First Annual Red Alder Seminar

[slowp]

I hosted the first annual Red Alder seminar last weekend. Spaces were limited because of topographical challenges for parking. We discussed the special techniques used to fall leaning alder, and practiced on a few. After breakfast, a safety meeting took place.


From the left: Schmuck, Cedarkerf, and Gologit.



Gologit cuts his first alder. The ground drops off behind him.


Success.

Cedarkerf should change his name to Cedaralder. Or Alderkerf. He's done this a few times.

My bad. He's cutting a dead maple.

 

[slowp]

Madhatte showed up, fashionably late, and we moved operations to the road where he attacked another dead maple. It proved to be a little bit stubborn about hitting the ground.




Back to alder. This one took a bit of looking at. From one angle, it looked destined to hit the woodshed or go over the hill. From the base, these two guys realized it would go in a better direction. Cedarkerf did the falling.

Hmmm. Bucking alder is like cutting butter.

Alder stumps are white at first.

Then they turn red. I took this picture a week later.

 

[slowp]

We moved onto steep ground and had a discussion about illegitimate child growth. My 5 acres has a lot of that. One tree was a candidate for Trees Of Mystery. It gets dark in the woods here.

 

[slowp]

Schmuck took on the rotten, leaning maple.

 

[slowp]

Madhatte cut the Tree Of Mystery.

 

[slowp]

Janie and I found these two bargains at the big flea market. Both are Mac Ts. She found a 6 point with intact liner and I found a 4 point. Both were purchased for less than $20 each. Usually they are asking a lot more.


Thanks to all the participants. Some of the wood is already stacked in the woodpile.

 

[2dogs]

Were there cookies?

 

[slowp]

Were there cookies?

Yes. And pie, and excellent meatloaf, and great breakfast raspberry things. No donettos were needed.
Unfortunately, the huckleberries were non-existent this year. Pies will have to be apple next year.

 

[Gologit]

Were there cookies?

Yup. As usual, nobody went hungry. Huge steaks for supper the first nite, courtesy of Cedarkerf and MtnGal23. Logger style breakfast every morning. Three great cooks in one kitchen...we couldn't lose on that deal.

The Used Dog got his fair share of attention, too.

 

[Samlock]

Alders of Zion...

 

[madhatte]

The commentary here is the best.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Madhatte showed up, fashionably late, and we moved operations to the road where he attacked another dead maple. It proved to be a little bit stubborn about hitting the ground.
View attachment 366993

View attachment 366994

Back to alder. This one took a bit of looking at. From one angle, it looked destined to hit the woodshed or go over the hill. From the base, these two guys realized it would go in a better direction. Cedarkerf did the falling.
View attachment 366995
Hmmm. Bucking alder is like cutting butter.
View attachment 366997
Alder stumps are white at first.
View attachment 366998
Then they turn red. I took this picture a week later.
View attachment 366999

Wow for some reason that pic angle sure looked like a slopping back cut what the heck

 

[slowp]

I believe we discussed this, but is it a slopping back cut when the tree is leaning? The alders here do not grow straight.

 

[Gologit]

I believe we discussed this, but is it a slopping back cut when the tree is leaning? The alders here do not grow straight.

Yup, camera angle. Had to be. That wasn't a slopping back cut, it was a "directionally efficient back cut". Yeah, that sounds good.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Yup, camera angle. Had to be. That wasn't a slopping back cut, it was a "directionally efficient back cut". Yeah, that sounds good.

Agreed that's our story and were sticking to it

 

[slowp]

You need to work sustainably into the sentence. It was a sustainably directionally efficient back cut. Now I can sell the wood to Home Depot.

 

[bitzer]

Thanks for sharing. I'd like to cut one of those alders one day. Just wondering what I could compare it to around here.

 

[wyk]

Thanks for sharing. I'd like to cut one of those alders one day. Just wondering what I could compare it to around here.

It's sort of difficult to describe, I guess. It cuts maybe a bit like poplar?

I have cut thousands of the things when I was back in Oregon. At one point I was clearing a 30 acres red alder blow down site off of the Yamhill river. Nothing but rocks and other Alder. When they hit the ground, it was anyone's guess where they would go after that. Very springy, and not terribly forgiving. I have had several come straight back at me on numerous occasions. I tend to use a bore cut if they have some meat to them, and are leaning heavily. Haven't ever had one barber chair on me that way. The one I am cutting on in this vid back in 2009 was leaning over the creek.