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Well it's winter and the Christmas holidays are past .
Went to winter cabin
All was pristine at the cabin . Took the bucket of the chimney . Lit the fire . Warmed up the camp . Cooked a meal of seal meat for supper . Then turned in early for a good nights sleep .
Next day was a major snow storm so spent the day doing a bit of prep work at the cabin and a lot of laying around feeding the fire and reading . Not to bad a way to spend a .day .
Next day still blowing very hard but snow had stopped. Went in and put up small bush camp
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~168.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1546902485)
Takes about an hour to turn this
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Into this.
Lit the fire and had a small lunch . Will start cutting paths tomorrow.
Best time of the year . Cold and lots of snow .Gotta love it
Quebecnewf
QuebecNewf,
I enjoy your pics and story telling. Stay safe out there.
BTW; how do you access the internet being out there in the wild?
Steve
What is seal meat like?
No internet at cabin only when we come home to get more gas or food.
Seal meat tastes like seal meat . There is no other meat that I've eaten that is similar . It's a very dark red lean meat .
Quebecnewf
How far north are you ?
Your posts and how you set up and work are really interesting. Very enjoyable !
gg
Far enough that they eat seal apparently!
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north that Seal Meat is southern food.
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north that the reason he eats seal instead of reindeer...well who in the heck would Rudulph? What a sick question.
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north Santa asks him how he handles the compass not working.
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north that if you're asking this question you are a southerner.
Enjoy your life!!
Quote from: nativewolf on January 07, 2019, 09:27:51 PM
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north that if you're asking this question you are a southerner.
I swear the line of N/S here is the C/D canal but then you get south of I-10 In LA/TX and those from VA are Yankees too 🤣. My last deckhand thought Albany was the end of NY / civilization. I read alot so when someone puts up where their from I look, Wikipedia is a great thing.
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 09:46:15 PM
Quote from: nativewolf on January 07, 2019, 09:27:51 PM
Quote from: BargeMonkey on January 07, 2019, 07:44:37 PM
How far north are you ?
He's so far north that if you're asking this question you are a southerner.
I swear the line of N/S here is the C/D canal but then you get south of I-10 In LA/TX and those from VA are Yankees too 🤣. My last deckhand thought Albany was the end of NY / civilization. I read alot so when someone puts up where their from I look, Wikipedia is a great thing.
I have to admit that I'm not normally that quick with a one liner but your question just made me smile....I was just imagining Santa reading that and thinking how do I respond.
It's a great thread and I look forward to some more interesting pictures. Another favorite is our poster from the Yukon that was on the reality TV show, the guy that moved from Mass to the Yukon to do dog sledding. Lots of trapping, dragging firewood off the river by boat, some sawing videos, etc.
Stan Zuray is the guy, from one of the Alaska wilderness reality shows but actually had been trying to show people what life was like for years before the show. Now he has really well done youtube videos that are a real pleasure to watch. Anyway, sometimes he shows his firewood operation, sometimes a sawmill, mostly salmon and traplines. All good stuff.
Day on the Trapline With the Dogs and Stan - Stan Zuray - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6GaLdKCnRk)
Lots of great on liners guys. Like BargeMonkey says if you need to know something look it up .
We are now in the process of making our trails through the woods. This is tough work . Walk in so far with your snowshoes. Turn around and walk back to chain saw. Clear path up to where you walked . Put down saw and walk a little further and repeat the process over again. Deep snow and hard walking . after you have you path cleared and walked down you drive the snowmobile through a few times then wait a day or two until the path hardens . Then your ready to start cutting. Not much fun but it is part of the job.
Quebecnewf
How wide do you need them ??
gg
Qnewf,
Getting the trail or woods road packed down is slow going.My wife and I were out on snowshoes yesterday packing a trail to places I can't drive to.A little prep work makes hauling the saw,wedges,chokers and cable a little easier.Once I've pulled a hitch it gets a little easier.Right now the snow is pretty mealy and getting deep so hard going for the tractor.Some 30° weather and I can pack down an access that makes the going great.
Good luck and enjoy yourself.
Keep us posted,please.
I can go anywheres in the woods. Most years I have to keep a path beat down in the woods. There might be 6-8 inches of snow. But that can change in a week. Might have 3 feet next week. Some years I get out of work and just drive down in the woods and back. I drag the winch,3pt,a little and that helps alot. This keeps it open for me and when I have a day off the trail is easier to work on.
We make our trails about 5 ft wide. Enough to drive snowmobile through. Some sections are a bit wider. Its pretty much one way only.
We would be better of if we cut our trails early winter really just after ground is frozen and before the big lots of snow. The problem is that we need the snow to get to the woods so its kind of a catch 22. Best time to cut trail before snow, not enough snow to get to the woods on snowmobile. So there you have it.
We should have the main trail done in a day or so then as we cut we gradually add branch trails to the main trail.
I have a section selected up through a steep brook where i plan to rig my ZIP line logging idea . This will be done a littl later once we get more established.
Quebecnewf
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Trails getting cut slowly . Made first trip through with snowmobile today and picked up a bit of dry wood for camp stove . Cut our first 15 logs for this season
Quebecnewf
How much land do you have to work on up there?
We have quite a bit of land in one sense . There are many areas with very large ( east coast large) trees . The thing is that most of this is not within reach to log .
The land is very rugged. If it's not hills and cliffs then it's bog . No travel over it in summer at all. We log by snowmobile but this limits the distance and locations you can log. Snowmobiles are not made for logging there too slight by far and too expensive to operate .
The distance you can drag logs with them is very low if your not going in the hole due to the high cost of gas then your going in the hole because your wearing out a 20,000.00 machine in two years .
For me this " logging" is just a hobby/passion . I love it in the woods and have always loved it from the first time I went with my dad many years ago .
It's -20C here this morning as I'm typing this so you have to be a bit crazy to go in the woods . To add to the challenge the sea ice is covered with thick slush under the snow for the first two miles so you have to make sure your at high speed all the time or your going to get stuck . This should get better as the temp falls but we're supposed to get more snow do that will most likely make it worse again as the weight of the snow forces the ice down and more water comes on top.
You gotta love it
Quebecnewf
-20C would be about -5F to me. Where's that Dang cold smiley. :)
Thank you for spending the time taking pictures.
My land is hard to get around on,but I don't have any cliffs!!!
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Getting a few piled at the landing . We're going through a extreme cold snap so getting things started in the morning is a challenge . Better cold than mild for our work so can't complain . Work in the workshop today doing repairs to sled .
Quebecnewf
How many logs can you haul in a hitch with the snowmobile?
Very hard question to answer . Too many variables. Snow conditions, length , diameter of logs . Are you going all over level ground or is there a hill on the path home etc etc etc
Look in my gallery and you can see different pics of loads of logs we haul .
Quebecnewf
Great pictures. cheers
Would an ASV track truck work for hauling your logs out ?
You can pick one up very reasonable.
When I was in the snowmobile club I ran one to groom the side goat trails.
New Tucker was used on the big wide trails.
Those cold temps will certainly help out to freeze up that slob ice! Looks like your off to a good start, as the old guy's around here would say " That's some pretty nice vir junks you got there"!
Do you pile that with a Peavey? :o
Quote from: bushmechanic on January 17, 2019, 09:20:38 PM
" That's some pretty nice vir junks you got there"!
@bushmechanic (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=10965): That might translate to nice "fir chunks", no?
That ASV truck looks kind of interesting . Like a J5 with wheel steering . Might work good as long as you started early in the fall making trails and kept them broken down after each snow fall . If you were going in to start trail building later you might have issues with the deep snow . There is also the width . Trails would have to be wider , thus longer to cut . With a proper sled behind it might prove interesting for sure . If you were doing fire wood as well as logs I think you could really give it a go . You could do more of a clear cut type of operation . Small and scrap trees are cut for firewood and you pick out the log trees as you go.
-22 here this morning do the " slob" is frozen . The vir translates to fir . It's a local slang thing . Same in NFLD .
Going back in cutting today . Going to be cold but gotta go .
Quebecnewf
Was back up near James Bay working for the past couple of weeks. Daytimes dipped to -38c with windchill. Came home to -20c and felt like ripping my jacket off down to the tshirt cause it was so toasty.
QuebecNewf, I'm with you - the colder the better. Only downside to it is the metal on any machine gets brittle and oils turn kinda peanutbuttery. You're on the right track using the sleds since they're made for the cold and really can sneak down your paths without a major clearcut.
Keep going!!! Great work!
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Our log pile is growing . Oh and it is winter . Was -20 last night at the cabin . When I got up in the morning it was -3 and we had 5 inches of snow . It cleared Of and then the temp started going down again . -25 now and we have a snowstorm coming in tomorrow after noon . Then it's calling for freezing rain on Monday . Then slashing back cold on Tue .
What can you say ..... Go with what you get
Quebecnewf
Thank You Sir for continuing to allow us to follow along on your journey. Stay/work safe and keep us posted. :)
Great pictures! Do you log on the mainland and saw on the islands?
The logs are on the mainland my mill is on a small island next to the island where the village is located.
Weather is giving us fits . Last week it was -31 one day . Almost to cold to log but not to bad . Today it's +3 and raining . High winds as well so we may lose our ice bridge to the mainland . We're home now waiting out the storm . Supposed to chop cold tomorrow again . We have two of our snowmobiles left ashore on the mainland . Don't want to take a chance on the ice breaking and your stuck with your machines on the island .
We have a little over 100 logs cut so far but the conditions are making it interesting to say the least
Quebecnewf
Youre more man than i sir.
I couldnt handle those sort of temps
Quote from: mike_belben on January 25, 2019, 08:24:50 AM
Youre more man than i sir.
I couldnt handle those sort of temps
It is like the heat, we aclimatise to cold and heat. At a certain point it is too cold, the same as the heat. sometimes you just hav to wait it out.
I grew up in massachusetts and spent a decade doing 12hr outdoor shifts in winter. After a while it was just too much. The truck wont start, its gelled up. Gotta open the garage but the lock is frozen. Go back to the truck for the bottle torch but the torch bottle is too cold for any pressure. Okay ill drive the other car. Oh, that battery drained overnight and it wont start. Id just start punching things.
I moved south and split firewood with sweat pouring off my knees some days. i dont love that or always watching for snakes but everything starts and i can manage easier. Just no energy left in me to endure real winters anymore. At 2000ft we still have the freezeups here but theyre a few days long instead of months. Traded snow for rain that i dont have to shovel.
Quote from: Quebecnewf on January 25, 2019, 04:28:25 AM
The logs are on the mainland my mill is on a small island next to the island where the village is located.
Weather is giving us fits . Last week it was -31 one day . Almost to cold to log but not to bad . Today it's +3 and raining . High winds as well so we may lose our ice bridge to the mainland . We're home now waiting out the storm . Supposed to chop cold tomorrow again . We have two of our snowmobiles left ashore on the mainland . Don't want to take a chance on the ice breaking and your stuck with your machines on the island .
We have a little over 100 logs cut so far but the conditions are making it interesting to say the least
Quebecnewf
Seesawing here at home too. -25C for three days then up to +5C for a day and now back to -19C
Heading north for work on Sunday. It's going to be nighttime temps of -30C (-22F) all week. Might put on a touque....
Better cold than mild I always say. The cold is easy to deal with It's the mild that causes us problems in winter. It was +5 here through the night and poured rain for four hours. Now it chopping cold tonight. We will have hard icy driving conditions in the morning along with heavy snow squalls and high winds later in the day.
We're heading back in to the cabin in the morning . Will work through the snow and the wind. In the woods not to bad . The trip back to the cabin after your finished for the day can be a challenge . High wind with heavy snow means you have to make sure you don't wander of the marked trail On your drive home to the cabin. The marks on the trail are 50 ft apart and I have seen it where you can not see from mark to mark . Your driving on sea ice so you need to be sure of your location at all times.
Quebecnewf
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~176.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1548453087)
Some logs we cut last fall . Will be moving them to the landing this week . Broke the path to them before the mild . Should be hard now after the freeze sets in
SO tonight,once again I had the thought of making or buying a skidding cone to keep my logs cleaner for the mill because getting them from the stump to the skid road is where they get the most junk on them (after that I use a skidding arch to drag them where they are going and the front of the log is UP). I did a google search, and of course wound up right back here on the forum where I learned that 10 years ago this month @Quebecnewf (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=2408) made his own Skidding cone. It looked good in the photos, so now 10 years later, I would like to ask yu, how did it work out for you in the long run? What did you learn along the way, and do you still use it, or did you modify it? Please share what you can before I waste a few weekends messing with it. I have a blue barrel ready to go.
Tom
Quote from: Quebecnewf on January 25, 2019, 04:49:47 PM
Better cold than mild I always say. The cold is easy to deal with It's the mild that causes us problems in winter. It was +5 here through the night and poured rain for four hours. Now it chopping cold tonight. We will have hard icy driving conditions in the morning along with heavy snow squalls and high winds later in the day.
We're heading back in to the cabin in the morning . Will work through the snow and the wind. In the woods not to bad . The trip back to the cabin after your finished for the day can be a challenge . High wind with heavy snow means you have to make sure you don't wander of the marked trail On your drive home to the cabin. The marks on the trail are 50 ft apart and I have seen it where you can not see from mark to mark . Your driving on sea ice so you need to be sure of your location at all times.
Quebecnewf
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~176.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1548453087)
Some logs we cut last fall . Will be moving them to the landing this week . Broke the path to them before the mild . Should be hard now after the freeze sets in
QuebecNewf, tu es mon héros!
Steve
Quebecnewf
"For me this " logging" is just a hobby/passion . I love it in the woods and have always loved it from the first time I went with my dad many years ago ."
I always enjoy your posts and share your thoughts as posted earlier.
Sounds like things are progressing well.
looking forward to the ZIP line pics
FWIW maybe a Skidoo Alpine/Everest twin-track would make a better "skidder"?
best
D
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on January 25, 2019, 06:34:06 PM
SO tonight,once again I had the thought of making or buying a skidding cone to keep my logs cleaner for the mill because getting them from the stump to the skid road is where they get the most junk on them (after that I use a skidding arch to drag them where they are going and the front of the log is UP). I did a google search, and of course wound up right back here on the forum where I learned that 10 years ago this month @Quebecnewf (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=2408) made his own Skidding cone. It looked good in the photos, so now 10 years later, I would like to ask yu, how did it work out for you in the long run? What did you learn along the way, and do you still use it, or did you modify it? Please share what you can before I waste a few weekends messing with it. I have a blue barrel ready to go.
Tom
The blue barrel worked good but not near as well as a real skidding cone . Over the years I have found that the higher you can get your pulling point the better things go . With that in mind I now have a set of Spurs and a climbing belt and I place my snatch block high in a tree .
Quebecnewf
Quote from: dgdrls on January 26, 2019, 08:37:42 AM
Quebecnewf
"For me this " logging" is just a hobby/passion . I love it in the woods and have always loved it from the first time I went with my dad many years ago ."
I always enjoy your posts and share your thoughts as posted earlier.
Sounds like things are progressing well.
looking forward to the ZIP line pics
FWIW maybe a Skidoo Alpine/Everest twin-track would make a better "skidder"?
best
D
The double track snowmobiles are basically useless . There not made any more and there's a reason for that .
Quebecnewf
Quote from: Quebecnewf on January 28, 2019, 08:01:19 PM
The blue barrel worked good but not near as well as a real skidding cone . Over the years I have found that the higher you can get your pulling point the better things go . With that in mind I now have a set of Spurs and a climbing belt and I place my snatch block high in a tree .
Quebecnewf
SO are you saying you did get a cone and still use it? What you do in a few days I do in a month of weekends, so I am looking to your experience to help me along a little. I am not clear if you just gave up on the cone and went to using what we call in rescue work a "high point", which I know works well. But for me, I don't pull a bunch of logs out of one spot, where a high block would work great. I take one tree here, then move on and get another. It is all very selective cutting. I do have spikes and a belt, but at my age I am getting lazy. If I had a bunch of logs in one area, I would be much less lazy because the high block would save a lot of work.
I am interested to know if you still use a cone. I have a slightly different idea on a cone type thing to make from the blue barrel, but I will wait to see if you are still using yours. Then I will wait for a day when I don't want to go out in the woods and work in the shop. :)
Thanks again for your posts, interesting to watch and I look forward to them.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~177.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1548755671)
No I still use my cone on a regular basis. I to sometimes just pull a few logs on one point . I try to avoid this if I can but you have to take what the forest gives.
What are you using for your pulling rope and what do you have as a winch ?
As you can see it can get rough on the trail . These marks are fifty feet apart and I have seen it when you have to stop by each mark and wait to catch a glimpse of the next one before going on .
Out on the open bays and lakes it is actually easier to manage when it's rough . It's when you come to sections that pass over hills that you run into trouble .
The visibility can go down to where you can't even tell if your moving because you lose sight of the ground .you have to be very careful because if you miss a marker you can get in trouble real quick
Quebecnewf
What do you do then? Whats your emergency gear consist of?
You be careful out there!!!
Quote from: Quebecnewf on January 29, 2019, 05:01:43 AMNo I still use my cone on a regular basis. I to sometimes just pull a few logs on one point . I try to avoid this if I can but you have to take what the forest gives.
What are you using for your pulling rope and what do you have as a winch ?
OK then! Thanks! That's all I neeeded to know. I will start on it the next chance I get. My only concern is that you tossed it in favor of a better method, in which case I would ask more.
I have a UTV with a 3,500# winch and steel cable. It does get challenged with the heavy hardwoods and the very large rocks the log nose digs up and lodges against. Lots of going back and fourth to adjust the log on a long drag, and I work alone.
That's a huge help, thanks! Please be safe out there, that trail photo really gives me pause. Holy cow!
For those of you who wonder how far North the OP is, go to Google Earth, find the North shore of the St Lawrence River. Follow the road to the Northeast until the road ends. Look Southeast across the water. You will see an island. The OP lives on that island. His cabin is even further in the woods. He skids his logs to the mill in the summer with a boat. He also takes great pictures. Regards, Clark
I noticed that you said winter logging but I am assuming that you are talking about fire wood cause I've never cut a log let alone a tree that a snowmobile would pull. But I have always wanted to be able to live on my own in the woods so sounds like you are living my dream so keep on going
We log all softwood and our trees are mostly on the small side. It's what we have so its what we use. All the people here burn almost 90% softwood to heat their homes. Once again it's what we have so its what we use.
Going back in the woods later today for another couple days . Cold here again so bit of a challenge but it is winter. My plan is to try my zip line on this turnaround . If all goes to plan there should be some video and pics posted here in a few days . Wish me luck
Quebecnewf
Luck wished. I wanna see this :laugh:
Safe Travels!
Just got back on the thread.
Watched the whole vid this time.
Stan is an interesting guy and knows his dogs.
I suspect that he is from several thousand miles east and a little south of Alaska tho.
Newf you are an amazing fellow with an incredible work ethic.
Stay safe my friend.
Cant wait for spring to start sawing here, but I do enjoy snowmobiling.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on February 01, 2019, 07:54:19 PM
Just got back on the thread.
Watched the whole vid this time.
Stan is an interesting guy and knows his dogs.
I suspect that he is from several thousand miles east and a little south of Alaska tho.
Newf you are an amazing fellow with an incredible work ethic.
Stay safe my friend.
Cant wait for spring to start sawing here, but I do enjoy snowmobiling.
Stan is from Mass. Left there for Alaska as a young man, he has lots of old videos and was producing videos for the internet before youtube was a thing. He'd be a hoot to meet and appears very happy which is the key thing for us all.
Yes he would be a pleasure to meet.
Figured he was from massa 2 *****
Yeah thats how its pronounced in tennessee. :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~178.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1549240150)
Well did a test Zip line setup and sad to say it did not go as planned.
Problems: rope I use has too much stretch . It's just fishing rope.
Not enough slope in location where I did test .
Need better zip line pulley
Sorry no pics at this time . Will try to modify my setup and do another run .
Sorry guys.
It's been cold here but we are getting some logs .
Quebecnewf
Good luck Newf! We are all waiting to see how you make out. I would be surprised if you have good success with rope on the high line. There are simple methods for getting this pretensioned by hand with two or more people that we used in swiftwater rescue operations, but you need to start with a good static line or it will keep stretching. One time, when doing a practice exercise, we nearly pulled over the telephone pole we were using for an anchor. Another time, we dragged a fire engine. No pulleys involved.
Be safe out there. OH yeah, that's a nice load of logs you have, especially when one considers that you use mostly hand work to get them.
Can you switch to cable anchored to a comealong for tensioning?
Newf, Do you cut on gov land? Or is this all private up there?
tacks Y
Neuf posted an answer to this a while back
It is government land, they determined that there was no merchantable timber and could not issue a cutting permit if there was no timber. So Neuf is harvesting a resource that the government officials have determined doesn't exist.
hope this helps
cheers
Al
Quote from: Old Greenhorn on February 04, 2019, 09:49:59 AM
Good luck Newf! We are all waiting to see how you make out. I would be surprised if you have good success with rope on the high line. There are simple methods for getting this pretensioned by hand with two or more people that we used in swiftwater rescue operations, but you need to start with a good static line or it will keep stretching. One time, when doing a practice exercise, we nearly pulled over the telephone pole we were using for an anchor. Another time, we dragged a fire engine. No pulleys involved.
Be safe out there. OH yeah, that's a nice load of logs you have, especially when one considers that you use mostly hand work to get them.
This is what I was worried about . The rope is the main issue . It's good rope but it is designed to stretch . It's made for fishing . As the boat rises on the waves the strain on the rope jumps up big time . You have a fifty foot boat rising up so with maybe ten crab pots hanging on that rope depending on the depth of the water if the rope cannot stretch it will bust like thread .
I have been looking into high grade no stretch rope but the cost is out of my budget right now .
I am still going to keep working on this idea because I know there is something there . They do it big scale on the west coast , there is no reason , other than finding out what works that we cannot scale it down for the east coast .
Quebecnewf
I am looking at the logs you are working, much like mine, but lighter (I have hardwood) and am thinking that 1/4 steel cable should work pretty well. Any chance you can scrounge some up? Old winch cable should work.
AT some point I will try this, just looking for the blocks I need.
For me cable is not the answer I think . It should work but the weight and working with it by hand is not where I want to go.
The answer , I think , lies in these new no stretch ,super light and strong ropes. The problem so far for me is the cost . Going to keep looking and I'm sure something will turn up .
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~179.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1549450578)
Quebecnewf
Yeah, I get it Newf. I think what you are looking for is something like Phillystran, which is a synthetic rope that behaves like cable. It it used in a variety of marine, commercial, and radio applications (antenna towers). It is pricey though. Several of my buddies have used it on their towers, but they have deeper pockets than I. Check around the utility companies, maybe you will get lucky.
The reason I said 1/4 cable is because I have done a bunch of rope rigging and know you will need some hefty stuff to get the tension you will need, even in a static line, you are looking at 5/8 line or so. This is very bulky and gets heavy, especially covered in snow and ice. Cable is not a lot of fun to work with in the beginning, but once you figure it out and pre-make your end loops with double saddle clamps, it can actually go pretty easy, plus it packs smaller and is less subject to weather changes. The blocks should be smaller too. Setting the backline might take a bit more thinking, but once it is in, you are set. Keep looking, you will find something.
I took some trees back in May-June that were on a 60 degree slope, big stuff and I am still kicking myself for not setting up a line to get them down. Very rough working at that angle and I just cut them into 6' logs and rolled them down. It may sound easy, which is what I thought at the time, but man THAT was work! Next time I will know better. f nothing else, it will make for some good photos for the FF, right?
Have fun and be safe out there.
I would look at amsteel and the cheaper clones that are sold as winch line. Very low stretch and they pull jeeps up vertical ledges.
How long do you need?
"Ranger" and "X-bull" look like two of the cheapest im seeing right now. 100ft of 3/8 is around $90 and in the 20-23k pound rating.
We've used old telephone post ''guy'' cable. Very low stretch. Very stiff, does not bend around like a winch cable. Here is a company that is specialized in used electric materiel where you might find something : https://www.papineaumetal.ca/quincaillerie/
The guy who worked with me at the condo repair contract I had.
Would set up a rope skyline and I would pull heavy loads up to him 3 stories up.
200+lbs the rope would stretch very little and it was 3/8.
He came from timber framing and used these ropes and straps for lifting frames.
We could set a system up in less than 10 minutes .
remember guys, Where the Quebecnewf lives is beyound civilization, no local utility company, no roads to the next town, except in the village and I doubt they are paved.
What we find and have acess to, we take for granted.
My daughter lives 3 hrs west of the end of the hwy (Sept Isle) and then its still a journey. She talks about people coming to her town in the winter by snowmobile, 2 day journeys for some, to shop. They can't get there in the summer except by boat.
It is quite the world where He lives!!
I don't know as I'd be comfortable with a log of any significant size on all but the stoutest of ropes used s a zipline. When pulled tight enough to minimize sag, supporting a load puts a tremendous strain on a cable or rope.
A 2 foot sag under a load in the middle of a 100 ft run is causing a strain on the cable of 25 times the weight of the load supported (a 200# load would be 5000# kg strain in the cable). The more sag you allow, the less the multiplier is for the strain in the cable.
Quote from: mike_belben on February 06, 2019, 07:28:10 AM
I would look at amsteel and the cheaper clones that are sold as winch line. Very low stretch and they pull jeeps up vertical ledges.
How long do you need?
"Ranger" and "X-bull" look like two of the cheapest im seeing right now. 100ft of 3/8 is around $90 and in the 20-23k pound rating.
We replaced the steel cable on my #3500 lb utv winch with knock-off similar to amsteel blue winch rope. It solved the spooling issues we encountered with steel, is much lighter, and you could wad it up and stuff it in a bag if needed. I have broken other equipment trying to dislodge stuck leaners, the winch rope has held tough.
Scott B.
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Sitting out a snowstorm at home today. Can't see any more than 200 ft . Supposed to clear out tonight .
Logging going good made 500 logs cut yesterday which is good for us at this time of the winter.
Conditions in the woods will be a bit more challenging after this dump of snow .
Winter logging. That's how it goes
Quebecnewf
Impressive!
Paul if you have the same amount of snow we had yesterday (it is going your way ) At all, over 16 inches and some banks pushed by the wind over 2 and 3 feet, I had fun with the tractor . Stay safe at home :D
How many logs is your goal this year ?
Keep going. Roger
One snow storm rolled through here yesterday and another one moving in tonight and tomorrow .
We will go in the woods today . Break down our paths again . Maybe move some logs from the woods to the landing . Come back home this afternoon and wait out the storm .
Supposed to be good stretch of weather after that . Might get some more logs during that period . We need snow to work but depending on conditions it can be both good and bad . We're going through a bad stretch right now
Quebecnewf
Well, hang in there and stay safe.
My only sled is slow, but sure works to break trail with, an old twin track alpine. I am sure you have much more effecient rigs, but this old thing will sure pull a load too.
Quote from: starmac on February 15, 2019, 11:29:54 PM
My only sled is slow, but sure works to break trail with, an old twin track alpine. I am sure you have much more effecient rigs, but this old thing will sure pull a load too.
The double tracks never caught on here. Too slow for long travel .
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Two loads ready for tow to the mill and 300 at the water edge ready for spring
Quebecnewf
Is that the one with one ski? I have not seen them for 40 years. Those was big sleds.
Quote from: thecfarm on February 16, 2019, 06:19:59 AM
Is that the one with one ski? I have not seen them for 40 years. Those was big sleds.
Yes they only had one ski and were a b"""" to turn . They tried some here a few years back pulling trail groomers . These double tracks were made in Italy . They were big but useless . Never saw them before and never seen them since .
Quebecnewf
They were popular here right way past the point where they quit building them. Built to haul a barrel of fuel or oil on the back of the sled itself and drag whatever you want to.
They do not turn the best, but that is what those angled bumpers is for, just slide them along a tree. lol
Mine seldom ever gets used, they are gas hogs compared to newer sleds.
Quebecnewf, Just curious to get a perspective to how things grow down this way - what is the age range and size of the trees you are harvesting?
Thanks
That's a good question . I have done a bit of ring counting and such . All the areas I have cut were cut before . There are no areas within reach that have not had some cutting in them . No clear cutting though just small paths through the woods and the bigger logs removed . I think a balsam fir in our region that would give a butt log to saw 4 pcs of 2x6 out of is around 50 to 60 years old . This can vary but is most likely the average .
A few days ago I was in an area looking for new cutting spot . There were two stumps sticking up through the snow about five ft apart . Both stumps were cut of with a saw and by their size would have made 2x6 . In between those two stumps was a nice big fir that would give a butt log to make 2x8's . From what I know of the area it was cut maybe 50 years ago . There were lots of nice fir logs in the area. I am thinking given its location the area was all cut fifty to sixty years ago and all the nice logs I'm looking at now are young trees that were to small then but grew well once the bigger trees were removed.
Now these are just my thoughts I have no firm dates . I have had my mill for 26 years and my plan is this spring to go back to the area where me and my BIL cut logs that winter and just see how the area looks with regard to regrowth . This will give me a good indication if my thoughts are correct .
Quebecnewf
How many miles are you cutting from camp and how many miles is camp from your mill?
Mike and any others go to Google Earth
Type in Harrington Harbour Quebec
You will readily see how remote and isolated his home is
I think he is logging in the timbered areas to the north
Cheers
Al
Quote from: mike_belben on February 17, 2019, 10:30:38 AM
How many miles are you cutting from camp and how many miles is camp from your mill?
Home to mill is 1 kl. Mill to the camp is 13 kl. Camp to cutting area is 8 kl.
80 per cent of this travel is on sea ice . Conditions on the ice now are so so . Very bumpy on certain sections . We have two days of " winter storm" forcast then a one day blizzard so not likely to improve . We have just over 600 logs cut so that's good cutting for our set up .
Quebecnewf
I hauled the skidder in to the first river crossing saturday and another guy hauled the loader in, the feller buncher was already in and started dropping trees thursday.
It looks like I will haul the first load out in the morning on this sale, it has taken a while this winter to get ice bridges across the two rivers, so we will have 3 weeks at the most before weight restrictions goes on, depending on weather.
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A pic at the mill yesterday . Lots of snow around . We're dumping a few logs here when we return home from the cabin . Most of them are snow covered now
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We have over 600 cut now so a good cutting season .
Quebecnewf
All I can say is brrrr.
Quote from: petefrom bearswamp on March 04, 2019, 08:55:20 AM
All I can say is brrrr.
All I can say is ---- whoo hooo no mosquitoes!
I love winter up here in our north.
Quote from: Quebecnewf on January 07, 2019, 06:15:14 PM
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Well it's winter and the Christmas holidays are past .
Went to winter cabin
All was pristine at the cabin . Took the bucket of the chimney . Lit the fire . Warmed up the camp . Cooked a meal of seal meat for supper . Then turned in early for a good nights sleep .
Next day was a major snow storm so spent the day doing a bit of prep work at the cabin and a lot of laying around feeding the fire and reading . Not to bad a way to spend a .day .
Next day still blowing very hard but snow had stopped. Went in and put up small bush camp
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Takes about an hour to turn this
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Into this.
Lit the fire and had a small lunch . Will start cutting paths tomorrow.
Best time of the year . Cold and lots of snow .Gotta love it
Quebecnewf
Awesome. A man after my own heart.
Quote from: mike_belben on January 25, 2019, 09:47:30 AM
I grew up in massachusetts and spent a decade doing 12hr outdoor shifts in winter. After a while it was just too much. The truck wont start, its gelled up. Gotta open the garage but the lock is frozen. Go back to the truck for the bottle torch but the torch bottle is too cold for any pressure. Okay ill drive the other car. Oh, that battery drained overnight and it wont start. Id just start punching things.
I moved south and split firewood with sweat pouring off my knees some days. i dont love that or always watching for snakes but everything starts and i can manage easier. Just no energy left in me to endure real winters anymore. At 2000ft we still have the freezeups here but theyre a few days long instead of months. Traded snow for rain that i dont have to shovel.
The older I get the less I like winter. I still do enjoy it down to -15 or -20 C. Where I live in east coast Canada it usually doesn't get any colder than that. I like logging in that weather but when it turns warm and rains then a quick deep freeze that is a different story. Locks freeze and you contending with slippery walking and driving not to mention it is very hard on the animals. It seems you have to fight with everything, frozen doors, machinery won't start etc....So far this season has been mostly just cold which is a good thing.
Ray
lostcaper.ca
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Cut a nice birch today . Should square 10" clean. Not the best or the biggest of these that I've cut but a nice one none the less
Quebecnewf
Quote from: Quebecnewf on March 04, 2019, 03:51:36 PM
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Cut a nice birch today . Should square 10" clean. Not the best or the biggest of these that I've cut but a nice one none the less
Quebecnewf
Nice little twitch. By the way I am from Cape Breton. Almost neighbours.
They are all nice ones. Anything that brings in money is nice. ;D
I've cut a few birch logs over the years and it really makes you appreciate the difference between guys who log mostly softwood (me) and the guys who work in mostly hardwoods. It's a whole different ballgame . They are heavy , and when you deal with birch in winter , slippery .
I have cut many trees in my life and approach them all with care . Birch I approach with extra care . They can be really tricky to fall with all those large limbs sticking out every which way .
My hat is of to guys that hand cut hardwoods all day for a living . Some of those big maples and oaks I have seen would be a big pucker job for me .
Stay safe guys
Quebecnewf
I saw a lot of large EWP and I agree that the hardwoods are a whole different ballgame, especially when dealing with them with out heavy equipment.
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Cut this nice ( I think ) birch burl today . Should yield some nice " cookies " . Time will tell
Quebecnewf
I enjoy your photos and find the way you work very interesting. I cut a lot of fir here. I was wondering how many board feet you figure will be in you 600 logs. I average between 25 and 30 bf per log (10 and 12 footers) and 60 to 70 bf per tree but it varies a lot. I also have stump rot to deal with on most trees more than 50 or 60 years old. You have never mentioned stump rot I don't think. Is that a problem up there also.
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gg
My logs run a little smaller I think . I cut 8 fits as well as 10 and 12. Could have bigger yield but I try to take all the tree up to 5" dia.
I do not run in to much butt rot in my area . It seems to be a common thing in a lot of areas though with fir.
I use a figure of around 30 logs per thousand BF. This is saleable lumber . There is lots of firring strips and such that comes of the edges and while I sell that as well over time I consider that an extra and do not figure it into my yield because it Varies so much in both in yield and selling price
Quebecnewf
Thanks - so a little different than here. I am always curious on how other fir sites produce compared to mine. You do good up there. Out cut me in a winter that's for sure. Happy logging.
gg
@g_man (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=profile;u=11065),you need a OWB to burn those butts. :D :D
I know I mentioned it,I only had about 2 acres with nice fir. The other 148,for the most part,looks like yours. Now when doing firewood,I cut down all the fir I come too. Even at 4 inches across,the rot is there. I have a lot I want to cut down this year,it's in a wet hole,so they are dead. I had my land logged about 6-7 years ago,he went into one of those wet spots and did a cutting and knocked all the dead fir down. There was enough dead fir to last me a winter in there. :D
Wasn't logging but spent Saturday moving building materials across a lake for a cabin. I built the sleigh about 20 years ago and it still works like a charm!
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Great thread QN....keep er comin. :) Dustintheblood.... I take it your a rather lanky lad.... :D nice pics.
Well were mostly done with the logging I guess for this season . 400 on the bank to raft home later and 300 home at the mill . Most likely start sawing a bit in the coming week if weather permits.
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Last few we cut .
Quebecnewf
The lumber that you saw, does it go to a local market there or what?
Title will now read,getting started on the logs we cut down this winter.
Quote from: Magicman on March 16, 2019, 11:20:57 AM
The lumber that you saw, does it go to a local market there or what?
Local market 90% . My own use 10%. Mostly 2x material up to 2x10 . In lengths of 8/10/12 . The 2x4 and 6 I dress four sides the 2x8/10 I sell rough from the saw .
I also do small jobs for people using my own lumber .saw the lumber build the shed/ patio etc etc.
First job this spring when snow melts a bit more saw some full 2 full 8" stringers and make a new set of exterior steps for a senior couple to their entrance .
Interesting work because I love building and working with wood.
Quebecnewf
Quebecnewf,
By the looks of it your the only mill around.
Quote from: 47sawdust on March 16, 2019, 06:47:01 PM
Quebecnewf,
By the looks of it your the only mill around.
No there are three more mills in town but these guys are just cutting a few logs for their own use . Some years they don't cut any . A few chain saw mills as well but all small operations .
Quebecnewf
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~193.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1553247310)
Thought you guys might like this pic of a big spruce we cut . ( me and my BIL) .
This is one of four trees we cut ( spruce ) . They were all about 60 ft long . They are sawing them on site into 2x material for framing and such. Using chain saw mills . The wood is incredible . Tight grain no knots . Too good for 2x material but that's what they use .
Wish they grew like that in our area .
A fun few days never the less
Quebecnewf
Quote from: Quebecnewf on March 22, 2019, 05:40:23 AMWish they grew like that in our area
That is a good stem no matter whose area it is in. 8)
Nice logs! Some good seed tree genetics.
Tight grain spruce, clear, and 16 rings per inch or more, quarter sawn demands a huge price for musical instruments. (Like thousands $$ for a few small boards!) (Limited market though).
Did some checking into that type of use for these spruce. I'm sure some of them would make the grade . The thing is the distance and terrain we have to travel over to get them means you would most likely just take the butt of the tree and leave the rest . I cannot cut one of these big trees and leave 70 % of it on the ground to rot .
The price for the butt would have to be high enough to pay to bring out the rest of the tree as well .
There is also the problem of sawing one down and finding out it is not guitar quality . There fore the good ones have to compensate for those as well.
It would be a learning process so at first you might be cutting more " no good" ones than " good" ones .
The trees are big so each tree generates lots of big logs . With snowmobile and the rough country ,distances, high cost of gas,changing snow conditions, etc etc . Not sure it's a money making option.
Don't get me wrong I'd love to try it if I had a market .
Needs more research on my part .
Quebecnewf
For music wood the buyer comes out and cores the tree then there own logger cuts and hauls . My great nephew was working on an island off south Alaska . Doing inventory and there job was to spot music wood Sitka Spruce .
Still cutting a few . Had a late order for 3 logs 6x6x24'
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These were slabed of two sides and delivered to the customer yesterday .
Part of an order of 6x6x8/10' I am doing . Like sawing 6x6. Throw on the log four cuts and on to the next one .
Quebecnewf
Quebecnewf,
What is the capacity of your mill?
I like cutting 6x6 as well.I have a lot of 10'' spruce that is well suited for that.
I can cut 16' long .dont do much longer than that very often. Mostly 8/10/12'
Snow here is starting to melt. But go an hour,in either direction and it changes. From not much to alot. ;D
I went out and sawed some 6x6 and 5x5 for some timber frame sheds I'm going to build.
Some fir,hemlock and spruce.
Well i guess this is the final post on this thread . We went in today and took down our little bush camp.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/12408/image~203.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1554716467)
It only takes about 30 min to go from this
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To this
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And finally to this . All covered and racked up until next winter .
725 logs this winter so the most we have ever cut in one season.
Stopped at winter cabin and closed that up for the season on or way home . Just got back for about an hour and a snow storm moved in .
Quebecnewf
I really enjoyed this post and I'm looking forward to the getting started on the spring and summer sawmilling thread . Thank you
Congratulations on a great season, smiley_thumbsup
really enjoy reading this thread.
D
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As you can see our ice bridge to the mainland is getting narrow . Still lots of people traveling on it . Our snowmobile trail is still open in this area but some sections to the east are closed now . Spring is late this year .
We have been sawing up some of our slabs for firewood . Not the most fun I've had but it has to be done
Quebecnewf
Is your timber harvesting done on crown lands or other ownerships?
Thank you for sharing your Winter logging operation. I look forward to it each year. 8)
I too very much enjoyed this thread. Grew up on a Ski-doo, river crossings, ice fishing, dodging slush, etc so it brings back many fond memories.
Quote from: Quebecnewf on March 06, 2019, 05:14:32 AM
I've cut a few birch logs over the years and it really makes you appreciate the difference between guys who log mostly softwood (me) and the guys who work in mostly hardwoods. It's a whole different ballgame . They are heavy , and when you deal with birch in winter , slippery .
I have cut many trees in my life and approach them all with care . Birch I approach with extra care . They can be really tricky to fall with all those large limbs sticking out every which way .
My hat is of to guys that hand cut hardwoods all day for a living . Some of those big maples and oaks I have seen would be a big pucker job for me .
Stay safe guys
Quebecnewf
They can be very dangerous and hard to tell which way they want to fall. Here is a big birch I cut a couple weeks ago. dangerous tree cutting (https://youtu.be/c0JHqrosz2s)
I don't watch much T.V. I would much sooner read great threads like this. Awesome. It's 9a.m. and I am still not in the woods but after reading this tread I am very motivated to go so I will catch you later.
great job.
thanks
Ray