Author Topic: I'm going to a Game Of Logging training (Read 7254 times)

maple flats · « **Reply #20 on:** May 12, 2007, 09:06:32 AM »

Thanks Jon, that helps. I see on my map program Curtis and a few other possibilities heading northward but none seem to scream "this would be the quickest route" I see Jerseyfield road. Jon, would you think 29 to L on Military, R on 221 (Curtis) thru Ives hollow to L on Jerseyfield would be faster or would you suggest 29 thru to Salisbury Center, L on North which becomes Jerseyfield would be faster? The first looks shorter but shorter is not always faster and I do not know how good or bad either of these roads are. I have traveled to Salisbury Center but am not familiar with that part of military and then Curtis (221), nor have I seen North Road. I have been on another part of Military when I went to a black powder shoot just off Military but I got that by going up tr 8 to coldbrook and turned R on Rose valley Rd and then L at the end of Rose Valley onto a dirt rd, just bebore Military was the gun club on the left.

beenthere · « **Reply #21 on:** May 12, 2007, 09:58:59 AM »

maple flats, youre funny.

I hope I don't get a map program that screams out at me.......the dear wife can do that

, but now they have da GPS units that will talk to you (and won't talk back

).

I hope you make it through that maze.

Let us know fer sur.

jon12345 · « **Reply #22 on:** May 12, 2007, 05:17:27 PM »

If you had a 4 wheeler you could take military road from the blackpowder shoot all the way to jerseyfield

I haven't been over on those roads in a while so I couldn't tell ya their current conditions. I don't think one is really that much longer than the other.

I'd figure about 20-25 minutes more than how long it took you to get to the kuyahoora rangers, If you wanted to go that route, and just take 28 straight on thru poland until you got to middleville and got on 29. I used to live in the next town past poland (newport) and could get to dolgeville in less than 20 mins, which is past salisbury

maple flats · « **Reply #23 on:** May 12, 2007, 06:11:34 PM »

Well, thanks all. I think I have a good enough idea to know how much time to allow so I won't be late nor extremely early. I never doubted I could find it just was having a hard time figuring the drive time to allow. I generally like getting to something like this about 30-40 min early but didn't want to be way earlier than that.
Dave

maple flats · « **Reply #24 on:** May 13, 2007, 06:24:25 PM »

I just looked at a topo map book for the entire state. It looks like this names the roads differently than the map sent me or the mapquest one. The latter 2 agree for which is Curtis and rt 221, and one just to the east as North Road the topo book (NYS Atlas & Gazetteer), By DeLorme shows North as Curtis and has no North road but has rt 221 with no other name designation. I just love it. However I should be ok by looking for the intersections and follow by those and a compass. Here I thought I had figured this out.

maple flats · « **Reply #25 on:** May 15, 2007, 09:26:25 PM »

Well, after all of my confusion I had no trouble finding the location. The DeLorme version of the map was wrong but I went with the one that was mailed to me by the instructor and it worked. The way was paved until the last 2.5 miles and that was all less that 5mph type road, big gravely ruts and big rocks to avoid. I will write about the 2 days of instruction and testing tomorrow but for now I will only say that it was excellent. I encourage anyone who ever cuts down trees to take at least the Game of Logging 1 for your own safety.

maple flats · « **Reply #26 on:** May 16, 2007, 09:44:44 PM »

The class for Game of Logging (GOL) started with some sharpening ideas to enhance your production and covered the parts of the chain and chainsaw. After that we went into the woods and were shown many different real situations and taught what decissions to make before starting the cut. Making a plan and being sure to consider all of the factors was stressed. Then we watched the instructor drop a tree and we each followed with a tree to drop. I have dropped several houndred if not thousands of trees over my life but this was truly new. Determining the direction to drop, knowing how much hinge to leave, differing hinge methods, a new way to cut the notch and keeping it as low as possible to get the most log from the tree, how to reduce the incidence of fiber pull, how to handle difficult situations on leaners and crooked trees. During the class the utmost emphasis was on safety at all times. As each of us were assigned a tree to drop the others had to take mental notes for a comment session/critique that followed. The stump was analyzed and the total felling was scored. On Day 1 I lucked out and got the high score for the day which won me a new hardhat with muffs and face shield. On day I scored in the middle of the pack. I was shooting for a perfect score which would have been rewarded by a new Husky 575XP saw but that was not to be. Bill Lindloff said that the last free saw was earned back in 1996 and only 2 have ever been won, I believe. Apparently a perfect score is not very easy. On GOL 2, (second day) some basic maintainance of the saw was covered and then we learned how to safely cut a spring pole. We were then tested on spring poles. After that we each dropped another tree and each was harder that GOL 1, they each had a problem to contend with. Mine was a leaner with all of the crown off to one side and I had to drop it at about 120 degrees to the lean. I over compensated and missed my target by 4 feet (60' out). I was asked to do it in double time because a thunder storm was rolling in. Shortly after I dropped it the storm moved to our north and we could continue. For a short time it looked like we were going to be forced out of the woods until it blew over but that was not the case.
The GOL teaches the basics, teaches safety and enforces same, gives a list of questions to ask with each tree you drop. It teaches you to come up with a plan and to explain each point of why you are doing it that way, then you are scored on the exicution of the plan. Our clases were made up of students ranging from professional loggers to log graders, to teachers from a school program (2 different schools), to a forester and some who were only going to work on their own woodlot. The course was a great learning experience.

sawguy21 · « **Reply #27 on:** May 17, 2007, 12:18:19 AM »

I would attend something like that in a heartbeat. Great training.

OneWithWood · « **Reply #28 on:** May 17, 2007, 08:09:16 AM »

The GOL is a great way to learn the best methodology for harvesting timber. When I took the course I learned as much from interacting with the 'professional loggers' as I did from the instructor. Time and money well spent and a great time to boot

Ed_K · « **Reply #29 on:** May 17, 2007, 07:43:49 PM »

Wow a hardhat

I only got a teeshirt. Course you should get a saw for what they charge for the classes now

. While reading your report I could remember back to when I took the course, way to go Maple Flats

.

jon12345 · « **Reply #30 on:** May 18, 2007, 10:50:54 AM »

I just saw this on the NELA website,

Sept. 30 GOL-1 So. Colton, NY (Catamount Lodge) Contact: Bob Hostetter 315-386-2745

There may be others for your state

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