Lot 16  Cutting, Cable Work and Trucking
   


Here's the business end of the big shovel
This thing can pick up any sized log, sort and move and precisely place it anywhere.
That big grapple can swivel and hangs down from that big pin on the top
The plate behind it is movable and keeps the log stable. View shovel picture from 2018 logging.
 

The Thunderbird Yarder arrives






Here's friend Grier looking over this interesting and well used machine.
All these winches allow a ton of flexibility.
 

It needed some welding before setup.
Note the welder hanging from crane and all around fixit mechanic Dave straddling the tower pole.

Maintenance truck crane helping out before yarder is ready for work.
The thing  drives under its own power

March 14 2022
Cutting area from our front deck. Later, cutters would work their way to the top


Yarder is set up and bringing the first logs up from the slope below

Shown here is  a "High Lead Logging" configuration. It is called 'high lead' because the main line is elevated and this assists the logs in riding over obstacles. View a sketch
The high lead system is simply 2 winch lines: One to drag logs in to the machine and a second to drag the winch line back out in the woods. The rigging is simple, and only a 2 drum machine is required. the useful distance for this logging method is usually recognized as being 800 feet, with occasional reaches to 1000 feet for long corners.
 


Looking out the operators window
Two main winch drums		  

 

What a set of controls!
We could hear the faint hiss of compressed air
Note the binoculars on the far left.


One of the key safety tools in the operation.
This is A radio-controlled air whistle called a "talkie tooter" that the operator and workers out of sight use to communicate movements of the cable system.  Listen to an audio clip  of the distinctive whistle recorded by us.
 
 

 



Looking to the west over the edge of the landing.
Note the pail of big wrenches in the lower center.


Some of the biggest firs we've seen on the mountain.
These were probably set aside for Buse, one of the local mills that takes extremely large logs

Other extremely high quality logs stacked for another local specialty mill
Log buyers came up and looked at the nice logs coming downfrom above


Loading a log truck		  

Looking back along the length



The driver backs up the whole 800ft road and then the shovel takes off his trailer.


Cutter Jack trimming branches.
Note the tape measure hooked to his belt.
 

Here he's cutting the 43' standard log  length.
The shovel operator moves and sorts the logs after cutting to length.

Very Nice old growth Fir
42" diameter and the finest grain. Dave estimates 300+ yrs old.
1722 in history

  

 

Closeup of grain
We estimated this tree was over 300 yrs old


Skyline Carriage
This thing has a radio controlled winch.
Tower operator runs it down to a point above the workers and they lower the cable with the radio remote






Radio control antennas behind a very sturdy cover




Skyline Carriage had a small engine.
Here's the control panel. Someone scratched "The Red Rocket "

Winch and fairlead
This thing got banged around and was built to take it.

   Using the Yarder and Skycar to haul up the downhill logs
 





Skycar in motion		  

 



It's carrying up a chainsaw and gas in preparation to pulling up logs.
 


A puff of smoke would come out of the top as it winched up the cable and then it would swing wildly as the tower operator reeled it up.


Getting things roughed in
 



Work continues for two weeks pulling up logs from the bottom
 


Yarder perched on the far end of the landing - Just enough room to walk around the end.
Color-coded winch drums keep all the guy lines tight.
Note the stashed chainsaw gas and bar oil - essentials for logging
 

     Using the Yarder and Skycar to haul down the uphill logs

 


 Yarder setting up to pull down logs from above.

Using the skycar to bring a log down to the landing.
Video of disconnect operation
 


 

ALRT workers were well aware of the dangers in yarding large logs from above.
We discussed the strong possibility that a log descending on a cable could dislodge other logs and send them out of control towards the workers and equipment on the landing.

Here's Randy the Yarder operator about an hour after an out of control log hit the operators window, even breaking through the heavy mesh protective screen. I asked Randy what he did when he saw the log coming! He said he just ducked to his left as best he could!
Another shot from the outside.
Another shot as Yarder was leaving
We thought that the safety protocols used by this crew were just excellent and everyone was alert and engaged. Video of a log in action later that day.
 


Looking around the work area on an April Saturday.
Shannon admiring one of the huge old fir logs.
Everyone said the tight grain on these straight trees were "Snohomish County's" best.
 

Nicely trimmed stump anchors a 300'+ guy line to the tower.
It looked like four or five guys were tied to stumps all the time


Here's friend Aaron Ronning  looking at the end of one of the big Doug Fir logs
 

Aaron explaining what he's seeing in the end grain.
This is not a very good log due to those lines and marks. He's the GM at Canyon Lumber and we listen closely.  It basically indicates that the tree was over mature and this validates our tree farmer's decision to harvest.
 


Log Truck turning around on the 30 ft pad and backing up to the landing upper center.
Note the trailer is carried on the main bed until being loaded. Here's a White paper on log truck turn times at harvest and mill sites

Heading out 105,000 Lbs
This load of Fir to Hampton Mill


Loading the last of 61 Loads
View the new gate we put up
 


This guy is heavy
Log trucks have strain-gages on the main beams so they know exactly what they weigh.
 The driver talks on CB to the loader operator and keeps saying "one more".
Note hard hat, water bottle and lunchbox
 		 View

Heading down from the landing.
View a copy of the weigh slip from the mill
This is a part of the chain of custody as the logs move from the logging site too the mill






Final re-tighten before heading out on the public roads

This last big load was worth recording!
Here's our neighbors doing a photo op.
(L-R Anastasia, Aaron)

 

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 06/02/22.1