Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[mainewoods]

A cat scan showed no punctured lung, I was lucky. Didn't develop pneumonia either , thank god. 8 broken on the right side and 3 on the left. 2 weeks of the worst pain I think I've ever felt. Once they stopped grating against each other it was tolerable. DR. wanted to put me in the hospital for a week, on morphine, I declined his offer. Almost wished I had now. Went back to work after 2 weeks, still ain't quite right though.

 

[mainewoods]

Doc in the ER said he had never seen anyone with so many broken ribs and still walking, especially someone my age.

 

[KiwiBro]

Been laid up for a few weeks, sure is good to be back. Broke 11 ribs and lost my "skidder". I figured it would be better to hit this beech than try and survive the ride down the mountain with no brakes and a load of oak in the back. It wasn't an accident, it was an "on purpose". It was the only choice I could see in the 8 seconds I had to make a decision. The 4' oak load shifted forward on impact and drove my seat and me into the steering wheel. I guess it was better than the 35 degree down hill ride facing me. Any way I made it.
View attachment 612595

Wow. Glad you are alive to tell the tale. It's one spooky predicament to be in. Had it with a tractor, the brand of which the non-disclosure document I signed stops me from saying, when it kicked out of gear on a steep slope and I had maybe a second to decide to risk going side hill or keep heading into a river. It teetered on two wheels deciding whether it will go the whole way over or let me down with just soiled pants. That bloody tractor nearly killed me more than once. A logging truck driver near where I was working had a similar decision to make when he lost his brakes and only just made it out of the cab before the rig plunged overboard. He just broke a few ribs and a leg. Very, very lucky escape.

 

[mainewoods]

At least I was out scrounging wood!

 

[mainewoods]

I just finished throwing the last 6 cord into the cellar. I'll pay for that, but it's done anyway.

 

[mainewoods]

I wasn't going to say anything. Didn't want to derail the thread.

 

[dancan]

I was getting ready to make a call on the derail lol

Sure lets you know you're alive don't it Cliff

 

[mainewoods]

A standard tranny would probably have had a different outcome for sure. I was in 4 high and couldn't drop it into low. The weight of 3/4 of a cord of red oak ( sorry dan) in the back boosted the momentum by a lot. I figured 35 mph into a tree was better odds than 40 or 50 by the time i reached the bottom of the hill. I doubt i would have made it that far without rolling it.

 

[mainewoods]

It was real skidder trail, deep ruts and all.

 

[KiwiBro]

Everyone, give us your best jokes so we can make mainewoods laugh. I'm told humour is the best medicine, although the person who came up with that probably didn't have busted ribs. Lets see if we can make mainwoods laugh until he cries.

 

[mainewoods]

I aimed for a bunch of smaller trees first but it didn't slow me down. Wouldn't have been so bad if the 4 footers hadn't hit me in the back. Numerous ribs have multiple fractures because of that. Still with only seconds to decide a beech at 35 mph looked better than the other alternative. I can't imagine what an open tractor would have been like. You were a lucky man, Kiwi Bro!

 

[KiwiBro]

A standard tranny would probably have had a different outcome for sure.

i agree. Some of them are tougher than they look

 

[mainewoods]

Now that one really hurt!

 

[dancan]

Well, if Clint had been going for Zoggerwood or spruce I bet that the front bumper on the the skidder would be in better shape [emoji41]

 

[mainewoods]

I sure wish there was a small spruce around at the time, i would have aimed for it. I was on a side hill, so I had to hit the beech on the passenger side to keep from spinning my rear end onto the road and risk rolling over. It worked, just wished it was a smaller beech. lol

 

[zogger]

I sure wish there was a small spruce around at the time, i would have aimed for it. I was on a side hill, so I had to hit the beech on the passenger side to keep from spinning my rear end onto the road and risk rolling over. It worked, just wished it was a smaller beech. lol

you kids always hotrodding around...well, you lived to show off another day!

 

[woodchip rookie]

Sure am glad I scrounge popsicle sticks.

 

[mainewoods]

I think my "showing off" days are over, Zog. Not sure I can take another of those. May have to cut some new roads and quarter across the "hill" instead.

 

[mainewoods]

Maybe train me a new moose. The heck with gasoline engines!

 

[zogger]

Maybe train me a new moose. The heck with gasoline engines!

I've been waiting for 20 years now or something like that for those genetic scientists to finally clone the woolly mammoths..can you imagine logging with one of them dudes! Whoop! YAA MULE YAAA!!!!