Moving to Hood River OR

[jsnspence]

slowp I am also looking into branching out from Mpls with my sewer & water work. For one thing utilities are not buried stupid deep in OR because it dosent stay cold enough to make ground frost 5 feet deep or more.

"Hint on the Wescos, see if they can put in regular calks (pronounced corks) because the exclusive Wesco spikes can only be bought from Wesco and are spendy. The regular ones are carried at saw shops and are less expensive."

slowp do you know or does anybody know the history of why calks are pronounced corks? Is it just another one of those things that make BSers stick out?

 

[Metals406]

Good luck in the rigging!

I was in my early 20's and fit (played a lot of basketball) and lost 20 pounds my first month in the woods. I wasn't fat, at all, and I lost that much weight. Like JJ said, no amount of exercise can prepare you for working in the woods. Now at 35, going in green, I think you're gonna get your butt handed to you. You'll also be working waaay above sea level with lungs used to thicker air.

My first week I wasn't sure if I wanted the job. . . I was dead azz tired, beat up, sore, and waking up at 2am -- riding to work for 2+ hours jammed in a crummy like a sardine -- and being over the hill at 6am.

Now I can tell you. . . I miss the woods terribly. Once you commit, and make it more than a few weeks, it gets in your blood.

It's a love hate relationship though, and you have to love it to do it, cause ain't no sane person on the planet that would log for any other reason. It's hard, dangerous, underpaid, dangerous, inglorious, dangerous work. You won't ever get rich, you'll live paycheck to paycheck, and wonder why you aren't a cab-rat making 20 bucks an hour with the AC and radio on.

Give it a go though. . . I guess you'll never know until you try, whether or not it's something you want to or can do.

 

[RandyMac]

Fitness is only one facet, a lively mind, situational awareness and the ability to absorb impacts is some of the rest. Do you like to work hurt? You do have a lot of good expirience in other things, you exhibit interest, to me, you come off just a bit preppy and I think you are ten years to late getting started.
By all means, give it a try. You might give forestry a go, there is some hard work.

 

[slowp]

I do not know why calks are corks, or why a creek is a crick, or some people pronounce Washington as Warshington.

I've only worked on the forestry side of things. Some of what I did has now been taken over by Exchange Students. The good thing? You get paid to run, climb, hike, etc. You can eat anything you want, and stay thin. But, if you get laid off, hurt or for us, promoted up, you put on the pounds.

We don't have ice fishing here. That has been a complaint of a few transplanted Minnisodians. The other complaint is about the 9 months of gray fog and drizzle. Hood River is sunnier than here.

Don't look down on fat people. I prefer the "round" description. I'm one of them. Note the "eat anything" paragraph...then hurt, then got softer jobs in the woods. Some of the round loggers started out in the rigging, grew up in logging, and will still be more agile than you. They will know the shortcuts and how to move quickly in the brush. They won't be as fast as the crew, but they'll be faster than you.

An example? We hired a former Navy Seal. He went out with me to mark timber. Just wandering around looking for faded paint and then repainting trees for the cutters. I let him take the lead. I went to work behind, painting away, and was able to easily fill in the rest of the unit behind.

We stopped, he was mad. He started in at me about not pulling my weight, slacking off. Mind you, I was in charge. I waited. When his rant was over, I took him back and showed him the ground I'd covered. His mouth dropped open, and "How could you do that much?" came out. Because I was on the round side, he thought I couldn't move. I had been marking timber for 10 years and knew how to do it efficiently. He only had the fitness factor.

So watch how you judge. That grumpy yarder engineer was once a darn good hooktender, but his back went. Same for some of the truck drivers.

Randy Mac brought up a good point. Can you stand to get poked, bruised, thumped, and do you know how to fall (body wise) or turn a fall into a not so bad fall? Get up and do it again? You will have all of the above happen, some of it daily. Right now I'm "working hurt". I need to see a foot doctor. But I fit right in, I can participate in Team Gimping. I have been following a "I might git retired" former faller around who has worn out his second artificial hip. At our age, gimping is permitted.

There, I'm telling you the bad stuff, because then you won't be surprised. Buy the industrial size of ibuprofen, and don't flaunt the college degree.

 

[jsnspence]

Slowp I dint graduate.

 

[coastalfaller]

Fitness is only one facet, a lively mind, situational awareness and the ability to absorb impacts is some of the rest. Do you like to work hurt? You do have a lot of good expirience in other things, you exhibit interest, to me, you come off just a bit preppy and I think you are ten years to late getting started.
By all means, give it a try. You might give forestry a go, there is some hard work.

I absolutely agree, RandyMac! Aptitude is one of the biggest factors. You can learn efficiency (most people anyway!) and production will come, but you can't teach aptitude. Just a couple weeks ago I had to let a guy go who was a great kid, had the "want", but just did not have the bush savvy and wasn't going to get it. Tough thing to do, telling him he was not going to make it as a faller, but better that than having him get himself killed eventually.

 

[huskyhank]

Good thread.

jsnspence - I would not leave an established successful business right now. Its a rare thing to have plenty of work and customers who pay their bills.

One of my high school teachers (who is in his 80s and still going strong) has a farm on the edge of what is now a very populated area. The family grows some crops but mostly they are in the recreation business. They run a year round "Farm Camp" and grow lots of pumpkins for Halloween. Kids and parents love the place - they have a booming business.

I think someone ought to open a "Fantasy Logging Camp". A little like the car or motorcycle racing schools or mountain guide schools. That might be how to make some money from logging - even when the real business is down.

 

[floyd]

you are in for a reality check . 5yr ago there were probably 25 companies around here.

Cost of living is high as well.

Did I mention the wind has been blowing steady 20 mph for 3 days now? Then it gusts to 50 mph.

 

[GASoline71]

When I was settin' chokes I was 17 ans was broke in by a cat that was in his late 50's... I could barely keep up with him. I was a football star for Pete' sake! How is this grumpy old cuss out runnin' me day after day...

Took me a while, but I finally had to stop chasin' him, and started settin' riggin'.

Well... you seem to have the right attitude... since everyone that said "Don't do it" or " Be prepared" or "Get ready for an eye opener" you have dismissed...

So I guess the 'tude is there...

I ain't no super logger... never was. Worked my ass off out there though. Like Jacob said... I got the banged up body to show for it too... Not a lot of cats quitting an already productive line of work to come out for crap pay, long hours, blah blah blah...

I ain't gonna beat that horse any longer. Buck up... get out in the woods... only way you're gonna find out is to do it.

Hope you succeed... seriously.

Gary

 

[jsnspence]

you are in for a reality check . 5yr ago there were probably 25 companies around here.

Cost of living is high as well.

Did I mention the wind has been blowing steady 20 mph for 3 days now? Then it gusts to 50 mph.

Can you elaborate? What might be a reality check? 25 companies 5 years ago and now there is zero? I assume you didn't mean it might be easier to find a job than what my bleak reality leads me to believe because all 25 companies are going strong.

As for the cost of living, Minneapolis is slightly higher and higher yet if local and state taxes are factored in.

I know about the WIND also its literally like no where else.

 

[GASoline71]

Workin' in 50mph wind in the woods is a whole new ballgame... Can get pretty hairy.

I think what he meant by there being 25 companies around 5 years ago... is that of those 25... there are prolly 3 left.

Nobody that I know of up here in the North of WA State is hiring... A buddy of mine that is a contract faller just got let go from a big job, and the company is gonna continue the rest of the fallin' with cats that are already in the company.

It's thin up here mang!

Gary

 

[hdcoop72]

When I was settin' chokes I was 17 ans was broke in by a cat that was in his late 50's... I could barely keep up with him. I was a football star for Pete' sake! How is this grumpy old cuss out runnin' me day after day...

Took me a while, but I finally had to stop chasin' him, and started settin' riggin'.

Well... you seem to have the right attitude... since everyone that said "Don't do it" or " Be prepared" or "Get ready for an eye opener" you have dismissed...

So I guess the 'tude is there...

I ain't no super logger... never was. Worked my ass off out there though. Like Jacob said... I got the banged up body to show for it too... Not a lot of cats quitting an already productive line of work to come out for crap pay, long hours, blah blah blah...

I ain't gonna beat that horse any longer. Buck up... get out in the woods... only way you're gonna find out is to do it.

Hope you succeed... seriously.

Gary

jsnspence.

First off, please pardon my mispelling of your handle from an earlier post.

You've heard some good info from informed people in the regional timber industry. You have also received good insight across the board.

If your family is all on board and ready for the trek and what lies beyond?...That's a big plus. It sounds as though you do have other skills to fall back on.

My own logging experience only consisted of chasing landing, setting chokers cat side, high lead,slack line,and pulling rigging. I was 19 and 20 at the time, and it was an experience that I will never regret or forget!

I have been in construction since then...In my neck of the woods I know how hard it is for one to make a living working with your hands and by the sweat of your brow.Having said that,your quest to be a timber faller is a journey that only you know whether that fork in the road is the one to take.

 

[floyd]

Oh yeah, did I mention those companies have 3 guys working? One runs the feller buncher, one runs the delimber & one is scooting around on a grapple skidder or crawler tractor.

Oops, nother one loading trucks. That's 4 guys.