Im looking on visiting the area and am curious to what is the "season"? and do you guys mind typically if I drive around to look at an operation in full swing obviously I would be staying out of the way more of observing from a distance and does anyone know were some OG forests to walk through?
PNW area questions
- Thread starter Thorcw
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If your referring to logging season there is no season they log year round unless they re snowed out of the woods. Slowp would be most up to speed on logging operations going on.
Old growth is easy to find to walk thru. Hoh rain forest prolly has the most biggest trees its on the Olympic peninsula. Mount Rainier national park lower elevations but a lot of that will be closed till june. Federation forest east of Enumclaw has some huge trees its 600 acre natural park.
The weather season were in now means 70-80% chance of rain until May or June.
Old growth is easy to find to walk thru. Hoh rain forest prolly has the most biggest trees its on the Olympic peninsula. Mount Rainier national park lower elevations but a lot of that will be closed till june. Federation forest east of Enumclaw has some huge trees its 600 acre natural park.
The weather season were in now means 70-80% chance of rain until May or June.
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There's more restrictions on the Western WA and Oregon federal forests. There is virtually no logging here, on the FEDERAL forests from March 1 to July 1. That is owl nesting season and most of the forest is considered to be Spotted Owl habitat.
The economy is another factor. There is some logging going on but not as much as a couple of years ago. Private landowners are holding out for better timber prices.
However, I'm seeing plenty of log trucks heading to our mills and as long as they are going, there should be some logging operations somewhere.
It is hard to tell you where to go see any without knowing when you'd be out here. Like Cedarkerf said, if we get a lot of snow, which is predicted, that will slow down operations also.
There is protocol to follow, mainly courtesy. You should contact a logging person/company and ask if it would be OK, learn the rules of driving on a log truck route, and like you said, stay out of the way if they let you go. The latter could be hard because room on landings is limited and you have some big machinery working in a confined area. Parking is very limited. The roads can be rough, muddy, snowy, and steep. They are usually one lane wide with turnouts here and there. How are you backing up skills?
Your best bet would be to wait until there's something going on the public land because the roads usually stay open to everybody, although there'll be scary signs like TRUCKS, TIMBER FALLING AHEAD, and sometimes the old LINES ACROSS ROAD.
Old Growth? Why don't you know we cut it all?
Nah, there's bits here and there. The Olympic has a lot. We have the Big Tree area and other patches/hillsides around. I think this area has the world record Noble Fir, which I thought was logged but wasn't.
Don't expect to see the volcanoes until July, August, and September. The main road to Mt. St. Helens doesn't get plowed until the last week of June. Those are the driest months.
Are you driving here? I came back via US 2 and it was enjoyable. Wal Mart isn't open in N. Dakota until afternoon on Sundays!
The economy is another factor. There is some logging going on but not as much as a couple of years ago. Private landowners are holding out for better timber prices.
However, I'm seeing plenty of log trucks heading to our mills and as long as they are going, there should be some logging operations somewhere.
It is hard to tell you where to go see any without knowing when you'd be out here. Like Cedarkerf said, if we get a lot of snow, which is predicted, that will slow down operations also.
There is protocol to follow, mainly courtesy. You should contact a logging person/company and ask if it would be OK, learn the rules of driving on a log truck route, and like you said, stay out of the way if they let you go. The latter could be hard because room on landings is limited and you have some big machinery working in a confined area. Parking is very limited. The roads can be rough, muddy, snowy, and steep. They are usually one lane wide with turnouts here and there. How are you backing up skills?
Your best bet would be to wait until there's something going on the public land because the roads usually stay open to everybody, although there'll be scary signs like TRUCKS, TIMBER FALLING AHEAD, and sometimes the old LINES ACROSS ROAD.
Old Growth? Why don't you know we cut it all?
Nah, there's bits here and there. The Olympic has a lot. We have the Big Tree area and other patches/hillsides around. I think this area has the world record Noble Fir, which I thought was logged but wasn't. Don't expect to see the volcanoes until July, August, and September. The main road to Mt. St. Helens doesn't get plowed until the last week of June. Those are the driest months.
Are you driving here? I came back via US 2 and it was enjoyable. Wal Mart isn't open in N. Dakota until afternoon on Sundays!
RandyMac
Stiff Member
There are a few Redwoods left.
I was thinking of flying in and renting a car. Ive found its about the same price as if I drive more time out there dont have to go through a Dakota (sorry there boring) and dont have to worry about your personal vehicle breaking and being possibly stranded for a week (it happened to me once in Tennessee and it cost a fortune by the time I was done). I wouldn't mind going through a few states around there possibly meeting some of you PNWers
forestryworks
Addicted to ArboristSite
What ??? !!! Where ??? !!! Get your saw, McKendrick, grease up your boots. Gather your tools. We'll start early.
Why grease the boots?
If they are rubber, I would suggest ArmorAll. Bring a bunch of that humidity sucker inner crystals stuff too. Put it in your suitcase so your clothes don't mildew.
RandyMac
Stiff Member
Ha ha
Was out Walker Road yesterday, met my Bro for PBRs and a smoke. I've never logged in the flats, many monster trees, some would be interesting, need highly technical methods.
If anyone heads this way, I'll make sure you see the best of what is left.
Was out Walker Road yesterday, met my Bro for PBRs and a smoke. I've never logged in the flats, many monster trees, some would be interesting, need highly technical methods.
If anyone heads this way, I'll make sure you see the best of what is left.
upstateny
ArboristSite Operative
RandyMac
Stiff Member
This is the MacKendrick.
There's some cool OG forest up near Staircase as well. Also the Blues/Wallowa-Whitmans. Oh, and the OR Coast Range, the Siskiyou, the North Cascades... the list goes on. Anyplace that was a bit challenging to log out of in the old days has a chance of having the occasional remnant stand. Hell, I even know one patch smack in the Willapa Hills, in full view of Hwy 12, that just plain got missed. Plus, plenty of second-growth forests are ~150 years old now and virtually indistinguishable from old-growth. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the PNW is full of cool forest.
Keeps your feet dry and the boot leather pliable. Use Obenauf's or the like, avoid Huberd's.
Keeps your feet dry and the boot leather pliable. Use Obenauf's or the like, avoid Huberd's.
ChrisF
ArboristSite Guru
I'm not so sure. It looks like it but it's holding the wrong kind of saw.
Carry extra snacks so when the lowboy can't make it around and up the switchback and they have to unload it, walk the piece of equipment around the switchback, then drive the lowboy to a place to reload it, you can munch while trapped on the wrong side of this uniquely choreographed maneuver.
Guess what happened today?
Guess what happened today?
joesawer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Carry extra snacks so when the lowboy can't make it around and up the switchback and they have to unload it, walk the piece of equipment around the switchback, then drive the lowboy to a place to reload it, you can munch while trapped on the wrong side of this uniquely choreographed maneuver.
Guess what happened today?
Lol at least you get paid by the hour!
hammerlogging
Addicted to ArboristSite
This is the MacKendrick.
Kind of scary, kind of familiar. Wife says its not that we're mercenaries, its a martyr complex. So be it.
Funny thing is, many years ago, back when I was living in a little cabin in NorCal no lights, no water, etc., my mom sent me a book, a book on forestry issues, particularly exploitation of equatorial timber. "Strangely Like War". Funny thing is, the picture on the cover of the hot, dust, dude pulling BIG riggin', caught my heart. Logging, it was an inevitable route for my career. Fate.
Wonder if the author ever expected this result?
And I got to listen to a mushroom picker, who seemed like he might be a Tweaker, tell me all about the lowboy and the equipment that looked like some kind of a drill.
It was a stroke boom delimber. The Picker was fretting because he needed to get his mushrooms to the buyer in a hurry.Guess the price must go down as the day winds down?
They even tried a Crummie Assist with the lowboy. It didn't work. I was glad I had brought a supply of ibuprofen. I needed it.
NOW GUYS, What is a MacKendrick? Must be a Redwood thang?
Get a CB with a good antenna and pay attention to the channels posted at the bottom of the hill and the mile markers. Amazing how big a Kenworth grill looks when ya dont know its comming around the corner.
