So, You Wanna Work In The Woods?

[slowp]

Today was one of those glorious winter days that you will never see pictured on a Christmas card. Nope. It would have to be one of those ones that play a tune. The tune played would be WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!

Yes, you usually see only pictures of the woods when it is sunny. People are smiling, fallers are looking up as they cut.

Well, today was not a day to be looking up. It was a rain after a heavy snowfall day. These are pleasant days, if you are home with a cup of coffee and a wood stove going.

If you looked up at the tops of trees today, you were likely to get your nose reshaped. WHOMP! Your hardhat was tested. WHOMP! Huge softball and larger sized lumps of snow were coming down. WHOMP!

I was out there searching for buried pieces of flagging. Yup, the snow had bent over the branches the flagging was tied to. This was the start of the "Where the :censored: is the flagging" game. After a few hours of this, I returned to the landing where it was suggested that getting in the pickup and turning on the heat might be a good thing. It was along with changing to a dry article of fleece clothing.

If you are thinking about a job in the woods, and won't be inside a piece of machinery, think about winter.....Here is a photo of lovely vine maple covered in snow. So pretty...

OK, now time for the rest of you to tell about the beauty of working in the Winter Wonderland. Chaining up skidders? Log trucks? Digging out? opcorn:

 

[coastalfaller]

Today was one of those glorious winter days that you will never see pictured on a Christmas card. Nope. It would have to be one of those ones that play a tune. The tune played would be WHOMP! WHOMP! WHOMP!

Yes, you usually see only pictures of the woods when it is sunny. People are smiling, fallers are looking up as they cut.

Well, today was not a day to be looking up. It was a rain after a heavy snowfall day. These are pleasant days, if you are home with a cup of coffee and a wood stove going.

If you looked up at the tops of trees today, you were likely to get your nose reshaped. WHOMP! Your hardhat was tested. WHOMP! Huge softball and larger sized lumps of snow were coming down. WHOMP!

I was out there searching for buried pieces of flagging. Yup, the snow had bent over the branches the flagging was tied to. This was the start of the "Where the :censored: is the flagging" game. After a few hours of this, I returned to the landing where it was suggested that getting in the pickup and turning on the heat might be a good thing. It was along with changing to a dry article of fleece clothing.

If you are thinking about a job in the woods, and won't be inside a piece of machinery, think about winter.....Here is a photo of lovely vine maple covered in snow. So pretty...

OK, now time for the rest of you to tell about the beauty of working in the Winter Wonderland. Chaining up skidders? Log trucks? Digging out? opcorn:

Oh man, Slowp, I've been there. Makes for a long day when the snow's coming out of the trees! "Rains" harder than any down pour I've been in!

 

[Meadow Beaver]

I still think it would be cool to log on the left coast.

 

[Greystoke]

Oh man, Slowp, I've been there. Makes for a long day when the snow's coming out of the trees! "Rains" harder than any down pour I've been in!

I concur Jordan... Spent many a day like that in Southeast AK. Sometimes though I think it can be just as bad or worse when it is a foot of fresh powder (very cold temps, usually inland a ways from the coast and dryer) where every time you fall a tree, it is a complete whiteout and you get scared cuz you can't see if something is gonna hit you so you hide behind a tree til the whiteout is dissapated...all that powder sticks to your warm body like a magnet and melts. Spent my first winter for Columbia in Leavenworth Washington, and had a lot of days like this..ahhh, thank god for wool!

 

[madhatte]

Uggh... I remember working for Champion in '96-'97. Rough winter. Out near Randle, snow on hemlocks... branches breaking off 100 feet up, just enough time to hear the crash, figure out where it's coming from, and dodge out of the way. Clanged a few off the ol' Mac-T that way. Often as not had to cut my way in in the morning and my way out in the afternoon, especially up Buckley way. Seems young hemlocks are just looking for any excuse at all to bend and break. More than once pissed off old Vern the gate-keeper rollin' out through Kapowsin after 1730 because I was up in the high country and it takes awhile to get out of there. He hated me and my crew because he hated our boss. Never did find out why he hated the boss, though.

 

[coastalfaller]

I concur Jordan... Spent many a day like that in Southeast AK. Sometimes though I think it can be just as bad or worse when it is a foot of fresh powder (very cold temps, usually inland a ways from the coast and dryer) where every time you fall a tree, it is a complete whiteout and you get scared cuz you can't see if something is gonna hit you so you hide behind a tree til the whiteout is dissapated...all that powder sticks to your warm body like a magnet and melts. Spent my first winter for Columbia in Leavenworth Washington, and had a lot of days like this..ahhh, thank god for wool!

Haha, yeah, I hear ya on that too, Cody! That does suck! I agree on the wool too, what would we do in the winter without it?!

 

[056kid]

you'd be wet and cold instead of wet and warm without the greatness of wool.


SO expensive though. .

 

[slowp]

I only wear wool on my hands and feet. Polypro is my friend. Fleece too. Tin pants. Then some dry pullovers and vests in the rig to help stop the end of the day shivers.

I may throw in some coffee today.

Later: Have picked up boot, hitting myself in posterior for inspiration to get going and head to the beautiful winter wonderland.

 

[TheLazyBFarm]

Pretty cool pic! What's all that white stuff???

<<<<<<<<<<<

 

[Burvol]

Love/hate the snow. Like stated before, the wetness and whiteout in the trees sucks. Shoveling trees ain't that great either. Or the whiteknuckle drive to and from work.
I actually cut for an outfit that had no fire on the landing once. I was shocked. I almost felt like starting one for them.

 

[mdavlee]

That must have been a bad outift with no fire to warm themselves. We're getting some flurries this morning here.

 

[Gologit]

Love/hate the snow. Like stated before, the wetness and whiteout in the trees sucks. Shoveling trees ain't that great either. Or the whiteknuckle drive to and from work.
I actually cut for an outfit that had no fire on the landing once. I was shocked. I almost felt like starting one for them.

LOLOL...Maybe they figured that if they had a morning fire going you guys would stay too long on the landing instead of heading for the brush.

 

[Meadow Beaver]

LOLOL...Maybe they figured that if they had a morning fire going you guys would stay too long on the landing instead of heading for the brush.

That's what I was thinking, gives them motivation to keep moving.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Yesterday was a doozy for wetness. Strange to have heavy winds out of the east with such heavy rain like a cold monsoon. One of the darkest days I can ever remember. Our road is almost clear had the woomph, going most of the day around here. Tin wear rocks.

 

[Burvol]

That's what I was thinking, gives them motivation to keep moving.

That carriage wasn't coming that fast. I'd have one so hot it would burn the turn up if the processor didn't get to moving it out lol.

 

[Burvol]

Yesterday was a doozy for wetness. Strange to have heavy winds out of the east with such heavy rain like a cold monsoon. One of the darkest days I can ever remember. Our road is almost clear had the woomph, going most of the day around here. Tin wear rocks.

I hear ya there Brian. I got me a fancy "town" pair of tin pants now. LOL. Nah, I just wear them out hiking about the river, fishing and such. Dare not to hunt, lol. Don't want to get shot in the hiney. I was given a killer pair by a friend who is in a cab now days, so I took my brand new pair and turned them into a "town" pair

 

[Meadow Beaver]

That carriage wasn't coming that fast. I'd have one so hot it would burn the turn up if the processor didn't get to moving it out lol.

, we're having one of our typical PNW weather days here. Wind is blowing and it's raining hard enough to get you completely drenched as soon as you step out the door.

 

[MacLaren]

Man, I can imagine how miserable a day like that could be. Although i love my saws and cuttin firewood and GTG's I have zero interest goin into the loggin business However, I would really love to see the Great Pacific Northwest one day.:computer:

 

[slowp]

More Fun and Frolic in the Forest

Today was not so bad. I had knocked most of the snow off the trees yesterday. I sauntered down the hill to find it was the day of the intermediate support, or jack. The boss and owner of the outfit is usually down setting chokers. The crew seems cheery. Here they are confering on the jack rigging up because they had not rigged one in a while.

Then a young, spry guy came up and asked if I was on the crew. He was
THE FALLER! :biggrinbounce2:Note the pickup of the faller. It is the nicest one on the job. Hey Burvol, I noticed that he had a big storebought truckbox mounted lengthwise so there was no parts of any saws sticking out. It took up most of the bed though.

And, a shot of the commute and traffic. The pullouts are few and far between on this road. I got a new CB antenna to appease the truck drivers.

Highlights of today? Putting on hardhat only to discover the sweatband was wet and cold. Icky. Wringing out new wool gloves. Making two trips up the road that cannot be driven. to the yarder. But it was better than yesterday.
I had a thermos of mocha coffee back in my pickup. The WHOMPS were fewer today.

 

[mdavlee]

I've thrown all the sweat bands away in my hard hats and welding hoods. Nothing worse than putting on a sweat soaked band on your head.