I started my annual TSI project which usually involves Fir (Balsam). There is a section of S/P/F with a little hardwood mixed in but mostly Fir. They are bigger trees, at least compared to other fir in my woodlot here in the NE. They are recently dead or dying and many are misshapen. I want to cut the fir before the increased light from dead trees encourages regen. I don't want old dead Fir to blow down on new growth later. I will consider any logs I can get for stud wood as a bonus.
Since it is a new project I brought my camera. Heading down to the work site there was a blowdown across a fork in the trail.
I took care of that with the grapple. Then as I continued down and saw a partridge giving me the evil eye as I drove past.
At the work site the first tree was about 2' at the butt and dead. It also had a serious case of butt rot so using a wedge to steer it seemed a bad option. But there was an opening with just one small maple branch across it that I thought I could drop the tree through.
Of course it hung up on that little branch.
I had to work harder than you might think to get it down and finally reverted to the winch.
The butt was totally rotted and there was a seam and weevil crook up 12'.
Even with that I got a 40' log out of it. I cut a cookie and cut that into a block just to ensure myself that there was solid wood in that rotten tree.
Here is a video I made, just for fun, showing the above story in case you are in the mood to watch an old guy enjoying his woods.
gg
Since it is a new project I brought my camera. Heading down to the work site there was a blowdown across a fork in the trail.
I took care of that with the grapple. Then as I continued down and saw a partridge giving me the evil eye as I drove past.
At the work site the first tree was about 2' at the butt and dead. It also had a serious case of butt rot so using a wedge to steer it seemed a bad option. But there was an opening with just one small maple branch across it that I thought I could drop the tree through.
Of course it hung up on that little branch.
I had to work harder than you might think to get it down and finally reverted to the winch.
The butt was totally rotted and there was a seam and weevil crook up 12'.
Even with that I got a 40' log out of it. I cut a cookie and cut that into a block just to ensure myself that there was solid wood in that rotten tree.
Here is a video I made, just for fun, showing the above story in case you are in the mood to watch an old guy enjoying his woods.
gg