Winter Logging in the Adirondacks

[bradstr]

I've enjoyed a lot of pictures I see here so I wanted to share a few of my own. Here's some pics from my current white pine harvest.


At the landing.
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When timber is this size is sure makes it a lot easier.

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Down it goes!

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[tawilson]

Good job.

 

[Adkpk]

I love the Adirondacks. Thanks for the pics. Haven't been up to my place this winter at all. I'm stuck in the Catskills. Do you live up there?
Not to be a smooch but I have an old logging bridge that needs a new deck. I have tons of trees but not the right stuff. If you have any info or something yourself pm me and maybe we can work something out.

 

[burlman]

down she goes, but the wrong way?

liked your photos, nice sticks of pine just be careful out there. I see in your photo the tree and you wern't on the same page as to where we were going to lay. it happens to all of us . last time I did the OH-OH I landed a poplar on the hood of the skidder. also try the Humbolt under cut, you wont be wasting that big wedge of prime log. up here we get our ass kicked by the boss for that. good luck and good loggin

 

[burlman]

down she goes, but the wrong way?

liked your photos, nice sticks of pine just be careful out there. I see in your photo the tree and you wern't on the same page as to where we were going to lay. it happens to all of us . last time I did the OH-OH I landed a poplar on the hood of the skidder. also try the Humbolt under cut, you wont be wasting that big wedge of prime log. up here we get our ass kicked by the boss for that. good luck and good loggin

 

[Kiwilogger]

Looked to me like it was going where it was supposed to. But I can't see all the scarf all that clearly.

Just a question Burlman, the "humboldt undercut," what is that cut? Here in NZ, I have come to realise, many of our logging terms are different to the ones you guys in the states use.

The scarf(s) I see in the landing pics do look to be quite big, but what I would be just a little worried about, is the amount of hingewood on some of those sticks. Bradstr, do you chase the tree of the stump at all? Sometimes this can give a false impression of not much hinge.

I'm not degrading the felling at all. Just an observation from what we do here in NZ.

Cheers.

 

[John Ellison]

Nice pictures bradstr. It looks like it went the way it was supposed to to me. I think that a Humboldt in that tree would waste wood because the stump would have to be higher. The stump is low now, to get it the same level with a H. you would have to cut in the dirt or raise it.

 

[bradstr]

Yes, the tree fell exactly where I wanted. I rarely use the humboldt because I want to get that stump as low to the ground as possible. The only time I typically use that felling technique is if there is severe butt flare. As for a little hinge, I have intentionaly left little hinge to reduce fiber pull and cracking. With temperatures as cold as they have been things are cracking/tearing up a lot more than normal. The only exception to this would be on a directional fall.

 

[Husky137]

Conventional notch or humboldt seems to me to take up the same volume of tree. Take it off the log or leave it on the stump, you are losing fiber with either notch. Humboldts don't magically make a tree taller, yielding more fiber.

 

[Kiwilogger]

Yes, the tree fell exactly where I wanted. I rarely use the humboldt because I want to get that stump as low to the ground as possible. The only time I typically use that felling technique is if there is severe butt flare. As for a little hinge, I have intentionaly left little hinge to reduce fiber pull and cracking. With temperatures as cold as they have been things are cracking/tearing up a lot more than normal. The only exception to this would be on a directional fall.

Fair enough on the small hinge. At least there is a hinge there.

I log pine here in NZ, and we use wing cuts to eliminate fiber pull and cracking. You make cuts at both sides of the trunk at the same height as the bottom cut of the scarf to a depth of about the width of your bar. Cut downward, on a bit of an angle.
Sometimes, on big trees that are on very steep ground I will whip out the dutchman and wing cut the top side only, or maybe just reach around on the bottom side of the back cut with the wing cut in the top side. This gets the tree on the ground, and saves having to walk around the tree twice. Especially on steep terrain, it can save a lot of time.

btw, don't use these wing cuts on diseased or rotten trees.

Can you describe for me the humboldt cut. Please.

 

[Kiwilogger]

Ahhh, just read your post properly brad. You mention you would leave more hinge on a directional fall. Of course, you see, my felling experience is for yarders, its all directional felling.

Cheers!

 

[burlman]

confused

i'm glad to here that the tree went in its intended lay. but I don't get the picture. why is the notch on the side of the tree exposed, it should be almost closed at that point in the fall. did the tree rotate on the stump?

 

[burlman]

ps. on the humbolt

the reason for the humbolt we have to use is not tied to stump height. it is the facy that the mill measures the log from the shortest distance. ex. if you cut a 16ft. plus trim off that tree and shipped it . the mill measures from the top of your notch, you fall short, of the 16ft 4 in. requirement, you gety scaled back to the next foot or worse 2 feet depending on the mill. believe me I like low stumps too, no insults intended, everybody has there way of doing things, this is how we must do it for the job.

 

[Kiwilogger]

i'm glad to here that the tree went in its intended lay. but I don't get the picture. why is the notch on the side of the tree exposed, it should be almost closed at that point in the fall. did the tree rotate on the stump?

I think you may be mistaken burlman.

I believe, what you are mistaking for the scarf, is actually snow on the butt. Try enlarging the picture for a clearer view. I can see that the scarf is almost closed up on the other side of the tree.

Take a look at where the tree is pivoting on the stump. That wouldn't happen like that if the tree was going the wrong way.

And burlman. Tell me, how do you do the humbolt?

 

[faller]

Tell me, how do you do the humbolt?[/QUOTE]

too really simplify an answer is,,,, turn your conventional scarf upsidedown.. all of your other felling cuts are the same. this is coming from an ex. nz logger.

 

[Kiwilogger]

Tell me, how do you do the humbolt?

too really simplify an answer is,,,, turn your conventional scarf upsidedown.. all of your other felling cuts are the same. this is coming from an ex. nz logger.

I thought that might be the case.

Can't see any advantage in it, nor can I see how it would save timber.

 

[burlman]

hey kiwi your right

sorry brad, kiwi has better eyes than mine. that is snow on the butt that looks like a big wedge. well off to the optician.

 

[bradstr]

No problem burlman. Here's a picture after the tree is down. I think this may help.

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And as far as getting the tree scaled back 2 feet-- that hasn't been the case for me. I always leave a 6" trim on the butt logs and have never been scaled back. If you think about it too, the butt logs of these large white pine are normaly swelled so the first slab should take care of the notch anyway.

 

[NYH1]

bradstr, what saw are you running there?

 

[bradstr]

NYH1, the saw is a husky 385XP with 24" bar. Makes falling the big ones a little easier for sure.