logging a small swampy lot on budget

[r.man]

I wouldn't assume it was frozen or you might you might make a bogsicle out of you and me, or just you. Pack first, check next day or two and maybe it won't be frozen enough until later or not at all.

[WV Sawmiller]

   Sorry to be so late replying. I don't check this thread as often as others since I mostly do sawmilling, don't sell firewood and generate enough for my own use.

   I see others provided good replies of using snatch blocks. More complicated than I usually use. I use a 4 wheeler on steep slopes and sometimes a P/U if near a road. I use the snatch block to lift and direct the log between other trees and obstacles and to keep me and ATV out of the path of the log. Work mostly by myself but a helper would be great to move the blocks when get to end or splice and to free the log with a cant hook when get hung on a root or rock. I usually use 1, sometimes 2 snatch blocks.

   I hook the snatch block up on a tree and pull, downhill when possible to get the gravity benefit adding weight to my ATV.

  HF sells a 20,000 lb snatch block for about $20 which works well for me. I have another heavy one which weighs about 30 lbs or so. The HF one works nearly as well and much lighter and easier to use. It is just 2 loops you spread apart, insert the rope/cable, then align the loops again. A chain through the eyes keeps the SB closed and secured to your pull tree. I use 1/4" cable but the SBs would handle heavier ones if I needed. To get a mechanical advantage you need to use 2 or more like a pulley. I usually have gravity on my side and use them more for direction.

   Good luck on your endeavor and happy New Year. Be careful out there.

[r.man]

I literally just thought of a small logging arch on skis. I have a set of snowmobile sleighs that I built many years ago and I have used just one a few times to lift the front of the load off the ground but if an arch had skis it would be far superior. A second arch could be used on the back of a heavy log with the tongue lashed up to the log so the log would become the frame of the four ski trailer. Too bad you are so far away, I put a lot of work into those sleighs and would love to lend them to someone to use.