Redwood Fall 10-30-11

gf beranek

Old Schooler
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God's country, North Coast
Went out to the woods yesterday to shoot a pull tree on private ground. Kind of reminded me of the old days, you know. Climbers, ropes, tail hold blocks and rigging, timber fallers and chainsaws. The sound and smell of the equipment warming up. And certainly the smell of fresh broken earth for the lay.

It was the full Monty. Pull tree layout at its finest. The crew did pretty darn good. I didn't stick around to get the final report on the scale, but guesstimated 30,000 bf.

Never thought I'd see one like this ever again. DPP_0001.JPG DPP_0002.JPG DPP_0003.JPG DPP_0004.JPG DPP_0005.JPG DPP_0006.JPG DPP_0007.JPG DPP_0008.JPG DPP_0009.JPG DPP_0010.JPG DPP_0011.JPG DPP_0012.JPG DPP_0013.JPG DPP_0014.JPG DPP_0015.JPG DPP_0016.JPG DPP_0017.JPG DPP_0018.JPG DPP_0019.JPG DPP_0020.JPG
 
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I figured out how to post the pics in order. It's not so hard. After uploading just drag the icons where they should go and the others move out of the way. Of course I did start my numbering from 0001. So it was easy to keep track of the order.
 
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Rates today are pretty low, Carl. Logger is only getting about .15 per bf. Land owner you can figure about a $1, camp run. And the mill will triple that between the clear logs and knotty top logs.

This has typically been the breakdown for old growth over the last 10 years.
 
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When the big trees fall in the parks during storms, across roads and trails, the park service hires some private individuals with the saws and the know-how to buck the trees so they can be managed.

I have a collection of photos of just such trees and bucks. Who ever does it is right on the dime with their technique. Perfectly smooth and square cuts without overlaps or mis-matches. Many over 100 inches.

On the other side of the coin now,, some of the routine trail clearing in the parks is done by maintenance crews with small saws, short bars and dull chains. Their bucks can be pretty ugly.
 
Great pictures, Jerry.

A dollar per boardfoot seems ridiculously low for such wood.
I bet the mill makes a killing when it it sold as lumber.
 
Looked pretty heavy on the back side. Anything to worry about back there if the rigging broke?
 
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I'm surprised some criticism's have yet been posted. I have some feelings about it all. Romantic and practical feelings,,, for the most part. I can't help that. It's where I come from.

The pull was well planned, Willy. Losing the tree was not likely.

I hear the logs will be loaded on a low bed to transport them to the mill. I may leave early in the morning to record that.

And so as you can see the odd big tree is still felled here now and then. Nothing like the old days for sure. I hope I can make it out to record them as long as I get the leads to be there in time for each one. Great trees, stories, people, places. None of which should be forgotten.

far and few between nowadays.
 
I see the cat now!

Well, Jerry, you might have yourself to thank for the lack of complaints about the tree having to be felled. People that know you and your love for the big trees, can only assume that since you are involved in the operation to some degree, there was good reason and purpose to it behind the loss. Some sensitive and insightful reasoning went into the removal. There can be no other way to see it.

Now that you say that you have your own feeling to the contrary, it allows us to look at it that way too.
 
Glorious!!! Thanks for sharing, Jerry!

Damn, just to have been there to watch it all in person, I'd-a thought I died and gone to heaven.
 
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  • #24
Jay, the story of the tree was in the air some months ago. all local rumors. My camera and I just happened to show up because I got a phone call the night before it happened.

Oh, with all the issues about cutting old growth today I see it all in a much different perspective than when I was young and in it everyday.

Lucky to grow old and gain new appreciation for all life. Still I will never forsake the ethic of the working class that struggles everyday to make ends meet.

from here on what we do with our resources as a whole is all political.

In the meantime long live the worker bees. I'll have my camera at hand.
 
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