Pictures of Topping the Tail Tree

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First, here's the yarder, a Skagit swing yarder. Then a picture of the carriage, a Maki, motorized. I took pictures of the hooktender climbing and topping the tail tree for rigging up. He explained a few things. He likes to use a bigger saw than most people . He uses an 066 so he can power through a bind and because he is short and can reach with it. His back cut is higher than the undercut. This is in case the top bounces off another tree and comes back, it might stop the tree and save his life. Topping the tree takes weight off it and helps lessen the torque on the tree so it might not pull out. This ground is fairly flat so a tail tree is needed to get good lift/payload. I discovered my camera had more zoom than I thought, and got some good shots.
Continued.....Don't know how to make pictures take up less space.

 

[slowp]

He's up in the tree and the fun begins.

 

[murphyranch]

Thanks for sharing the pictures Neighbor.

Murph

 

[slowp]

Time to insert chew, then start rigging up the tree--attaching guylines and tail block. Time for me to go check on cutters. The logger gets a tail tree and the wildlifers get a snag.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Nice Pics.

 

[Gologit]

Thanks for posting the climbing pictures. You don't see many modern-day pictures of climbers any more. Brought back some memories.

 

[BC_Logger]

I agree its nice to see some old school pics

 

[pbtree]

Excellent - thank you for sharing!

 

[slowp]

Gotta get this back up so the guy in the pictures can see it.

 

[sILlogger]

this is gonna be a dumb question for all you yarder loggers, but i was watching a video of yarder logging and they were using cats to drag the logs to a log yard and then using the yarder, does this occur often or do u just choker the logs and go?

 

[Gologit]

this is gonna be a dumb question for all you yarder loggers, but i was watching a video of yarder logging and they were using cats to drag the logs to a log yard and then using the yarder, does this occur often or do u just choker the logs and go?

This Left Coast logging stuff really calls you, doesn't it? I think you better get your butt out here and go to work and either get it out of your system or find out enough about it that you'll know which questions to ask. If you don't try it you'll always wish you had...if you don't like it you can always go home.

 

[sILlogger]

i know i know.....i wana see what it is like to cut SOFTwood....and i'd like to cut down a tree that was 200'+foot tall and have over 5000 bft in it. ive cut some 3000 + around here and that is big/huge for the area

 

[slowp]

i know i know.....i wana see what it is like to cut SOFTwood....and i'd like to cut down a tree that was 200'+foot tall and have over 5000 bft in it. ive cut some 3000 + around here and that is big/huge for the area

Don't come here then. We're just into 50 year old stuff, can't cut the big ones anymore unless they are a hazard and then you gotta leave them for the critters or woodcutters. Had a swing landing (using a cat to get to the skyline) once. It isn't very common around here because we're using skyline/cable yarding to protect the ground and log on steep slopes. It is hard to get a skidder or cat down to where it would do any good without tearing something up. Like a road that we already tore up. Now, if you do come out here, make sure your rigging clothes are color coordinated!

 

[sILlogger]

id be all messed up if i came out there. coming from cutting stumps ankle high and boring the tree before turning it loose to notch cutting with nothing but a backcut (or however u do it) and bucking on the fly. granted i would really like to do it some day. the video i was watching they picked the cat up(527 grapple) with the yarder and moved it with the cable(youtube-Flying Cat(s)-or something like that)

does alot of cutting occur on government land out there. or ground that companies buy up?

 

[slowp]

I can't speak for more than the local area. There's a lot more cutting going on on private land than on federal right now. The private companies usually clearcut around here and they are cutting second or third growth trees also.
They get to have all the fun!:bang:

 

[Gologit]

I can't speak for more than the local area. There's a lot more cutting going on on private land than on federal right now. The private companies usually clearcut around here and they are cutting second or third growth trees also.
They get to have all the fun!:bang:

Pretty much the same thing here. We work primarily on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and probably 80% of our cut comes from our own land. We'll buy state or federal sales if they look profitable and if they have something we can use...big Ponderosa or Sugar Pine or big Doug Fir but otherwise it's mostly private.
We clear-cut a lot and reforestation is a big priority. I've taken my kids to the woods with me and shown them land that was freshly logged and land that was logged ten or twenty years ago and replanted. On the freshly logged stuff I've asked them to bring their children back at ten year intervals and see how things are healing and growing. If they bring their grandchildren to the same spots they'll really see how sustainable forestry works. I won't be around to watch it but it's good to know that it's happening.
Sorry...didn't mean to start sounding the drum for sustainable forest practices. It's just that when people see a fresh clearcut they get a gut reaction to it based soley on how things look. It is ugly...and that's a fact. But, like I said, come back later. See how the earth, with a little wise help from man, can heal itself. And bring your kids.

 

[sILlogger]

+1 to sustainable forestry....i was talking to an older guy in the biz the other day that has been running his own biz for 34 years. and he said that he has got to cut the same patches of timber 3 times....select cut years ago and then came back and cut it again. i thought that was pretty darn neat. Boboak, u work for a logging company? any pos. open out there?

 

[Cedarkerf]

Hey Bob same up here typical comment" I am OK with logging but do they have to destroy the land isn't there a better way. Ya try to show em adjacent hills that are in various stages of regrowth but it like tellin a scandinavian to use a longer bar than 12". They watch a mall being graded and say "O cool a mall" even tho land is being permanently takin out of drainage or wildlife use. I have shown my kids like you have hoping they will be balanced when they grow up.

 

[Gologit]

Hey Bob same up here typical comment" I am OK with logging but do they have to destroy the land isn't there a better way. Ya try to show em adjacent hills that are in various stages of regrowth but it like tellin a scandinavian to use a longer bar than 12". They watch a mall being graded and say "O cool a mall" even tho land is being permanently takin out of drainage or wildlife use. I have shown my kids like you have hoping they will be balanced when they grow up.

So true. Every acre that we cover in asphalt or concrete is gone forever. Plus the fact that asphalt and concrete come from finite sources. We can,and do, plant more trees.

 

[Gologit]

+1 to sustainable forestry....i was talking to an older guy in the biz the other day that has been running his own biz for 34 years. and he said that he has got to cut the same patches of timber 3 times....select cut years ago and then came back and cut it again. i thought that was pretty darn neat. Boboak, u work for a logging company? any pos. open out there?

I work for a timber company with a lot of their own land and several sawmills.We contract out the actual logging to various companies. If you like I'll PM you with a few names and address/phone number etc and you can see what you can come up with. It'll have to wait 'til this week-end but remind me if I don't get the info to you by Sunday afternoon.