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My Trip Down the Mountain

Started by Glenn1, December 12, 2015, 10:31:47 PM

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Glenn1

Last week, I headed up the NC mountains to visit a logger who had harvested some very nice walnut logs.  My day started very nicely and I met some interesting critters upon my arrival. 



Loaded up 6 nice walnuts and it was time to head down the mountain on some narrow roads.


There were lots of tight turns and I came upon a small bridge that had low concrete walls on both sides.  A car coming towards me refused to yield as I was halfway thru my turn and..



Both tires on the passenger side were totally destroyed and the axles were bent.  I was finally able to back the trailer off the wall but could not move it forward to clear the road.  After many locals discussed the options, a nice gentleman came out with his skidder.  He lifted the end and pushed while I pulled as hard as my truck could pull.  We moved it 200 yds into a gravel parking lot.

Then something very fortunate happened.  The logger came down the mountain and offered to take the trailer while giving me thousands of dollars off the walnut purchase.  He also offered to bring all the walnut logs to me with his log truck which he did last Tuesday.  It was going to be a challenge to get the trailer repaired 4 hours from home so it worked out best for me.  I have since purchased a new trailer and I am back in business.  Just glad the logs or my truck did not end up in the water. 
Vacutherm IDry, Nyle 53 Kiln, New Holland Skid Steer, Kaufman Gooseneck Trailer, Whitney 32A Planer

yukon cornelius

Glad it had worked out. That could have been a lot worse.
It seems I am a coarse thread bolt in a world of fine threaded nuts!

Making a living with a manual mill can be done!

beenthere

Looks like you had that load secured very well on the trailer. A lot of loads seen on the highway wouldn't fare so well, I don't think.
Sounds like it ended well for you.  8)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

fishpharmer

I like a happy ending, and new trailers.  Bummer about this one.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

sawguy21

Ouch!!! I think I would have held the course and forced the jerk to back up. >:(
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

xlogger

Bad luck there Glenn, awhile back I saw a goose neck trailer in our area on CL made for hauling logs. But you like me probably need a flat bed also for hauling lumber.
Timberking 2000, Turbo slabber Mill, 584 Case, Bobcat 773, solar kiln, Nyle L-53 DH kiln

WDH

Wow.  Those are nice walnut logs.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

terrifictimbersllc

Sounds like you met some good people on the mountain.
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Glenn1

Quote from: terrifictimbersllc on December 13, 2015, 07:59:11 AM
Sounds like you met some good people on the mountain.

I really did.  They all came out and rallied around me.  Traffic on this small road was backed up for an hour and no one honked their horn or yelled at me. 
Vacutherm IDry, Nyle 53 Kiln, New Holland Skid Steer, Kaufman Gooseneck Trailer, Whitney 32A Planer

samandothers

Sounds like at least one he 'met' was not very nice About sharing the road!  Sorry you had such an experience.  Glad those there helped and you were OK.

Magicman

Obviously da Goats did it, but it's good to hear that you met good folks with a helping hand and everything worked out.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Glenn1

Quote from: Magicman on December 13, 2015, 08:18:51 AM
Obviously da Goats did it, but it's good to hear that you met good folks with a helping hand and everything worked out.

I was wondering when someone would put the blame on the goats?   :D
Vacutherm IDry, Nyle 53 Kiln, New Holland Skid Steer, Kaufman Gooseneck Trailer, Whitney 32A Planer

YellowHammer

Quote from: beenthere on December 12, 2015, 10:48:32 PM
Looks like you had that load secured very well on the trailer. A lot of loads seen on the highway wouldn't fare so well, I don't think.
Sounds like it ended well for you.  8)

The odd thing is that Glenn and I communicate regularly, and we both have about the same trailers, set up about the same, with about the same removable log bunk setup I posted a while ago, so I am very glad they held their load.  The thing is, about a week before this incident, I had a young lady, charged with driving under the influence, sideswipe my trailer.  Both our trucks were undamaged, only the trailers.  I had just emailed him about my bad day when he emailed me about his.  Weird coincidence. 

I'm am very gad things worked out, and you kept it out of the ditch.     
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

WV Sawmiller

Glenn,

    Sorry you met the one jerk on the road. Glad you met several of the nice ones. I had a similar experience many years back here on our small WV mountain roads. Had borrowed a trailer from my Gravely dealer and taking my small tractor/mower back and a school bus ran me off the road and I hit a boulder just off the road and broke the axle. Fortunately my Gravely was adequately strapped down. Had to get a rollback to come haul both to the dealer and I had to pay the towing and repair bill on the trailer. The bus driver stopped on his next trip and apologized.

    Four days after I moved to WV I went down the mountain taking a chainssaw to the shop and rounded a curve too fast. We had one paved lane in the middle of the road and half a lane of gravel on each side. A guy was coming up the hill towing a 30' camper and he pulled to the right beside the mountain as far as he could go. To my right was a 100' drop off. I hit my brakes and the gravel was like ball bearing and I slid right into him totaling my truck, his truck and the camper he was towing. All my fault. Fortunately nobody was hurt. Neighbor got out and shook his head and pointed up the hill and said "Last time somebody hit me it was on that curve up yonder." Turned out to be as good a neighbor as you could ever ask for and could not have met under worse circumstances.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Glenn1

Quote from: YellowHammer on December 13, 2015, 09:03:06 AM
Quote from: beenthere on December 12, 2015, 10:48:32 PM
Looks like you had that load secured very well on the trailer. A lot of loads seen on the highway wouldn't fare so well, I don't think.
Sounds like it ended well for you.  8)

The odd thing is that Glenn and I communicate regularly, and we both have about the same trailers, set up about the same, with about the same removable log bunk setup I posted a while ago, so I am very glad they held their load.  The thing is, about a week before this incident, I had a young lady, charged with driving under the influence, sideswipe my trailer.  Both our trucks were undamaged, only the trailers.  I had just emailed him about my bad day when he emailed me about his.  Weird coincidence. 

I'm am very gad things worked out, and you kept it out of the ditch.   


I was very fortunate to have Yellowhammer's design for the bolsters and my son's superb welding job. 
Vacutherm IDry, Nyle 53 Kiln, New Holland Skid Steer, Kaufman Gooseneck Trailer, Whitney 32A Planer

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