]. I would love to hear anyone who may have known him or worked with him as a logger chime in...He was a tough, crazy, generous Polock...He would rather refer to himself as a "dimbulb" in his self deprecating [confident] humor. Thanks for all the good times Pat!

 

[northmanlogging]

Pat Sygitowicz--The best logger?
I have to give a shout-out to an old timer that may have been the best faller/logger in his time that still had time to be our little league coach back in the 70's NW Washington. I remember reading newspaper articles of how many trees he drops in a day [over 200]and the write up was also about how much he devoted to the baseball little league after work. He would be out there taking infield practice in his logging suspenders and everything he wore at work [minus his corks]. We would just jump in his pickup truck [in the back] and seatbelts? naaah, who needed seatbelts for an entire little league team in uniform, riding in the back of a pickup truck on I-5? [sarcastic humor]. I am not sure of the level of his logger skillset, but I have to say he is/was damn good to us little punks and he spoiled us with as much as he could afford. His name is Pat Sygitowicz and logged out of the Oso area most of the time [1970's]. I would love to hear anyone who may have known him or worked with him as a logger chime in...He was a tough, crazy, generous Polock...He would rather refer to himself as a "dimbulb" in his self deprecating [confident] humor. Thanks for all the good times Pat!

see now, MY little league coach, sumthing sumthing Nations (nations tree service's pop) went so far as to get my long haired punk ass to actually WANT to play baseball, unfortunately, we never played any of you Oso Boys so we'll never really know who was better, but same deal, he would be taking his caulks off as we were putting or cleats on, more often then not He'd just leave em on (the grounds keeper hated that lol, tore the hell out of home plate and the bases) He would call every shot when he as hitting balls to the outfield and be accurate within feet. This was back when the Whitehorse Store, and the RedTop still had wooden floors so you could wear your caulks in. (Not that they've noticed when I do so now lol, tile and caulks is uh... sketchy)

Granted our biggest rivals were Concrete, football and baseball, most years ending or starting in bloodshed on and off the field, Arlington (Oso) was already a AAA school and Darrington is still a measly B11

 

[slabMan]

HE logged out of OSO, but we were in the Everett bc league and played Arl. Darrington, snoho [pell -ham lggng] was one of the teams there at the no. evt bc. Arl. just made new field airport then. Darrington had a pretty sweet yard too. Was Armstrong in Concrete back then? [ie coach]

 

[slabMan]

see now, MY little league coach, sumthing sumthing Nations (nations tree service's pop) went so far as to get my long haired punk ass to actually WANT to play baseball, unfortunately, we never played any of you Oso Boys so we'll never really know who was better, but same deal, he would be taking his caulks off as we were putting or cleats on, more often then not He'd just leave em on (the grounds keeper hated that lol, tore the hell out of home plate and the bases) He would call every shot when he as hitting balls to the outfield and be accurate within feet. This was back when the Whitehorse Store, and the RedTop still had wooden floors so you could wear your caulks in. (Not that they've noticed when I do so now lol, tile and caulks is uh... sketchy)

Granted our biggest rivals were Concrete, football and baseball, most years ending or starting in bloodshed on and off the field, Arlington (Oso) was already a AAA school and Darrington is still a measly B11

My bad on that ---he left concrete for sno way before that. [dang, time fly's]. I remember Pat putting bar oil into his ford to get home one day! We all smelled bar oil/gas, sawdust and Red Man or Copenhagen---that was my first and last try at snoose and leaf after 'getting the spins' and sick! lmao

 

[northmanlogging]

HE logged out of OSO, but we were in the Everett bc league and played Arl. Darrington, snoho [pell -ham lggng] was one of the teams there at the no. evt bc. Arl. just made new field airport then. Darrington had a pretty sweet yard too. Was Armstrong in Concrete back then? [ie coach]

I didn't play High school baseball, so?
My decent into full negative creep mode started well before high school, most of the baseball players are the guys I would of ran through a wood chipper if I thought I could get away with it, regardless of how much I liked playing baseball, (and I had a mean arm and regularly hit homers then...) I couldn't stand the team mates, plus I'd already started working before and after school...

 

[slabMan]

I was going to guess that you 'went yard' a few times or more with 'dingers' and you were probably a stocky big kid. At that age, there was always some kids in our league that were 'early bloomers' and it was like playing against a man. They were the only players who had any bass in their voice and they dang near had a beard and it always seemed like they pitched too [throwing heat from 46' away--and not 60'-6" away which made it appear to be 99mph]. Then we knew we were playing ball a yr or two later when we played on a real size field with 90' base paths and everyone had bass in their voice---THEN IT WAS ON! lol

 

[northmanlogging]

I was going to guess that you 'went yard' a few times or more with 'dingers' and you were probably a stocky big kid. At that age, there was always some kids in our league that were 'early bloomers' and it was like playing against a man. They were the only players who had any bass in their voice and they dang near had a beard and it always seemed like they pitched too [throwing heat from 46' away--and not 60'-6" away which made it appear to be 99mph]. Then we knew we were playing ball a yr or two later when we played on a real size field with 90' base paths and everyone had bass in their voice---THEN IT WAS ON! lol

stocky yes, not much in the beard dept until my 20's, and a rather high voice for a dude my size...
But I've been running saws and splitting firewood since I was 6, so I had muscles for days. Plus couple that with my palinopsia, objects coming towards me are weirdly clear compared to everything else, and with the tracer I can judge speed and direction pretty quick, made hitting even the funkiest of pitches childs play, Unfortunately objects moving sideways do not get the same benefit and I have trouble seeing the leading edges, so I was terrible at defense in football, could never tell who had the damned ball lol, but baseball and to some extent soccer (cause the ball is bigger) I did pretty ok at, sword fighting/MMA/Tea Kwon Do I was weirdly good at, but couldn't put my fanger on why, intuition maybe, certainly not skill? before I got runned over I could run pretty fast too, you may of noticed I limp a lot now ( the knee thing is a holdover from when I got laid up)

 

[slabMan]

"Palinopsia"--I learn something new every day! Maybe that was my excuse for not making it to the bigs...I was low on palinopsia! lol I think ADHD is more of the culprit for me---I was all over the map! But when you gitter on the screws and you see that 'slow backspin' of the seams of the baseball it is a good thing [to watch without showboating] from home plate, especially with a wooden bat [k-48].

 

[northmanlogging]

"Palinopsia"--I learn something new every day! Maybe that was my excuse for not making it to the bigs...I was low on palinopsia! lol I think ADHD is more of the culprit for me---I was all over the map! But when you gitter on the screws and you see that 'slow backspin' of the seams of the baseball it is a good thing [to watch without showboating] from home plate, especially with a wooden bat [k-48].

with palinopsia, can't see the rotation at all lol, just a white orb coming to bean you in the noggin if you don't swat it away. but the tail gives you a good indication of speed and direction.

 

[slabMan]

"Tracers" then, sounds like--that is interesting. I have never heard of that 'diagnosis'. I bet that was trippy facing some pitcher with a good "slurve" [curveball]--if there was anyone at that age who could throw one.
I always found it odd that major leaguers looked for the fewest grains [rings] in a MLB bat, but when looking for quality building lumber old growth, tight grain [rings] are better. [trying to make this thread go full circle]. But after you take batting practice with a tight grained bat, you have to wrap the barrel with trainers tape to keep it from splintering and breaking. I supposed it is much like splitting kindling with tight , straight grain og vs 2nd growth with wider rings.

I will have to see if good old "Dimbulb" Pat is still around and have a whiskey with him if so! I think people who devote their time and money and make kids upbringings memorable and fun, sometimes don't realize how much they appreciate it later in life and I am one to try and let those people know that before the perish!

 

[Mike Ray]

my uncle lived in Darrington he could build/ fix anything a lot of people knew him , my favorite uncle JOE DEITZ.

 

[slabMan]

Bjarne Butler is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/@BjarneButler/featured

R u in WA [Perth] or the Eastern States?

 

[slabMan]

Bjarne Butler is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/@BjarneButler/featured

IE What part of Australia? Perth [Scarborough Beach] was my old stompin grounds for a while---I hope all those "seppos" [septic tank yanks] are not messing with you great aussies! lol I love West. Australia!

 

[Grateful11]

I'm not a logger and don't pretend to be, I'm a retired Journeyman Machinist, but after watching the first couple seasons of Ax Men which is about all I could stand by the way I was impressed by Jay Browning. Then again I've never spent any time around true loggers either so what do I know. I've just been cutting for my personal use for about 50 years.

 

[slabMan]

my uncle lived in Darrington he could build/ fix anything a lot of people knew him , my favorite uncle JOE DEITZ.

I'm not a logger and don't pretend to be, I'm a retired Journeyman Machinist, but after watching the first couple seasons of Ax Men which is about all I could stand by the way I was impressed by Jay Browning. Then again I've never spent any time around true loggers either so what do I know. I've just been cutting for my personal use for about 50 years.

I wonder how crazy Shelby Stinka would do as a PNW logger? [I wonder if anyone would want to work along side of him falling--lol].

 

[slabMan]

THIS is an older bit from another site [I hope it is not stepping on any toes] but interesting read on PNW loggers and what the Eastern US peeps think of PNW logger vs EAST.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=77353.0

 

[slabMan]

MY BAD aS--
Hello forum, I just wanted to introduce myself since I am new. My name is Stefan Magi Fionn (pen name), I am an author and I am currently writing a fictional book where the main characters are loggers in washington state/ oregon state (havent made up mind yet to what state). I have been trying to do research on what gear, tools etc, method of operation, jargon of logging crews in the pacific northwest. It is difficult for me to pin point that area with regards especially to jargon on the web. For instance, loggers in the south may have a different way of going about there business or the jargon they use opposed to that of the pacific northwest.

Another question: When Loggers go into a forest to harvest timber, do they do so by the plot (taking everything)? Or do they go in and mark certain trees and leave others behind? What trees are most sought after?

Thanks in advance for any help you will be able to provide, I'm having alot of difficulty finding the accurate details that I need.

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thenorthman​

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Re: Attn: Pacific Northwest loggers: whats your daily line of work like?​

« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2014, 08:41:52 AM »

I guess to start, there are several types of sales, but basically they are thinning or clear cuts. Thinning's being only taking selected timber usually for stand improvement, many reasons for a thinning. Clear cuts are done to harvest everything, usually all one species of timber since most forests around here have been planted, although you still get volunteers of different species of timber, clear cuts are done for several reasons as well, mostly as a way of replanting a whole new crop, some timber grows better with no competition.

As far as marking timber, that is usually left up to the foresters and sale managers, if loggers where to be left to mark their own timber, all sales would be clear cuts...

As far as jargon goes... there is a list somewhere... much of it crosses over east to west, north to south...

Landing, area where the logs are stacked and processed waiting for transport to the mill.

Yarder, machine with multiple winches and usually a tower to drag logs of the side of a mountain

Yard, dragging logs in to the landing

choker, cables used to hook logs to be yarder, consists of to bullets/ferrules, a length of cable, and a bell that the ferules fit into to create a snare, hence choke the logs, like they could breath right...

chaser, person responsible for unhooking chokers at the landing, usually a newbie in the woods

brush apes, persons responsible for setting chokers in bushes

rigging slinger, lead of the brush apes

choker man, minion of the rigging slinger

yarder engineer, person that controls the yarder

Talkie Tooter, way of communicating between landing and brush apes, system of radios attached to a whistle on the yarder, a series of beeps like morse code is used.

Hook Tender, person responsible for the rigging on the yarder, also responsible for picking the next setting of the rigging and

Rigging, miles of cable, mountains of snatch blocks, and heaps of shackles required to keep a yarder crew working.

Side Rod, boss of a side

Side, any unit being logged

Show, see side

Shovel, log loader, usually a converted excavator, with log grapples and a healing rack.

There are many more but I have to go now...

 

[slabMan]

Double check with TNM above on these-
Straw line - lighter cable used to pull the mainline out to a tail hold.
Road - the area below the mainline, logs are pulled from either side and then up.
Cat skinner - bulldozer operator/road builder. Also the phrase- 'punch a road in' ->build a road.
Powder monkey - person who removes stumps with dynamite (the old way)

If you want some drama for your book-
Tree hugger - person who attaches them selves to a tree in order to prevent it being cut. They can also attach themselves to buildings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tre_Arrow
...and lived on a nine-inch ledge for eleven days...

Must have got confused and thought he was a flying squirrel...
In October 2001, he suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs and a concussion when he fell 60 feet from a hemlock tree where he had perched to protest a logging sale in Tillamook County.
Yup,

Tail hold sometimes pronounced tale holdt is a stump or tree used to hold the end of a line, be it a guy line or main line, or haulback.

Powder monkey, pretty much any yahoo willing to drag high explosives around, Yes we used to and sometimes still do blast stumps, although most of the blasting is done in hard rock for road building (truck roads) stumps aren't what they used to be...

Donkey puncher, sometimes used for the yarder engineer, its a hold over from the donkey steam engines used to yard logs at the beggining of the last centuery (S?)

Cat skinner like he said any one driving a dozer, usually someone good at it,

Both donkey puncher and Cat Skinner are evolutions of the original Bull Punchers, the hard boiled mean sobs that drove the oxen around dragging massive logs out of the forest. sometimes in teams of 20 or so oxen...

Skid Road, used to be the road that was built to skid logs into town with oxen, now and sometimes then its where the down and out live. In the woods its still a term used for any trail that a skidder or dozer used to drag logs on.

Cat, any tracked machine with a blade not just Caterpillar, kinda like Coke for any form of soda pop (which begs the question how does the poor kid behind the counter know if you want 7UP, Root Beer or just regular old Cola?)

Cutter, timber fallers, at least the hand fallers... lot of it done by machine now.

Feller Buncher, timber falling machine, loosely based on an excavator, though anymore they are completely different.

Grapple Cat, Cat with a log grapple on the back to skid logs with, or any kitty cat which likes to dig its claws into your leg whilst petting...

Bull Buck,

As far as Tre Arrow, read douche bad in the dictionary. Dude has gone on record saying he doesn't use TP, and advocates "activists" tying nooses around their necks so if some poor logger cuts some random line in a tree that just happens to be holding up said activists butt, our poor logger gets arrested for murder. Blood starts to boil pretty quickly when these folks show up to save... well anything...

P.S. most green movements are very well funded, Green Peace has been on a hiring drive for nearly a year now, trying to hire people to "recruit" more people to their cause, paying fairly well too. (like $15. an hour) Makes me wonder just how many "protesters" over the years have been making better than minimum wage to basically go camping.

But I digress and am dancing the line of politics...

 

[northmanlogging]

i feel plagiarized lol

 

[slowp]

One used to see guys in their rigging clothes out playing golf in the late afternoon. That was at the Glenoma golf course, where a stray ball could hit a car on the highway if the stars were aligned. Never heard of that happening.

One time a side was shut down due to the radiator of their fire truck being propped up against a cutbank, not in the truck. The yarder engineer blew the whistle, stepped out, and bellowed down the hill "PRAISE THE LORD! WE'RE SHUT DOWN! LET'S GO FISHING."

That's when they made more money.