Some Logging Going On

[slowp]

These guys are skidding in what was cut last November and then buried by the snow. I thought I'd show what goes on at the landing. This landing is large. It doubles as a helicopter landing. There's a few trees that got their tops nipped off. The average tree height was 150 feet. The treatment is a thinning, of course. The logger picks out the biggest diameter at 4 inches high, and then cuts every conifer that is smaller, yet of a merch size within 12.5 feet of the leave tree. I doesn't make for always leaving the best tree, but it is what we have to work with here.

Here's the high track grapple skidder.

Then there was one of "Those short little PNW log trucks
to load. Thought I'd show the process for those who don't know how the piggyback truck works.
It arrives piggyback and the loader grabs the loop of cable on the trailer and lifts the trailer off.

 

[slowp]

The truck driver hooks things up and adds the stake things (I don't know the truck lingo) because these logs are light in weight but high in board foot volume. They are going to a peeler mill.

Loading begins.

Loading is almost finished. The truck driver watches his scales and lets the loader operator know how much is gettiing on the truck. They communicate with CB radios.

Then, 3 wrappers/binders are thrown over the load and tightened. The load is hammer branded and painted, a ticket stapled on and it heads to the mill.

 

[John Ellison]

Good pictures and play by play slowp.

 

[RRSsawshop]

GOOD PICS :yourock:

 

[TimberFaller660]

nice pics! i love them pole trailers

 

[Metals406]

Awesome thread as always slowp!

The 'stake things' are referred to as "gun barrels"... Least here anywho.

 

[dancan]

Nice pics !
Thanks for posting them .

 

[Rookie1]

Very nice pics Slow. Keep em coming.

 

[371groundie]

we always called then stakes, and ive never seen one that was straight enough to qualify as a gun barrel. i would refer to those in the picture as bunks.

slowp? what happens to the ticket when it rains? and what kind of info is in the hammer brands?

around here a load of wood is a load of wood. we do have 'trip tickets' that help identify the load, has info such as landowner, logger, trucker, cutting crew, product, destination, ticket number, and harvest notification number. youre supposed to file a notification number with the state forest service if you are going to harvest any commercial forest product. that includes things like fiddleheads and mushrooms if its on a commercial scale. then you get a weather resistant notice to post at your primary yard. it helps keep loads from getting lost.

 

[bullbuck]

i prefer the stakes bent means you can get one more on,must be some d.o.t. in the area if hes eyeballing the scales that heavy...

 

[slowp]

I plan to return tomorrow, maybe I can get a picture of the branding hammer.
It is kind of like cows. The brand is registered with the state. Since this is National Forest wood, and we have ports nearby that export, branding and painting each end (except one end for 7 inches and under) with yellow paint is required. The PNW contract specifies that only Alaska Yellow Cedar and Incense Cedar may be exported--in an unmanufactured state. The yellow paint is easy to see in an export yard (this has happened) and the brands supposedly will show up in an x-ray of the log end even if cut off. Sounds like a subject for Mythbusters.

Every load has to have a ticket too--another contractual requirement and it may even be a state requirement? Blue ones for this sale, the date, time, sale name, truck driver, etc is shown on the ticket or ticket book. During the wet nasty weather, smart loggers staple them on in baggies.

A lump sum sale will have blue tickets, and a scaled sale will have orangish pinkish tickets. They get stapled on the front driver's side bunk log. Loads from a scaled sale have to go right to the mill--can't be parked unscaled overnight unless the location is approved beforehand.

So, I get to pick on the loggers about branding and painting. That's probably the biggest PIA of logging for both of us. They hate doing it, and I hate the constant whining. But I'd probably whine too.

 

[BuddhaKat]

Thanks for posting these SP. Can't wait for more. Good to know how an operation works.

 

[tomtrees58]

excellent tom trees

 

[redprospector]

Slowp,
Why do they run those little bitty truck's up there? They should get some "real trucks".

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Andy

 

[lfnh]

Nice pictures, slowp.

Do the tops/slash and culls get chipped for sale to Co-Gen plants ?

 

[2dogs]

Slowp,
Why do they run those little bitty truck's up there? They should get some "real trucks".

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Andy

And bigger trilers!

 

[redprospector]

And bigger trilers!

Oh yeah, that's what it was. I've got to start paying attention better.

Andy

 

[slowp]

Slowp,
Why do they run those little bitty truck's up there? They should get some "real trucks".

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Andy

I almost titled the thread--what was it? Those small trailers.:greenchainsaw:

Do the tops/slash and culls get chipped for sale to Co-Gen plants ?

No. Landing slash gets piled and burned. The slash in the woods stays as is.
We get a lot of rain so it breaks down quickly. So far, no bio mass market is around here.

 

[KD57]

Very informative, thanks for posting the pics.

 

[stihlloggin]

around here we call them Cheaters