Backwoods
ArboristSite Operative
I hope I am not to long winded here
Taking the mill on the road will take you on some adventures that you would never have thought possible when you are set up stationary. A 100-mile circle from my location will take me to the ocean and the top of the cascade mountain range. I have been seeing people on here asking the normal questions about “Portable Custom Milling” and getting good answers to there questions. However, one question I have not seen asked is “what skills besides being a sawyer are needed to go portable” I am sure others portable mill owners will help fill out with that list.
I had been set up on a nice big flat landing and the tree farmer had been bringing in a steady supply of nice straight clean logs that had not touched the ground other then when they bounced. He had a well thought out cut list and a full crew, he even had an adjustable height elevator to handle the tailings, and production was high. Then his tractor broke down and needed a part ordered.
I had a customer that I have milled for many times that just had a days worth of milling that he needed done. He is very meticulous and had three other sawyers’ mill for him before he found me. I let him know that I had changed trucks from a ½ ton 4x4 to a 16’ flat bed with a boom since the last time I milled for him, as I knew he always had limited access to his trees. He assured me that I would be able to make it up the hill and that there was “PLENTY” of room to turn the mill around. He was waiting to guide me in when I arrived and had me turn around at the neighbors mill (LT-40) so that we could head up a narrow trail that came into the gravel road at the wrong angle. After squeezing the mill thru a 10’ gate on a corner in fog so heavy that you could not see the tail end of the mill. We traveled around the hill thru cow pastures, then the goat trail took a turn straight up the side of the base of the mountain. That is where I spun out. Before I could get out of the truck he had backed up to the truck and his dad hooked a cable to the front of my truck and away we went up a steep, tight switch back narrow trail, about a mile and a half later we come to a flat spot about big enough for just the mill to sit on and there is a deck of logs there. He unhooked from me and he assured me that the turn around spot may look small but there would be room to turn around. We wind around the side of the mountain on a clay skid trail and at the end is a very small landing with a skidder broke down sitting where I need to put the truck. The truck and mill were longer then the landing. Therefore, I disconnected the mill and spun it around, turned the truck around and re hooked.
The site was tight but the milling went smoothly other then changing four saws due to rocks mud and clay that were imbedded in the logs, running the debarker helped but they were caked and the sparks were flying from both sides of the cut. I had parked the truck 5’ from the hitch on the mill, and when I went to hook back up to the mill he had to pull my truck back up the hill to the hitch. The views from up on the mountain were grate and 1st gear low range was plenty fast enough for coming down as it was starting to get dark. I could see his truck four switchbacks below me as I crawled off the mountain.
Other necessary skills should include off road driving and vehicle recovery.
I know others will say this is why they are not portable. However, this is part of why I am 100% portable. If you are portable share your adventures.
Taking the mill on the road will take you on some adventures that you would never have thought possible when you are set up stationary. A 100-mile circle from my location will take me to the ocean and the top of the cascade mountain range. I have been seeing people on here asking the normal questions about “Portable Custom Milling” and getting good answers to there questions. However, one question I have not seen asked is “what skills besides being a sawyer are needed to go portable” I am sure others portable mill owners will help fill out with that list.
I had been set up on a nice big flat landing and the tree farmer had been bringing in a steady supply of nice straight clean logs that had not touched the ground other then when they bounced. He had a well thought out cut list and a full crew, he even had an adjustable height elevator to handle the tailings, and production was high. Then his tractor broke down and needed a part ordered.
I had a customer that I have milled for many times that just had a days worth of milling that he needed done. He is very meticulous and had three other sawyers’ mill for him before he found me. I let him know that I had changed trucks from a ½ ton 4x4 to a 16’ flat bed with a boom since the last time I milled for him, as I knew he always had limited access to his trees. He assured me that I would be able to make it up the hill and that there was “PLENTY” of room to turn the mill around. He was waiting to guide me in when I arrived and had me turn around at the neighbors mill (LT-40) so that we could head up a narrow trail that came into the gravel road at the wrong angle. After squeezing the mill thru a 10’ gate on a corner in fog so heavy that you could not see the tail end of the mill. We traveled around the hill thru cow pastures, then the goat trail took a turn straight up the side of the base of the mountain. That is where I spun out. Before I could get out of the truck he had backed up to the truck and his dad hooked a cable to the front of my truck and away we went up a steep, tight switch back narrow trail, about a mile and a half later we come to a flat spot about big enough for just the mill to sit on and there is a deck of logs there. He unhooked from me and he assured me that the turn around spot may look small but there would be room to turn around. We wind around the side of the mountain on a clay skid trail and at the end is a very small landing with a skidder broke down sitting where I need to put the truck. The truck and mill were longer then the landing. Therefore, I disconnected the mill and spun it around, turned the truck around and re hooked.
The site was tight but the milling went smoothly other then changing four saws due to rocks mud and clay that were imbedded in the logs, running the debarker helped but they were caked and the sparks were flying from both sides of the cut. I had parked the truck 5’ from the hitch on the mill, and when I went to hook back up to the mill he had to pull my truck back up the hill to the hitch. The views from up on the mountain were grate and 1st gear low range was plenty fast enough for coming down as it was starting to get dark. I could see his truck four switchbacks below me as I crawled off the mountain.
Other necessary skills should include off road driving and vehicle recovery.
I know others will say this is why they are not portable. However, this is part of why I am 100% portable. If you are portable share your adventures.
