Windfall Whips and Widowmakers, the Hazard's of Working in the Woods.

[Kodiak Kid]

I've only bled in the woods.
No broken bones.
Things with wheels now, now there's where the fun can get serious.
Especially motorcycles.
Ever hear of a Maisonneuve fracture? Now that's a real fun time. When I initially tried to dust off & ignore the pain after crashing a brakeless xr650 into a tree, my leg shortened an inch or so as the ankle "tenan" slid right between the busted fib & tib! Unsatisfied with the first attempt, I tried to walk again & the old leg just smushed like a sausage. Cold sweat type sensations if you know what I mean. Very weird feeling of stepping down through your own meat..
It was the type of deal where they couldn't put me in a cast because of the swelling. Just hanging out for weeks upon weeks with a broken leg in the equivalent of a thick sock
. . The best part was the pills. They gave me a weeks worth of 5mg hydrocodone. & refused a refill on the guise of me living by myself & being a possible fall risk. Like I said, I went weeks & weeks with a fully broken leg, no pain killers. Evil doctors...
On the bright side, I haven't rolled that ankle since. It would mess me up way too often.
I also managed to heal my skiing related left knee injury during that down time. I used to be able to run super tight bindings... For almost a year that left knee would hyper extend or something, just at random. stepping up onto something increased the possibility. Pow electricity!
I think the Maiaonneuve had me out of commission for almost 5 months. Had to get a knee scooter. That thing kicked my ass. Stupid unstable ****ing thing. As I was motoring into the dining room with my microwaved manicotti one day, I managed to fall in such a way that my good foot was impaled by a pencil eraser sized steering stop
It wouldn't come out either. I struggled for a good moment before rage took care of things & it finally let go of me.
The two pins holding my bones together got stuck due to my eduberant bone growth. Here's the surgeon Progressively using more & more gusto until finally he slipped & reached unanesthetized meat with his screwdriver.
I almost jumped off of the table. Since then up until last November I had been granny's caretaker so I've not had the opportunity to live in the fast lane much at all...
Well, there was that time when I broke my right shoulder completely off of the skeleton.
Apparently it's quite a feat to clean break a scapula clean off.Had to break a few ribs off, front & back for enough energy to reach & break the scapula. That's what the doctor said at least. The repair on that deal did utilized some nice hardware. Stronger than before or my money back! Just kidding. My doc did indeed claim that my new bionic clavicle would be stronger, though.. the scapula luckily went right back where it belongs without any titanium.

I've definitely leaked my share of red fluids and broke by share of muscle support members while working in the woods. It was never fun! Ironically, I had the least amount of injuries cut'n the steep. Probably because I was way more cautious! Knowing that there was very little room for error and it was no place for risky techniques, short cuts, cockyness, or complacency. DONT GET ME WRONG! Not to say there is in any strip of timber on any terrain, but when ones self is cut'n on steep ground. They are constantly reminded of it. At least I am! Especially when tip'n bigger timber and old growth.

Riding a dirt bike without brakes? That was probably your biggest problem and trouble contributing to that injury!
I'll save my dirt bike and snow boarding injury stories fir another time. Maybe even in a different thread perhaps.

Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Billhook]

I've only bled in the woods.
No broken bones.
Things with wheels now, now there's where the fun can get serious.
Especially motorcycles.
Ever hear of a Maisonneuve fracture? Now that's a real fun time. When I initially tried to dust off & ignore the pain after crashing a brakeless xr650 into a tree, my leg shortened an inch or so as the ankle "tenan" slid right between the busted fib & tib! Unsatisfied with the first attempt, I tried to walk again & the old leg just smushed like a sausage. Cold sweat type sensations if you know what I mean. Very weird feeling of stepping down through your own meat..
It was the type of deal where they couldn't put me in a cast because of the swelling. Just hanging out for weeks upon weeks with a broken leg in the equivalent of a thick sock
. . The best part was the pills. They gave me a weeks worth of 5mg hydrocodone. & refused a refill on the guise of me living by myself & being a possible fall risk. Like I said, I went weeks & weeks with a fully broken leg, no pain killers. Evil doctors...
On the bright side, I haven't rolled that ankle since. It would mess me up way too often.
I also managed to heal my skiing related left knee injury during that down time. I used to be able to run super tight bindings... For almost a year that left knee would hyper extend or something, just at random. stepping up onto something increased the possibility. Pow electricity!
I think the Maiaonneuve had me out of commission for almost 5 months. Had to get a knee scooter. That thing kicked my ass. Stupid unstable ****ing thing. As I was motoring into the dining room with my microwaved manicotti one day, I managed to fall in such a way that my good foot was impaled by a pencil eraser sized steering stop
It wouldn't come out either. I struggled for a good moment before rage took care of things & it finally let go of me.
The two pins holding my bones together got stuck due to my eduberant bone growth. Here's the surgeon Progressively using more & more gusto until finally he slipped & reached unanesthetized meat with his screwdriver.
I almost jumped off of the table. Since then up until last November I had been granny's caretaker so I've not had the opportunity to live in the fast lane much at all...
Well, there was that time when I broke my right shoulder completely off of the skeleton.
Apparently it's quite a feat to clean break a scapula clean off.Had to break a few ribs off, front & back for enough energy to reach & break the scapula. That's what the doctor said at least. The repair on that deal did utilized some nice hardware. Stronger than before or my money back! Just kidding. My doc did indeed claim that my new bionic clavicle would be stronger, though.. the scapula luckily went right back where it belongs without any titanium.

Gentlemen , we can rebuild him!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

"HEADS UP"!!!

SNAGS!


I normally dont wedge Snags, but if I do happen to use wedges when lifting a snag into commitment? Not only is it usually already missing its top, but it is also in very early stages of decomposition. Trying to wedge highly decomposed snags is JUST ASKING FIR TROUBLE! I also NEVER smack a wedge more than once without looking up. I smack it, look up as quick as I can and keep looking up for at least a few seconds. Then repeat the process. I use long wedges. The thinner the better.


I don't take my eyes off the top until the face has closed completely and the snag has hit the ground.

I've had big snags buckle right in half like a toothpick! Sometimes at what seemed like a 45° angle and then instantly have the top come right back at me. Not just once either! Several times! Usually because my face cut was too narrow!

If you do push snags with snags. It is always best for the pusher to be the more sound of the two! Like always, keep your head up and eyes front! All the way until both snags have at least hit the deck!


Cut safe, stay sharp, and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

 

[Kodiak Kid]

A bunch of hung up wind blown Spruce snags.



Cut safe, stay sharp and be aware!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Wind Fall Patches!
This is a decent example of a patch of wind sheared, hung up and blown down snags. A lot of these crossed up tangled tops and trunks are spring and/or twist loaded. A lot are not. Its like a puzzle that must be taken apart piece by piece. Fresh live blow down. "Typically" has more strain and is more load bearing than a patch that is dead and has been down for a couple years. Freshly blown down timber is also typically heavier because of the moisture content in the wood. I emphasize TYPICALLY! Extreme caution must be exercised when bringing your saw into a patch of blow down. Many specialty cuts, as well as different techniques and fundamentals are used when cut'n blow down that are not often used when harvesting healthy stands of live timber. I myself have been thrown ten feet in the air, broke ribbs, and have had the wind knocked
out of me several times working windfall patches! Limbs can hit you like base ball bats. Trunks can throw you like a catapult or smash you like a pile driver! Many weekend warriors and inexperienced folks on a saw. Take this type of cut'n for granted and end up getting seriously injured or killed!



Cut safe, stay sharp and be aware!

 

[slowp]

I used to open up the less traveled roads when needed. Because I never thought of myself as an expert, I'd do some serious pondering before cutting. Sometimes it was safest to hike up and start at the top end, sometimes not...etc. The important thing is to think of it as a game of pickup sticks--which one to cut first and where. Also, look up for leaners that might come down.

If in doubt, walk away. Also, one place where one can learn to buck is with trail organizations. Here we have the PCTA Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Washington Trails Association. You'll likely get time on the end of a crosscut saw but the challenges are the same. They have instructors who really know their stuff and the crosscut techniques used are fascinating.

Was out with the road crew this day and it was my turn to cut the tree that was across the bridge. My main thought was not to drop the saw. The rest was pretty straight forward. The top made a nice splash and enhanced the fish habitat.

 

[GrizG]

I used to open up the less traveled roads when needed. Because I never thought of myself as an expert, I'd do some serious pondering before cutting. Sometimes it was safest to hike up and start at the top end, sometimes not...etc. The important thing is to think of it as a game of pickup sticks--which one to cut first and where. Also, look up for leaners that might come down.

If in doubt, walk away. Also, one place where one can learn to buck is with trail organizations. Here we have the PCTA Pacific Crest Trail Association and the Washington Trails Association. You'll likely get time on the end of a crosscut saw but the challenges are the same. They have instructors who really know their stuff and the crosscut techniques used are fascinating.

Was out with the road crew this day and it was my turn to cut the tree that was across the bridge. My main thought was not to drop the saw. The rest was pretty straight forward. The top made a nice splash and enhanced the fish habitat.

I volunteer for tree work on about 13 miles of rail trails and for 3 land trusts and a sportsmen's club. Having had Game of Logging training I was not the typical volunteer. After being around untrained volunteers I encouraged those organizations to require formal training for new volunteers. Towards that end I've hosted GOL training classes and advise the organizations when other classes are scheduled. It helps that local places like Mohonk Mountain House train their crews through GOL... gives the training legitimacy in the organizations' eyes. Formal arborist training or NFS training are acceptable. GOL is most common around here.

One day a land trust director came out to assist me in the removal of a very dangerous blowdown that took out 7 other trees. They called in another chainsaw volunteer to help. The director's partner works for one of the best tree services in the area... they all have formal training and years of experience. As such she was somewhat familiar with the trade. She was horrified to see how the untrained guy worked... she told the executive director not to call him again! The icing on the cake was when he ran over his saw with his tractor... I told them I'd never work with him again. I didn't care how many years experience he claimed to have. I think it was more like a day's worth of untrained experience 100s of times! That led to them requiring training credentials from new volunteers. Yes you get fewer volunteers but I can tell when I'm on the trail that the new guys know what they are doing... good stumps and workmanlike clean ups compared to "managed to get it down" stumps and debris left intruding on the shoulders of the trail.

Even with training and "years of experience" I'm still learning. When you're dealing with snags, blowdowns, and fallen trees new challenges present themselves regularly.

On another note, I believe it was Isaac Asimov who said "When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent," not Carl Sagen. Either way it's a sound sentiment!

Be safe out there!

 

[slowp]

I am too lazy to change it.

Both organizations I mentioned have training and certification. They mostly work in wilderness so crosscuts are the most used saws. The WTA will not allow volunteers to run chainsaws. After seeing their guy run one, I was thinking that their paid folks maybe ought not to run them either. The PCTA has a training and certification program for chainsaws and crosscuts. I couldn't figure out why the instructor kept staring at me so hard and was later told that I cut better than most of the men and he was surprised. Due to foot problems, which I still have, I was unable to continue anymore trail work. But I sure was impressed with the crosscut skills of the back country horse people, and the crosscut gurus of the PCTA. They will have classes listed online for the west coast states. They have a big session in Cascade Locks, OR, or used to.

 

[AT sawyer]

I like using crosscuts. You can hear every snap and crack before a release and hopefully get yourself and the saw back from the drop.

 

[Howsitgoineh]

One of our riggers had a dead maple limb fall on his wrist while rigging down over a house.

He saw it coming but he wouldn't let go of the rope, as the limb we were rigging would have crashed into the house. The limb that hit him wasn't all that big but it fell from a fair enough distance to cause a fracture.. he wasn't too happy about the busted wrist but was glad to have saved the house

 

[slowp]

I like using crosscuts. You can hear every snap and crack before a release and hopefully get yourself and the saw back from the drop.

The techniques used are fun to learn. The guru sawyer I worked with had a underbucker gadget he'd made out of aircraft metal so it would be lighter weight to pack in. He also had an antique gizmo (spud) to use to debark the area to be cut. He'd found that in an antique store on the east coast.

An underbucking tool is a gadget to hold the saw up when underbucking. The one we used had a wheel and an adjustable spike so it could be raised as the saw raised. Axe handles can also be used and you'll sometimes see an old axe with grooves in the handle. Ugh. I've forgotten what it looks like so here's one that uses an axe instead of a spike. https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm02232330/index.htm



I don't know if everybody does it, but the folks I've been out with always take the bark off the area that the cut will be made in. It helps keep the saw sharp. There is dirt and sometimes, even volcanic ash embedded in the bark. Also, there can be a lot of digging underneath so the saw won't hit the dirt. A dull crosscut is definitely a misery whip.

 

[Trailsawyer]

This is an aluminum underbucker that was being made by a sawyer in Oregon several years ago.... while they are a pound or so lighter than steel construction, they aren't as durable.

 

[slowp]

This is an aluminum underbucker that was being made by a sawyer in Oregon several years ago.... while they are a pound or so lighter than steel construction, they aren't as durable.

That's the one and I bet it is the same guy.

 

[Howsitgoineh]

Gentlemen , we can rebuild him!

Motorcycles are fun. I used to love dirt biking when I was a teen. I prefer 4 wheels on the ground now.

Now how about snowmobiles? My brother's got one that really rips. I couldn't take it to full throttle on our lake this winter. Little too much speed for me. I had a great time, but if I get myself one it'll have a much lower cc

Dad's had several friends and a couple relatives lose their lives on sleds

 

[Howsitgoineh]

I like using crosscuts. You can hear every snap and crack before a release and hopefully get yourself and the saw back from the drop.

For hangups we often use a snap cut and work our way up the trunk. It's sketchy as heck sometimes but hey, that's the nature of the business I guess. Always be aware of the potential dangers. When possible we will use winches, trucks, mini ex, or a pull rope to get it to the ground first.

Two injuries occurred at the company I work with, both times on crane jobs. One climber fell from the crane while tying himself in. Broke his back in several places.
His own error, but we were shocked as he was a very talented and seasoned climber

The other one was a pick laying on the ground. Groundie was stripping limbs, cut one off that didn't appear to be holding anything up. That log rolled right onto his foot, and shattered it.

Be safe folks!

 

[Long Bar 60]

"A loggers life is a short and painful hitch between the cradle and the grave." Ted Goodwin

 

[Long Bar 60]

I had an employee get killed back in 1991. Somewhere back in that era I had a log shift while at the same time I lost my footing and ended up pinned under the log with a broken femur. A couple of things I learned from that one- breaking a femur really hurts. And for a long time. And morphine really kills pain.
I could write a book on logging injuries.
I'm 65 years old and have worn out my knees so I got the left one replaced on 10-24-23 and the right one 2 months ago yesterday. Skied for 2 hours yesterday. Have I ever mentioned? I'm stupid. LOL

 

[AT sawyer]

......... Axe handles can also be used and you'll sometimes see an old axe with grooves in the handle. Ugh. I've forgotten what it looks like so here's one that uses an axe instead of a spike. https://www.fs.usda.gov/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs/htm02232330/index.htm

Underbuckers are just one more thing to carry and seem to have more of a home in the PNW where the trees are bigger. Crosscut sawyers who use their axe handles to underbuck don't pay enough attention to dressing the backs of their saws, which are often chipped and rusty and have a serrated edge effect on axe handles. A smooth saw spine will glide along an axe handle and not do much damage.

 

[AT sawyer]

......... For hangups we often use a snap cut and work our way up the trunk. It's sketchy as heck sometimes but hey, that's the nature of the business I guess. Always be aware of the potential dangers. When possible we will use winches, trucks, mini ex, or a pull rope to get it to the ground first.

Is that like the picket fence technique where the hung up tree breaks away and the cut pieces stay in the ground while you walk the stem up ever steeper angles (while hoping it'll finally drop out of its hangup before it goes vertical on you)?