West Coast G.O.L. classes?

[ultimate buzz]

I have a friend who lives in the Livermore,Ca area who recently bought some land to retire on up in the Castle Rock, Washington area. He recently bought what I believe is his first decent chainsaw to cut in an extended driveway and an area to put in a small home. His wife is a little apprehensive about his knowledge and skills with a chainsaw, and is looking to find out if there are any Game of Logging or simular classes available in either of these two areas.Can any of you West /Left Coasters come up with any info that I can pass on to them?It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks -ken

 

[Spotted Owl]

The only classes or school'in that I know of up here are the ones called, hard knocks.

Does this person have a friend close that will show them some of the basics? You know just enough to stay alive, in one piece and healthy? Does he have the money to hire a pro for the day just so he can watch him like a hawk and try to learn something.


Owl

 

[forestryworks]

The only classes or school'in that I know of up here are the ones called, hard knocks.

Does this person have a friend close that will some them some of the basics? You know just enough to stay alive, in one piece and healthy? Does he have the money to hire a pro for the day just so he can watch him like a hawk and try to learn something.


Owl

:agree2:

 

[GASoline71]

I'm not really much of a fan of the "Game" of Logging... way overtechnical for my knuckledraggin' pea brain to absorb. I don't have a protractor either...

Anyways... unless he's going to be doin' some sort of fallin' for a livin'... I would skip it and find someone who has a little experience show him.

Heck... in Castle Rock, he could prolly wander in to one of the local Taverns and find a crotchety old semi-retired timber faller...

Gary

 

[smokechase II]

GOL not spoken here

To my knowledge there are no formal classes of any type available on the West Coast to the private individual. Possible exception - some community colleges - have him check locally.

BC up north does appear to do a very good job with their training - testing - certification. That is just for their needs and I believe it does cost a bit.

=============

GOL is actually significantly disrespected here.

It got off on the wrong foot in several ways:
1) Locals don't trust anyone approaching logging with an it's a game attitude,
2) Soren came out to Northeastern Washington in the 1980's and started off with a "I've got something to teach you" attitude. He didn't realize that it would have benefited him and everyone else to cut for a couple years here, understand the differences in the timber and the land, then go with an "I think there are few areas where these techniques" might work better. He actually wanted to transpose the entire Scandinavian cutting methodology in a place he'd never been.
3) It is a set of techniques that were developed for smaller timber in multiple rotation forests.

============

Bad news is no good training program available for your friend.

Find an old cutter with all his fingers, toes and teeth who is so respectful of the job that he always wears all the PPE even though he didn't come from a time with saw chaps and ear plugs.

Your friend might want to hire that guy to do the falling while he learns and does the safer cutting to save bucks.

 

[willsaw4beer]

Normally the best way to learn is going out and experiencing it yourself. At least for me anyways. Hanging up a tree, pinching a bar, almost getting creamed with a nasty barberchair etc. are good training for figuring out what not to do... The things he really needs to concentrate on are saw maint. like chain sharpening, bar rail dressing, clean air filter. Then start with the easy trees before attacking the snags, half dead and rotted ones and other assorted nasty trees.

 

[Jacob J.]

I'm not really much of a fan of the "Game" of Logging... way overtechnical for my knuckledraggin' pea brain to absorb. I don't have a protractor either...

Anyways... unless he's going to be doin' some sort of fallin' for a livin'... I would skip it and find someone who has a little experience show him.

Heck... in Castle Rock, he could prolly wander in to one of the local Taverns and find a crotchety old semi-retired timber faller...

Gary

You're pretty crotchety yourself....

 

[forestryworks]

You're pretty crotchety yourself....

Who, Gary? Or Bob? :greenchainsaw:

 

[AKDoug]

My folks first retirement place was in the Methow Valley off the beaten path right up next to national forest land. I was cutting survey lines in Alaska at the time and my dad called me to see if I wanted to come down and fall some trees. I said sure and he bought me a plane ticket. I should have asked about the trees first. Even though I was felling day in and day out I had no comprehension about how big the trees I was going to be dealing with in that place. The trees in south central Alaska were puny in comparison. At that point I'd only fallen a handful of trees that even came close to what my dad had on the property.

We ended up calling a timber company and selling off the logs...which entailed a huge pain in the butt in taxes and permits that we never had in Alaska..but I was safe, my dad was safe, and he made enough money off the deal to pay for his well and driveway.

I have no idea how big the trees are on your friend's property, but I HIGHLY suggest that your friend simply hire a contractor to build his driveway and house pad. The contractor will know the local folks and who can cut it out for them.

 

[GASoline71]

You're pretty crotchety yourself....

...and semi-retired! or semi-retarded...

Gary

 

[Gologit]

Crotchety? Semi retired? Timber faller? Hates GOL with a purple passion? I think I know somebody.....but he's not crotchety all the time.

 

[clearance]

Seems like the fallers here are not huge fans of GOL. Niether am I, specially since I was told by an arborist, one who trains people, that the Humboldt cut was "all wrong", that the bore cut and 70 degree undercut was the only way. Along with a whole bunch of other BS, sounds kind of like Soren, as Smokechase describes him.

I agree with others here, a retired faller could show him more important things in a few hours than that course.

 

[superfire]

another idea

have your buddy join our fine CAD club:jester:second have him watch several hours of you tube on tree falling. i know of several very good guys on you tube who know how to fall a tree me if i was you i would hook up with him on a weekend and show him the basics of saw safety and what PPE he needs. then let him enjoy saws as much as we do.

 

[Tzed250]

Here we go again...

Any of you guys that are throwing GOL under the bus ever taken the class?


All that have say aye...

 

[forestryworks]

To my knowledge there are no formal classes of any type available on the West Coast to the private individual. Possible exception - some community colleges - have him check locally.

BC up north does appear to do a very good job with their training - testing - certification. That is just for their needs and I believe it does cost a bit.

=============

GOL is actually significantly disrespected here.

It got off on the wrong foot in several ways:
1) Locals don't trust anyone approaching logging with an it's a game attitude,
2) Soren came out to Northeastern Washington in the 1980's and started off with a "I've got something to teach you" attitude. He didn't realize that it would have benefited him and everyone else to cut for a couple years here, understand the differences in the timber and the land, then go with an "I think there are few areas where these techniques" might work better. He actually wanted to transpose the entire Scandinavian cutting methodology in a place he'd never been.
3) It is a set of techniques that were developed for smaller timber in multiple rotation forests.

============

Bad news is no good training program available for your friend.

Find an old cutter with all his fingers, toes and teeth who is so respectful of the job that he always wears all the PPE even though he didn't come from a time with saw chaps and ear plugs.

Your friend might want to hire that guy to do the falling while he learns and does the safer cutting to save bucks.

good post, sir

 

[Gologit]

Here we go again...

Any of you guys that are throwing GOL under the bus ever taken the class?


All that have say aye...

I'd bite but I think you and I have already gone round and round on this. You're almost as hard headed as I am. But if you really want me to throw GOL under the bus I will.

 

[forestryworks]

one of my friends took the class before he moved to texas about a year ago.

GOL style cutting is all he does, no matter the tree, the lay, or the ground.

he cuts the same way every tree. open face, bore, bore, trip.

i don't see a need to limit one's self to one style of cutting, especially if you want to better yourself and increase your skill.

the tree, the ground that you're on, the lay you have for falling will determine what face and style of cutting to do.

one face doesn't fit every tree.

 

[Tzed250]

I'd bite but I think you and I have already gone round and round on this. You're almost as hard headed as I am. But if you really want me to throw GOL under the bus I will.

Bob...You get a pass on this one...

 

[Gologit]

Bob...You get a pass on this one...

Thanks...I think I said everything I have to say last time. Now, where's that bus?

 

[GASoline71]

...like a GOL course under a Greyhound...

Gary