Fun in the Sun

[metalspinner]

I've been putting my "new-to-me" trailer to work this past couple of weeks.  This parbuckeling thing is becoming easy. I know my ramps are kind of flimsy.  The heart of this white oak will go to some beefy ramps (a couple of 3x6 should do nicely).

Here is a white oak I picked up today. 







I couldn't help but put a smiley on them   Notice the new paint job on the traailer?


Here is a white pine on the way up...





Almost there....





I won't show ya'll how it rolled off the back of the trailer.... :-[ :-[

Now it's tied down and ready for the road.



Thanks to everyone for the discussions on this topic.  Ya'll gave me the confidence to get this done! 8)

[isawlogs]

  Good job , do you have removable fenders for that there trailer ..  ;D  It looks super clean with the new paint on it .  8)

[metalspinner]

The fenders are still on the shelf at northern toolhttps://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?action=position"> Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company.  They are holding them for me until I can pay for them. :D :D They will be removable when I get them.
The work I put into the trailer so far is a pair of new tires,  the welding shop made the brake light mounts and surround, the break lights, and the paint.  I hope to get a  winch some day.  The unhithching and rehitching is getting to be old.  What do you guy's think in the way of winches.  I know, I know, bigger is better.  But what can I get by with?

[isawlogs]

  A big one   ;D :D :D
  I have no clue .. I usualy get one of my friends with a tandem and loader .  :

[mikeandike]

I put a 10,000 pund warn on my trailer and tried it. I was going
to also use a 4000 pound one. After seeing the results of
using the 10,000 pound winch, I sold the smaller one without
even trying it. Figured even if it worked I would burn it up.

[metalspinner]

Here are some pics of a sycamore we loaded yesterday.  This is in Townsend, TN.  It borders the Smoky Mountain National Park.  For those of you that have visited the park, this is The Little River that the HWY follows on up to Gatlinburg.

The log...notice the swing bridge over the river...



cut off...




Rolling onto trailer...




Using come-a-long to get it in a better position for travel...That is my friend Ed.  He got me started in this urban logging stuff.  My son Nick was looking for worms all day.




Got it home!! 8) 8)




Rolling it off...




Scenes from the swing bridge...Nick and Zack liked to make it really swing!





A couple fishermen pulled some nice rainbow trout out while we were working. We have had a lot of rain this month, so the river is a little wilder than usual.  No tubers today!

[Tom]

I know that river.  My son fished in it when he was a little boy.  I distinctly remember his walking up to a fisherman who had just caught a trout and asking him "what'cha fishing for Mr."?   

He thought the man's trout was his bait.   I guess you get a different outlook on fish when raised in Florida on the Salt Water. :D

What is the destination fo the Sycamore?    It sure makes some fine looking cabinets and table tops.  Did you have any trouble loading the logs?  These kinds of experiences will stick with those boys for the rest of their lives.  Take lots of pictures of them.

[thurlow]

Love the Townsend/Cades Cove area;  when we first started going, there was only one gas station/country grocery (as I recall) in Townsend; still not like Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, but it's getting there.  Do you know the Hugh Meyer's family who ran the horse stables (don't know if they're still there or not)  in the Cove;  my Dad had gotten to know them pretty good before he passed on.  We bought the first disc mower ever seen in our part of the country, because we had seen one in operation there about 30 years ago.............

[metalspinner]

Tom,
We take many pics of the biys.  Those digital cards hold so many that e go nuts with the pics.  The river meanders to within a mile of our house.  The boys will do plenty of fishing in it over the years. 
 
  My first experience with this river was when I was the age of my oldest boy in the photo.  My family took a Smoky Mountain vacation.  Now, we lived in south Louisiana and if you can see the bottom of the river, it was only 1 or 2 inches deep!  So, I was standing on a boulder in the middle of the Little River and I could see all the rocks on the bottom.  I decided those would be nice to have so I stepped down off the boulder and went staight to the bottom - about 8' deep!  Dad jumped in after me and caught me just in time from washing away.  I don't know how I survived my childhood.

  The sycamore I  would like to slab. (TNMan, Teenswinger ya'll out there?)  This tree fell over three years ago, but it stayed up off the ground.  The sap is spalted and sound and the heart wood is perfect. 8)
The only problem with loading it was getting out of that low river bottom.  I didn't save the pics of us getting stuck and the neighber pulling us out. :-[

BTW, thanks again to everyone with all the parbuckling tips.  That sure is an easy way to load big logs.  This one is 36' on each end and 9' long! 8)

Thurlow,
I know what you mean about the development of Townsend.  I hope the city planners can keep it under control.  I am not familiar with to many people in the area.  Getting there though.  This sort of logging thing peeks peoples interests and they come introduce themselves.  The owner of the restaurant across the street is the one that pulled us out.  It is brand new and doesn't open until today.  I may have to make that guy a nice table for  his place  for helping out.

[Murf]

That sure is beatiful country around there, the good Lord sure was paying attention when he whipped that part up.  ;)

[UNCLEBUCK]

That is beautiful area and pictures , judging by Nick's t-shirt it looks like he got a whack of worms loaded there  8)  I like your trailer set up !

[metalspinner]

Unclebuck,
That t-shirt is full of walnuts!  That boy of mine has collections of just about everything Mother Nature produces. :D :D :D  We have little drawers and boxes filed with rocks, nuts, seeds, leaves, wood, dirt sand, etc, etc....... :D :D :D  We love it and wouldn't have it any other way! 8)

That trailer setup is all on you guy's.  I read and asked questions on here and lucked into a nice trailer and put it to use per ya'll instructions. Yeah, Forestry Forum! 8) 8) 8) 8)

[UNCLEBUCK]

 :D  On Palm Sunday my nephew had a house full of people and I was sitting outside having a chew in my 3 piece suit and a little kid came up to me and said hey mister would you like a rock , I said you bet I would , he dug deep in his pocket and sure thing he give me a big old rock , I said oh thanks a bunch little dude , he nodded his head and said yep !  :D He was very serious about it  :D

[Mr Mom]

     If i take my son with me some place we end up taking some driveway home. He loves to get different kinds of pretty rocks.




     Thanks Alot Mr Mom

[Corley5]

My son Zach collects red pine cones from the trees out front.  We've come back to the house with his pockets and mine full plus what he could carry.  He prefers the little ones that haven't opened yet ;D

[Furby]

I have a pretty large collection of rocks (yes, even some from driveways ;) ), pine cones, nuts, seeds, wood of many types, dirt and even sand as well. Throw in some salt formations and I think it's all covered.
Guess I never grew up  eh? ;D

[Norm]

Me either, I like to pick through the rocks in the gravel bars of the crick that runs through our place. When the boys were younger we bought a rock tumbler to polish their finds with. Some of them really turned out nice.

[pigman]

Guess I never grew up eh? ;D

Age: 3     From Furby's profile page.
Give it some time Furby. When you turn four you will start doing more adult things. ;D

[Furby]

 8) 8) 8)

[dail_h]

   I'm glad y'all mentioed rocks,if I got pants on,I got a rock in my left pocket. Have had for years.
   Good job on the trailer,and log loading. Keep takin time with them kids,they'l be grown ,an gone before ya know it.