What Standing Old Growth Is Good For

[slowp]

I had a lot of pondering time today. I played swamper support behind the backhoe, so drove slowly with flashers on and got out occasionally to throw a branch off the road. After a woods style restroom stop, I came to the conclusion that is what I like to have large, old growth handy for. It makes a good restroom. Especially for the circumferentially challenged.

What do you like it for?

 

[2dogs]

Uh, well... First off for guys the entire world is our urinal. Nuff said?

Old growth redwood is beautiful for its grandure and its grain. Most og redwood I have ever will stay standing till long after I'm dead and that is just fine with me. The little bit I get to saw on has grain second growth trees can only dream of. Table slabs, doors, burl table tops, and sculptures are just a few of the things only og redwood can produce. It is a shame to make fence or deck boards out of og, things that last just a few years.

Right now I'm searching for a nice og redwood for a bridge beam for a walking bridge. It should last 20 years or so. A friend of mine recently milled a 40' beam with an Alaskan mill. I don't know if it was 2nd growth or og, I didn't see it.

 

[Gologit]

Uh, well... First off for guys the entire world is our urinal. Nuff said?

Old growth redwood is beautiful for its grandure and its grain. Most og redwood I have ever will stay standing till long after I'm dead and that is just fine with me. The little bit I get to saw on has grain second growth trees can only dream of. Table slabs, doors, burl table tops, and sculptures are just a few of the things only og redwood can produce. It is a shame to make fence or deck boards out of og, things that last just a few years

Yup.

 

[Spotted Owl]

Never thought about that before.

I do like to show the kids old photos of axe facing and whip back cuts. Then take them to where some of those big monsters are still standing. Then it really sinks in as to how much hard work went into shaping what we have today. Also how easy we have it today withour "modern technology", compared to how things used to be done. Dry out the hanging moss and you have a great fire starter. I have taken the kids to a place I know of where there is still a standing topped cedar that was used for a spar. Don't know why they used a cedar, but it makes for good illistration cause I don't think a fir would still be standing. You can see where the rigging bit into the wood under what must have been massive loads. The guy stumps and friction stumps can also be found although they are not in as good of condition as the spar. The friction stumps are really scared up. Not many of todays youngsters know what a true old growth really is, what they see on TV and in magazines are big 2nd that the media and leaf eaters try passing off as OG. Put a city Kid next to a 4-5 foot base and things start to click from what the media has said to them, then take them to a 10-12+ base and they really are in awe. Many many times I have been told by kids and their parents that they didn't know trees were really that big. Then we get into biology/habitat talks about timber and managment stuff. When they walk away after seeing that and for the first time and hearing some things with an open mind for the first time, the light bulb of truth comes on, I suppose that is one thing I like Old Growth for.

It's also on some pretty steep/vertical ground with washed out skinny junk roads. I know if we go off the side, one of them old monsters will catch us and we won't go all the way to the bottom. That's another thing I like Old Growth for.

I also really like OG stumps. Find a few on Elk travel ways and use them to your advantage. The really big rotten ones are best like 8' plus. Cut a slot out just big enough to squeeze thru to the inside. Cut a few windows in them. Dig out the core rott. Lay some plywood on top and trim to the curve of the stump. Throw on some dirt and plant some natural veggies on top. That makes a great very natural blind. More than once we(the boy and me) have had elk so close we could not shoot them. The Elk actuall stopped while we were in the blind to eat some of the plants that we put on the plywood. They were close enough the the arrow would not clear the riser. Works well for deer too.

Does likeing the stumps count?


Owl

 

[2dogs]

Does likeing the stumps count?


Owl

Oh yeah! I'l try and get some pics of a big stump not far from here. IIRC it is around 18' dbh!