Waving goodbye to a piece of Americana — the lumberjack

The water moccasin trick I've never heard of, If I went swimming down there I'd probably get bitten ten times. And then swallowed whole by a gator. Bottom line I'd be dead in a week.

 

I agree Jon1270 its hard for all interest groups to get what they want because they see it from their side of the fence. I grew up on the west coast and experienced lots of clear cuts and I have them locally in the Rockies as well. I didst like them then and I dont like them now but I dont think anybody likes to see their hiking trails or mountain sides devoid of trees. The problem is that if the trees are left you get disease and to much dead wood laying around. My valley has been burned to the ground several times in the early 1900s to the point where all the buildings in downtown had to be made from brick after the second time! but what do we do in modern times if a forest fire starts? we put it out of course. This has helped the pine beetle run rampant leaving lots of fuel and the risk of massive forest fires. A different example would be in the next valley over ponderosa pine and doug fir have been allowed to over populate and become dense in what used to be grass land punctuated by smaller stands of forest which allowed for lots of grass and native plants to flourish for the local ungulate populations. Since forest fires dont clear the areas out weve seen some of these plants decline. We now have hired logging companies to selectively log which I think is what Kimberly likes to see. Also in the spring crews will go into the bush and do small burns. Anyways thats a perspective of one dude from out west.

 

I wanted to share this with you guys and gals. This guy is spring boarding a giant red cedar. I watch this video several times a year.



Its a bit long but the scenery in this guys office is so beautiful.

 

I have to love his view but I don't want his job. I can't imagine standing on springboards while a several hundred pounds Humbolt face cut wedge is waiting for just one false move on my part to fall onto those springboards.

 

Had a funny experience about 9 years ago when I helped one of my sons clean up some trees taken down in a storm. One of his neighbors came over and thought I was a lumberjack because I had a larger saw than his and I was wearing PPE's while cutting up the downed trees. For some city folks, all you need is a chainsaw and PPE's and you are a lumberjack.

 

An excellent place to visit to see forestry being practiced with a long-term vision. The company my wife works for has done several cuts there over the years - those woods are something to see.

 

Been that way since 80s, I know of friends used to live in caretakers house up front. an inspiring property !

I agree an excellent resource and study of stewardship also for those that don't know really close to Woodstock soapstone factory..

 

For all , Google the Monty Python song "I'm a Lumberjack".

 

It's beautiful until they get in there and clear cut it. West coast, especially Vancouver Island, logging practices have left some major ecologically ruined areas. Most of the forests there were on mountain sides rooted in a thin layer of topsoil. After clear cutting there was nothing to hold the soil from eroding and getting washed away with all the rain. We are talking rain forests here. All the soil ended up in down in muddy swamps of the valley bottoms and mucking up the streams and creeks leaving nothing but bare rock on the mountain sides, often leaving almost no stable soil for replanting.
However none of this can really be blamed on the lowly lumberjack, it's big business and government that set the stage, the lumberjacks are just pawns.
As for the fate of the lowly lumberjacks, as all the old growth forest disappear or become protected areas, and planted forest replace them, real lumberjacks will naturally vanish from the scene since most new growth forests can more economically be harvested at the ideal size for mechanized logging.

 

Lumber-Jack, havent seen you around lately. Hows the warm weather treating you?

 

Hey Sean , it's hot and humid here, sweating most of the day and only getting a little relief from the heat at night when I turn the air conditioner or when I'm riding the motorcycle. Actually been developing a bit of heat rash from sweating all day. But we are making plans to spend some time camping on or near the beach, it's cooler there.
Despite the heat we are experiencing here I still miss feeding the wood stove back home.