Giant sequoia

Kansas · October 29, 2011, 08:21:37 AM

This is an article about a giant healthy sequoia that toppled in the LA times. My question is, why out of the options they have listed, they don't have cutting it up for lumber? Might take some modification but I would think a lucas could do it. I gotta be missing something here.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fallen-sequoia-20111029,0,6767474.story

JP135 · October 29, 2011, 09:07:37 AM

Seems like lumber would be a normal choice. But it's LA. They don't understand normal.

Meadows Miller · October 29, 2011, 09:12:43 AM

Dang It and I just passed by there like a week n a half ago I woulda had a crack at it

;) :D :D ;D

JP135 · October 29, 2011, 09:23:20 AM

Meadows, you probably couldn't see it due to the throngs of mourning hippies encircling it and offering sacrifices to the tree-gods. :D

Meadows Miller · October 29, 2011, 09:36:01 AM

I woulda barged Me way in There to Save It from its fate worse than death Mate ;) :D :D ;D ;D 8)

Taking about tree huging Idiots the thing I find worst about them is that they would rather see a whole resource layed to waste and left to rot then use the only real renewable building material we have on this earth properly I have never got where they are coming from

:( :( :-\:( :( :'( :'( I better shut up now

;) :D :D :D

celliott · October 29, 2011, 10:32:28 AM

Lumber does seem like a practical idea, if you could mill it. I am sure the park service could find projects to use the lumber. Use it in the park, it's a sustainable project. I'm sure one national park wouldn't use that amount of lumber, whatever unreal BF# it yielded, so why not ship the lumber to other national parks? I think eating lunch in Acadia national park, in a picnic area built with 4,000 year old lumber from a giant west coast sequoia would be pretty dang neat, IMO.
So many uses for the lumber products. But, I'm thinking they will probably let it lie and reroute the trail one way or another. This does add to the intrinsic value of the park, and some people might see this as a bigger value than the lumber.
I think they should consult the forum and we take a vote ;D smiley_chop

logboy · October 29, 2011, 10:58:43 AM

We could saw it Chris. You start on one end with your Lucas, I'll start on the other with mine and I'll meet you in the middle. :D

Ironwood · October 29, 2011, 11:17:54 AM

Put a plaque on it and discuss/ teach forest secession and why trees need to harvested and continue to grow a new crop.

Personally, I have been to some of the Coastal Groves. I think and INDOOR use is best. It would last a long time outside, but after being there in person and realizing how cool some of those forests are, made me think of the light, soft, redwood as a furniture wood as it captures my psyche everytime, reminding me of that forest. Even indoor paneling, you could make a comparison of "All the panelling in this vistior center/theater is from ONE tree, normally it would take, 50-100 normal sized hardwood trees"

Educate, maximize, utilize. And yes harvest timber.

Ironwood

PS. I have some 2x6 Coastal Redwood here reclaimed from a deck in an upscale nieghborhood nearby (Scouting friends). Waiting for a job for it.

paul case · October 29, 2011, 05:00:44 PM

i was thinking just saw out the part where the trail is.That would add to the intrinsic value of the park and probably make more lumber than they could use too. pc

Mooney · October 29, 2011, 06:13:03 PM

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1556131403

Not sure if this is the same tree in question, but our CA Sales Center has been quartering up a huge tree in that park for about the last month or so. Check out the link about to see the photos and videos they've been taking. Maybe you guys can tell if it's the same tree talked about in the article or a different one.

Kansas · October 29, 2011, 08:21:12 PM

I can't tell from the pics if its the same one. Being that article was in todays paper, guessing it isn't. But if Woodmizer is on site on another tree, then they know the options at the park. Just because the newspaper didn't mention it, doesn't mean they aren't considering it an option. Had a few articles done on our mill by local newspapers, and I have yet to see one of them really get it right.

Be nice to hear from those people cutting up that one, maybe some pics.

duke · October 30, 2011, 02:27:10 AM

Best bet is lumber, good sales pitch for peterson or lucus mills. us the lumber in the park, that way nobody can complain about it's use!! Then put up a plack as to how much lumber came out of it and how long it took to mill and the whole process and show the kids that this wood should be used and what it takes to get it into lumber and show them all the work involved in this!!
Marcel

Meadows Miller · October 30, 2011, 02:40:33 AM

Quote from: logboy on October 29, 2011, 10:58:43 AM
We could saw it Chris. You start on one end with your Lucas, I'll start on the other with mine and I'll meet you in the middle. :D

That sounds the go J.R there would be a good weeks worth off work there in that one I reckon for two mills ;) We will have to flip to see who gets to start on the Butt Log though Mate ;) :D ;D ;D ;D 8) 8)

5quarter · November 01, 2011, 12:20:06 AM

If there was nothing to brake the fall of that tree, the trunk is probably shattered from toes to tip. You could probably get some lumber out of it, but probably not enough to justify the extra effort. They should probably just leave it where it lays.

redbeard · November 01, 2011, 11:16:11 AM

If the forest service let you cut on that one it would pay for several lucas mills and then some. Slabs from those giants are 1000s of dollars.

wormy · November 01, 2011, 07:41:41 PM

you would have to cut down half of the trees in the park to get something in there big enough to move it. but man i would love to mill that

logboy · November 01, 2011, 07:51:49 PM

With a Lucas you dont need to move it. You set the mill up around it and start cutting.

Bill Gaiche · November 01, 2011, 08:29:25 PM

Great old tree. It has more to offer than most people can visualize. Leave the stump and a few feet to spare, saw the lumber and build a nice heavy walled timber frame building around the stump. Inside, the stump will be roped of so people cant get to it and make carvings and such in it. Install some heavy planked benches to set at and view the stump. Install all the information that other members have spoke of so we can educate all the people that want to know about these massive trees. This tree has and can tell a lot to our present and future generation I wish I could contribute some labor to something like this. Guys we all know its real worth, but there is so many that dont. bg

SPIKER · November 01, 2011, 09:30:16 PM

use a Swing mill to turn it into trinkets/souvenirs that can sell at the park office for 4 or 5 bucks a piece maybe pencils or pen blanks ect. imagine the revenue it would generate for the park... Knowing the CA government and the Fed Park service I would bet they will leave it rot and fine anyone that attempts to whittle off a toothpick sized chunk... Also would be nice to make a few rounds and possibly a slab or two for tables at the park/government offices where real work is done (sorry couldnt be in government office then.) :D

Mark

beenthere · November 01, 2011, 09:49:27 PM

Personnaly, I would be most impressed to just be able to walk around the fallen tree and take in just how large these trees really are. Already a glut of lumber on the market so sawing and adding a few more bd ft won't mean much IMO
To me the beauty of it is to leave it lay. Make a path around it (not over or around or through).
I'd be surprised if they do anything else.
Similar to leaving the Mt. St. Helens debris field alone with no salvage operations on the FS land.

WDH · November 01, 2011, 09:55:24 PM

I am with BT. I would leave it lay, maybe cut out the section over the path, and let people admire it as a work of nature. If the section on the path was cut out to allow people to walk "through" the tree, it would be cool to stand in the middle and look at the cut ends. There could be a display that shows important "dates" in the life of that tree.

The section cut out for the path could be used for some furniture at the park.

paul case · November 01, 2011, 10:15:28 PM

Those trees are truly a sight to behold. We stopped by there on our vacation last summer.

Scott and I are about 100' from the base of the tree. BIG wood. PC

WDH · November 01, 2011, 10:44:02 PM

Awe inspiring.

ljmathias · November 03, 2011, 08:40:29 PM

Here's one for the laugh bin-- couple years ago, in wild moment, I ordered a bunch of odd trees to try down here in Mississippi just for fun- Douglas fir, some weird cedars and ten giant sequoia.... of the whole bunch, only one tree survived, a sequoia. It's not doing great cause I planted it a spot that has too much shade, but it's still alive anyway. I tell my grandkids, just wait- in a thousand years, you'll have the tallest tree in the South right here. :D

Lj

SPIKER · November 03, 2011, 10:25:39 PM

Quote from: ljmathias on November 03, 2011, 08:40:29 PM
Here's one for the laugh bin-- couple years ago, in wild moment, I ordered a bunch of odd trees to try down here in Mississippi just for fun- Douglas fir, some weird cedars and ten giant sequoia.... of the whole bunch, only one tree survived, a sequoia. It's not doing great cause I planted it a spot that has too much shade, but it's still alive anyway. I tell my grandkids, just wait- in a thousand years, you'll have the tallest tree in the South right here. :D

Lj

When I was out there in the park (stationed in So Cal in 90's) spent a weekend up there in the sequoia national park & redwood forest. some really awe inspiring trees.

they stated that it was one of the only places in the world where they could actually grow to maturity due to a lot of environmental conditions.

I actually like the redwoods better than the Sequoias but both are amazing...

mark