Allan's logging photos jarred my memory of the logging that I have seen. Nothing in the Northeast is on the scale of western logging, but I have seen a log run. I don't think is very common anymore if done at all so I'm glad I took a picture. This is pulpwood, I must assume there is a paper mill downsteam. This was in 1985. It was near Lac St. Jean in Quebec, 100 miles or so north of Quebec city. I wish I took a picture of the upstream side from the bridge, as I recall the bolts were coming down over a set of rapids.
Used to see log runs, but no longer done here. Then there were log jams. Those were killers to brake up.
Never seen a log actually run, caught a glimpse of one falling though. seen a pig fly, never a horse. Tiddlys cant actually wink, they blink??
Logs running a river I have never seen. But have seen the remains of s setup that was used to dam a small stream , the horses would drag the the logs into the stream bed then the gate would be shut and the combination of a dammed stream bed and high tide the logs could then be floated out to tide water. To the more more modern logger a single runaway log on a steep side hill and especially if the log was above you could make for some very tense seconds until it was by you .
I don't imagine the tree huggers would allow this to happen much anymore, damage to the eco-sys and whatnot.
Definitely. I was quite surprised to see it in happening in 1985. Just the liability if someone decided to venture out onto the inevitable log jamb would be enough to make it unfeasible now. Let alone sending a paid employee out to break it up. I have seen some pictures of runs on the Connecticut river in NH/VT from the early 20th century. Massive amounts of logs being run.
Seeing this post reminded me of a great CNY pbs video. Some of you may have seen it before or heard it referenced on the other site. It's called "Lumberjack Skypilot" and here's the link: http://watch.wpbstv.org/video/2191652058/ It starts out a bit awkward with Bill Saiff's intro (awesome guy, though), but the footage is sweet and is narrated by a Rev. that used to go to all the area camps. It'll either put you to sleep or pump you up to get out there and cut. I'll also throw the link in Scotty's post about ole time logging vids. Enjoy!
Check out this cool video on youtube ; Logging in the Northeast USA - Maine, New Hampshire, Northern New York - 1940's. I believe you will enjoy it.
I remember the log runs. Also seeing many rivers full of logs drifting downstream towards the paper mills. When I was a kid, that was a way of life. Nobody expected it to be any different. But things did change. No more logs floating down the river. The mills are few and far between now. Hundreds of jobs lost to cheaper labor and energy overseas. Unfair tariffs for our exports. Our rural areas used to be covered with mills, both lumber and paper. Shoe mills, many farmers for both dairy and chicken. Our coast line had fish processing companies. Only a small fraction of any of that remains. There isn't much demand for the service industry in rural areas. The only thing we have flourishing is the environmentalist.
Unfortunately so true, I starting working in paper mill 6 weeks after graduating high school. Spent 10 years there, good wages for hard work. Bought a house and started a family, they way it used to be in America.
Started watching that NH and I couldn't stop... wow. The guy standing/riding on one log at 17:26 was nuts. Yeah... there were a few sticks that went down the rivers in the NE too...
I love the old days, men were men and could provide for their families, call me romantic, but it built a nation. Sigh!
I recall as a kid seeing logs being dumped into the river somewhere in central Maine, probably off the Golden Road. I thought river runs had ended in the 70's, but perhaps they continued some in Quebec. There sure is some beautiful country all around Lac St. Jean. I used to snowmobile all over Quebec in the 80' and 90's. by all over i mean leaving on what we called a socks and underwear tour - 7 days, 1500 miles on a snowmobile without retracing a trail with what we could carry in a couple very small saddlebags. Oh i love the smell of 2 stroke in the morning! in the evening!
We went to Maine every summer to stay at my Uncle's camp on Embden Lake. In the 70's we'd see the river leading to Madison Paper Mill loaded with wood. That was a long time ago....
