Todays work on a storm uprooted pine

Therrin · 22nd April 2008, 02:21 AM

Hey all,

Anyone who's read the "longer bar for a 361" thread knew I was starting a decent sized project today. A recent windstorm uprooted an otherwise live digger pine and dropped it across the backyard and fenceline at a fellow's place nextdoor to the horse ranch I managed for 2 years. It gave me the opportunity to try out some new chains. All good so far!

Going to do some work for the neighbors as well, then come in later next week with a chipper and take care of both properties.

For a good size comparison, remember that I'm 6'7"... gives you a good scale of the shot where I'm standing next to it.

Therrin · 22nd April 2008, 02:24 AM

When it fell, it bounced, causing the split between two forked leaders, as well as the large crack you can see in the middle of the larger rounds. As I cut off each large round, that big split started oozing sap like thick maple syrup. Messy...

Ekka · 22nd April 2008, 02:45 AM

A digger pine, how coincidental, this Friday all Aussies bow heads for the Diggers who fought for us, their Diggers and Mates, not Bro's!

Anyway, lots of sawing there, was a big azzed Digger, maybe been to the RSL and pigged out.

Good work, nice PPE, I wonder what the shiny asses think, maybe need a rescue paramedic in your back pocket.

Nice orange wedges.

RandyMac · 22nd April 2008, 03:19 AM

"shiney asses" LOL
Gosh that looks like a lot of work, is it worth burning?

Ekka · 22nd April 2008, 03:21 AM

That'd big one bloody big fire!

Hey, Lopa does that here, has these huge big burns, see it on Google Earth.

a_lopa · 22nd April 2008, 03:26 AM

Nice work Therrin,My next big burn is monday 20+ 100year old pines.We are using a purpose built log grab that is a prototype,i will take some pics.

You did well ..

RandyMac · 22nd April 2008, 03:28 AM

I love fire, spent time in the forestry, half the time was used to put out fire, the other half was setting them.

a_lopa · 22nd April 2008, 03:33 AM

A good burn guy is worth his weight in gold,If you dont burn it all its big $$$ hauling!! And stacking so it falls in on itself overnight a must..

RandyMac · 22nd April 2008, 03:46 AM

Forestry practices require a clean burn, they had the process fine tuned. I worked for the State of California, they didn't have many problems, the Feds however....well they are Feds after all. The US Forest Circus had a lot of clearcut burns get away from them, all those expensive items to measure weather, and they get it wrong.

a_lopa · 22nd April 2008, 04:00 AM

The forestry here are much the same Randy...A law o themselves with no-one to answer to!!! Wish i was them!!! LOL

Therrin · 22nd April 2008, 04:11 AM

Several years ago we had several hundred thousand acres go up ablaze in that area. That place is called "Kings Canyon", which is just west of Lancaster, and just NW of Lake Hughes, about an hour north of Los Angeles.

They haven't been too big on controlled burns there, they just get too big too quickly and can't be contained. The aftermath was pretty crazy, left a hell of a mess.

Incidentally, the valley where I was cutting this pine (Kings Canyon) is where a couple thousand fire fighters made a stand as the fire came over the opposite hill and they managed to hold it off and run containment there. The pines atop that hill were going up like tiki torches, flames several hundred feet in the air. It was quite a site.

Back to the cutting... thanks guys, yeah it's not overly big on the scale that some of you work, but it's pretty big to me.

I'll be taking all of the large-diameter rounds back here to this ranch in town where I've got my firewood operation going. Since the wood was live when it came down, I'll have to split it and let it dry out in wood racks till I sell it. The ranch next door to that place has some big diesel trucks and flat trailers, and they come into town pretty often so I'm working on a deal to get it all hauled out here cheap.
It's good pine, so once it's done curing a little it's great to burn.
Burns fast and hot though, so it's typically good for getting a good fire going before ya throw some hardwood on. Alot of people up here don't have access to hardwoods though so they burn pine all winter. Ya use what ya have.

Ekka, I found that using the wedges at what would be 12'oclock and 10 & 2 positions while I'm cutting through keeps the top from shoving back together as I cut.... When I come through at the end it just pops off and sits there. They work pretty good.

RandyMac · 22nd April 2008, 04:16 AM

Yeah, I hear you. Given the power, the savage in me would most likely lay waste to the whole district, the, eh, modern man in me might not.

Therrin · 22nd April 2008, 04:40 AM

Ya spend some time living there instead of just driving through on your way to somewhere, and you can really appreciate it.

I grew up in Lake Hughes, up in the mountains, just about 8 miles from where these pics were taken, and the back of our property line bordered on Angeles nat'l forest property. The beauty of it all really kinda grows on ya... something the "flatlanders" don't appreciate. Nor do they know how to drive up there in inclement weather

It's the idiots who start the fires with welders, cigs, and arson that you wanna drag out in the street and shoot. Things get fairly crazy up there when it starts burning.

RandyMac · 22nd April 2008, 04:48 AM

Shooting is too easy on them, drag 'em behind a truck until there is nothing left but the shoes you tied the rope on.
I have seen your part of the world, it is beautiful country. The fires there are made worse by the uban interface, lots of folks, narrow roads, Santa Annas.

Therrin · 22nd April 2008, 04:54 AM

Ya can't see it in the photos, but I had my mp3 player in my pocket, headphone wires run up under my shirt, and my ear muffs clamped over the clip-on headphones.

Was rockin out through most of the job. Helped the time pass.

Nice thing about running a chainsaw is that you can sing all you want, and unlike bein in the shower, noone can hear you

newguy18 · 22nd April 2008, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Therrin

Ekka, I found that using the wedges at what

22nd April 2008, 02:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 8,056	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine A digger pine, how coincidental, this Friday all Aussies bow heads for the Diggers who fought for us, their Diggers and Mates, not Bro's! Anyway, lots of sawing there, was a big azzed Digger, maybe been to the RSL and pigged out. Good work, nice PPE, I wonder what the shiny asses think, maybe need a rescue paramedic in your back pocket. Nice orange wedges. __________________ Remember to use the "search" function, if you have answers/questions post them so everyone can benefit. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding and Stump Removal Brisbane Brisbane Tree Care, Consultations, Developer, Tree and Arborist Reports Forum Sponsors

22nd April 2008, 03:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
RandyMac Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW California Posts: 81	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine "shiney asses" LOL Gosh that looks like a lot of work, is it worth burning? __________________ RandyMac

22nd April 2008, 03:21 AM	#5 (permalink)
Ekka Admin - Dip Arb & Hort Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 8,056	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine That'd big one bloody big fire! Hey, Lopa does that here, has these huge big burns, see it on Google Earth. __________________ Remember to use the "search" function, if you have answers/questions post them so everyone can benefit. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Qualified Brisbane Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding and Stump Removal Brisbane Brisbane Tree Care, Consultations, Developer, Tree and Arborist Reports Forum Sponsors

22nd April 2008, 03:26 AM	#6 (permalink)
a_lopa Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 939	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Nice work Therrin,My next big burn is monday 20+ 100year old pines.We are using a purpose built log grab that is a prototype,i will take some pics. You did well .. __________________ Free Tree Industry Link Directory

22nd April 2008, 03:28 AM	#7 (permalink)
RandyMac Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW California Posts: 81	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine I love fire, spent time in the forestry, half the time was used to put out fire, the other half was setting them. __________________ RandyMac

22nd April 2008, 03:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
a_lopa Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 939	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine A good burn guy is worth his weight in gold,If you dont burn it all its big $$$ hauling!! And stacking so it falls in on itself overnight a must.. __________________ Free Tree Industry Link Directory

22nd April 2008, 03:46 AM	#9 (permalink)
RandyMac Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW California Posts: 81	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Forestry practices require a clean burn, they had the process fine tuned. I worked for the State of California, they didn't have many problems, the Feds however....well they are Feds after all. The US Forest Circus had a lot of clearcut burns get away from them, all those expensive items to measure weather, and they get it wrong. __________________ RandyMac

22nd April 2008, 04:00 AM	#10 (permalink)
a_lopa Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 939	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine The forestry here are much the same Randy...A law o themselves with no-one to answer to!!! Wish i was them!!! LOL __________________ Free Tree Industry Link Directory

22nd April 2008, 04:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,348	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Several years ago we had several hundred thousand acres go up ablaze in that area. That place is called "Kings Canyon", which is just west of Lancaster, and just NW of Lake Hughes, about an hour north of Los Angeles. They haven't been too big on controlled burns there, they just get too big too quickly and can't be contained. The aftermath was pretty crazy, left a hell of a mess. Incidentally, the valley where I was cutting this pine (Kings Canyon) is where a couple thousand fire fighters made a stand as the fire came over the opposite hill and they managed to hold it off and run containment there. The pines atop that hill were going up like tiki torches, flames several hundred feet in the air. It was quite a site. Back to the cutting... thanks guys, yeah it's not overly big on the scale that some of you work, but it's pretty big to me. I'll be taking all of the large-diameter rounds back here to this ranch in town where I've got my firewood operation going. Since the wood was live when it came down, I'll have to split it and let it dry out in wood racks till I sell it. The ranch next door to that place has some big diesel trucks and flat trailers, and they come into town pretty often so I'm working on a deal to get it all hauled out here cheap. It's good pine, so once it's done curing a little it's great to burn. Burns fast and hot though, so it's typically good for getting a good fire going before ya throw some hardwood on. Alot of people up here don't have access to hardwoods though so they burn pine all winter. Ya use what ya have. Ekka, I found that using the wedges at what would be 12'oclock and 10 & 2 positions while I'm cutting through keeps the top from shoving back together as I cut.... When I come through at the end it just pops off and sits there. They work pretty good. __________________ Ken Fessia I.T.S.A. Tree Service (661) 916-4703

22nd April 2008, 04:16 AM	#12 (permalink)
RandyMac Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW California Posts: 81	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Yeah, I hear you. Given the power, the savage in me would most likely lay waste to the whole district, the, eh, modern man in me might not. __________________ RandyMac

22nd April 2008, 04:40 AM	#13 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,348	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Ya spend some time living there instead of just driving through on your way to somewhere, and you can really appreciate it. I grew up in Lake Hughes, up in the mountains, just about 8 miles from where these pics were taken, and the back of our property line bordered on Angeles nat'l forest property. The beauty of it all really kinda grows on ya... something the "flatlanders" don't appreciate. Nor do they know how to drive up there in inclement weather It's the idiots who start the fires with welders, cigs, and arson that you wanna drag out in the street and shoot. Things get fairly crazy up there when it starts burning. __________________ Ken Fessia I.T.S.A. Tree Service (661) 916-4703

22nd April 2008, 04:48 AM	#14 (permalink)
RandyMac Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: NW California Posts: 81	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Shooting is too easy on them, drag 'em behind a truck until there is nothing left but the shoes you tied the rope on. I have seen your part of the world, it is beautiful country. The fires there are made worse by the uban interface, lots of folks, narrow roads, Santa Annas. __________________ RandyMac

22nd April 2008, 04:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,348	Re: Todays work on a storm uprooted pine Ya can't see it in the photos, but I had my mp3 player in my pocket, headphone wires run up under my shirt, and my ear muffs clamped over the clip-on headphones. Was rockin out through most of the job. Helped the time pass. Nice thing about running a chainsaw is that you can sing all you want, and unlike bein in the shower, noone can hear you __________________ Ken Fessia I.T.S.A. Tree Service (661) 916-4703