First Day Alone 
Monday, October 9, 2006, 08:18 PM - Work
I had my first day working alone without the retired delimber operator there to help me with problems or to catch up when there's a big pile of logs. It went really well. I stayed caught up and I didn't have too many problems. The hardest thing to tell sometimes is if a log is rotten and how much is too much. I think I may have kept up though because they were going a little slow. Tomorrow will be the big test. We're doing clipper piles which basically means they send up a group of trees at once and there isn't normally much time between because the piles are fairly easy to get to.
-Miranda

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Logging Videos 
Sunday, October 1, 2006, 03:50 PM
And here is the videographic proof that Miranda is a Big Machinery Operator :)
CLICK FOR VIDEO:MIRANDA RUNNING DELIMBER

And another video showing the process of hooking logs and Yarding them up, and delivering to the delimber. I'm out in the brush hooking the logs. This Area was the last spot we logged. It was flat for once!!
CLICK FOR VIDEO:JOE HOOKING

[ 6 comments ]
Long Weekend Off 
Sunday, October 1, 2006, 02:55 PM - Work
Well, we finished the job we were at for the last month. On Thursday and on Friday we moved most of the equipment and all of camp (the trailers) out. We had to walk the heavy machinery out to a gate which took about 1.5 hours where it is picked up and driven to our next job. So, we get Monday off while Pat sees about our next location. I'm getting better at running the delimber (picture below) but we'll see how much longer Joe lasts hooking. :)
-Miranda


One of many nice views from our job (6000 feet).

Sunrise one of the many early mornings.

From left to right: the loader, delimber and yarder

The bathroom facilities at camp. :)


[ 3 comments ] ( 22 views )
Near Death Experiences 
Sunday, September 24, 2006, 06:25 PM - Work
Well, we're off to bed at 8pm to try to sleep prior to 4am wakeup. Another week of incommunicado out in the boonies. After this week, we may be done "camping" so we'd be back every night, OR we may go even further down the same road and camp for another 4 weeks!! (I hope not, It's getting cold).

The middle of last week was exciting. Pat and I were down hooking on a Super-sloped Corridor 45degrees+ . A huge limbless log 300 feet up was lost out of the grapple... All we heard was a huge "whoosing" sound, and could see debri flying up the hill directly above us. Pat freaked out, which really freaked me out.. We had to just sit still and determine to which side of us this bullet train was going to go.. At about 50 feet away It looked 10feet to my left, So I bolted to the right as fast as i could... "Whooooosh" it carreened by... I was pretty freaked out, But I guess something like that rarely happens, maybe just once/year... so i was just lucky to see one so soon :)

Also have to listen for boulders bouncing down the Corridors... Feels like Freaking Donkey-Kong Down there :)

Off to try another week!
-joe

[ 4 comments ] ( 31 views )
Another week of work done 
Friday, September 22, 2006, 04:10 PM - Work
Miranda has been doing great on the delimber, it's real complicated, but she's awefully smart... Myself on the otherhand... after 4 days of working in the coulds at 6000 feet in 40 degree sleet-snow-hail, soggy boots, rotting feet, weak legs on the sloping mountains... I broke... I don't think i can keep doing this... So gotta figure something out.. only guy there without any Skills so i end up doing grunt work all day...

I should really get a video up here of miranda running her machine!
-joe

[ 5 comments ] ( 44 views )

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