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Cleaning up after a big wind

Started by maple flats, February 21, 2006, 09:09:11 PM

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maple flats

About 5 days ago we had a big wind, it had gusts up to 77 mph. As I walked my woods in the areas where the tubing for my maple lines are i had some work to do. Several trees and big limbs down. A couple of 12-14" dbh hemlocks came down on the lin in one section and I cleaned it up and fixed the tubing. Then by the sugar house i had one that looked like a widdow maker just waiting. A hemlock about 12" dbh had uprooted and fallen towards the sugarhouse but got hung up in some limbs that looked as if they would let go at any time. The tree would not hit the sugarhouse but it would hit my main pipeline just outside the sugarhouse. I got a ladder and went up as high as I could and hooked on a chain (about 20' up the trunk). Now I knew my little 20 horse tractor was no match for it to pull it back standing up and continue over the opposite way that it was leaning. So i got my brother with his posi-trac and our winch to hook up and pull it over. Had no problem going up but it did not go in the direction og pull but rather tilted about 20 degrees to one side and got caught in a big beech tree (about 28" dbh and healthy). At this point it had up rooted the other side too and it leaned there. Our next try was to pull it at about 90 degrees to the way it lay to land near but not quite reaching where i had my peterson set up last (not there now) As we pulled with the winch it hinged on some roots still intact and landed, hung up in the original place it first landed with the wind pushing. Next I said that we should try to pull from the but and he thought it would be too hard a pull so he grabbed his chainsaw, walked up and got ready to cut the leaning tree from the stump. I said it looked too dangerous but he cut anyway. Well, the outcome was lucky, the tree did as it should, the root mass landed up right with the trunk just resting on the stump. We then hooked the chain just above the stump and pulled the log  away and the top landed where it was supposed to. THis story has a happy ending but it could have just as easily been a sad ending with the warning never to put yourself at risk like this. I still believe it was foolish but it ended well. The large root mass was about 8' in one direction and out to the sides it was over 14' overall, as it fell the roots and his standing platform fell from under him with a saw running in his hands, that was dangerous but I was not able to stop him. Please don't try this at home!
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Coon

Sounds like a very interesting but dangerous situation to be in.  Someone had to be at risk at some point to get the tree down.  Better off now that it's down than be at a risk to anyone near.  Glad to hear the outcome came out well and nobody got hurt.  Guess you got some more sawin' to do now.  What you gonna make with the lumber you will get out of that tree?

Have you started sugaring yet? If so, how is it going?  If not, when do you plan on starting?  Love to hear more about people sugaring cuz.........  Mother Nature can be sweet all year long with maple syrup in the house for everyone to enjoy. ;D ;D
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

Snag

We got the same nice storm.  No power from Fri 2pm to Mon 6pm.  Surge ruined the control box on the furnace so no heat even w/generator.  I didnt lose many trees, but they are down all over the area. 

They actually started sugaring around here about a month ago.  All the mild days and cold nights got the season started early.

SwampDonkey

It'll probably be at least 2 weeks before they start boiling here. I lost power for 4 hours friday, kept a low fire and all was toasty warm. ;D Didn't loose any trees, non of value anyway. Sure was lots of spruce and fir needles on the ice/crust though. Been warm enough to melt snow the last couple days, warmer tommorrow. She's coming. :)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

farmerdoug

Several years ago we had a red maple in our backyard that spilt from a wind storm.  The half that went down missed the powerlines but hung up on th guy wire that was between the two poles below the powerlines.  The half of tree was attached 6 ft up the tree and hanging on the guy wire that was now 15 feet off the ground.

So I call the Detroit edison to report it.  Five hours later a foreman comes by and tells me to just cut off the tree.  I tell him that I would not touch it with all the tenison on the guy wire and that he is free to use my saw to cut it off if he wanted too.  After a little heming and hawing finally says he will sent out a crew.  The crew shows up an hour later and I tell them what the foreman told me.  They said I was wise not to cut it as if I did and the lines broke I would be liable for the damages.  Well they tossed a rope over the guy wire and one guy held tight on each end of the rope.  When they cut the tree off the guy wire tenison yanked both guys five feet off the ground.  Without them I am sure the lines would have snapped. ::)

Farmerdoug
Doug
Truck Farmer/Greenhouse grower
2001 LT40HDD42 Super with Command Control and AccuSet, 42 hp Kubota diesel
Fargo, MI

maple flats

I will make batten for the sugar house with it. I am just starting tapping tomorrow but then we have 8 days projected to be below freezing daytime highs. I sanitised the tanks today and some of the tubing. Tomorrow I will sanitise more tubing and start tapping my roadside trees and then sanitise as much as i can get done in the woods. I will then tap the rest as the next warm day is upon us, anything above about 36 degrees F. I never lost power but several in the area did, some for 2 days on ones at the end of a line with trees across the lines. If I do lose I have the ability to generate for the esentials for about 5 days before I run out of gas, then need to get gass someplace to go again.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Coon

Sounds like an aweful lot of work with the sugaring but h&!! I'd do it.  Hardwork pays off in the end.  Actually I am planning on tapping a few maples and a few white birch for personal uses.  From the looks of the weather it is gonna be a while yet before the temps will be right for us to tap.  The birch syrup sells for nearly double of the maple around here but it does take alot more sap as well.  I will be using just the tap and pail method for this year.  If it turns out well I may go bigger next year.  I found 22 maple trees here in town that I have permission to tap.  Out at the farm there is no maple but there is probably 50 trees that I know of, off the top of my head, that are suitable size for tapping.  I have only tapped once before and it seemed to turn out rather well.  From what I have heard and read about tapping, this will not be a record quality year for birch syrup around here as it has been a little on the warm size of the thermometer......  is there any tips that you may have for me being the rookie I am at this????
Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

SwampDonkey

Coon, I wonder what boxelder sap would be like. Any with broken limbs in my yard run sap like a leaky fawcet. I wouldn't dare tap any because the neighbors would talk about it for the next 10 years. :D  ::)  Are you tapping hard maple yard trees? You mentioned some maples in town. I used to tap a couple yard trees here that are about 30 inches in diameter. Had two cans on each. That will make a fair amount of sap for a taste. My cousin has a sugar bush and I don't see any activity there yet.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

Swamp  I don't exactly know if the Manitoba Maple would be considered as a hard or a soft maple,  however I do know that it makes some mighty fine syrup.  I have seen a few other local operations where they are tapped in the same manner as I will be doing and solely for personal use.  There is only two guys that I know personally, that have tapped white birch trees to make syrup.  The syrup is very tasty and is considered a specialty amber syrup..  It takes considerably more sap from the white birch to make one gallon of syrup (85-100 gallons).  Traditional birch syrup costs about double to that of the same quality in maple.
Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

jon12345

Our power went out friday around 9 am and didn't come on til saturday morning.  I was at a loss without my internet computer tv  had a good time playing pitch though and some family came over to stay that needed electric to run their heat.

Took a ride out through Utica to Sherrill today and saw quite a few yard trees blown over and some signs.  Do you watch wktv news?  I thought it was nice today how at 8 a.m the forecast was snow, and less than 2 hrs later it was rain/snow and ended up being clear for most of the day  :D
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

SwampDonkey

When I took those pictures of the wood yard it was cloudy and breezy up on the hill. Some were saying it was cold and it was 28 deg, then when I went home the sun was out, then 2 hours later it was snowing and we got 1 inch. That's the most we got in 7 weeks. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

jon12345

The day the NY got the windstorm it was about 50-55 deg in the morning, within a couple hours it was below freezing, and by the end of the day was approaching single digits  >:(
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

SwampDonkey

Yeah we got that storm too, but only rain. It was 43 here and 53 down in Sussex where the folks were visiting my aunt. What we got was even more ice to slide on. :D

I wish we had a little breeeze today to take that snow of the spruce bows, hate it down my kneck. Skies are clearing away here. It was a kind of snow fog all morning, no accumulation. Last night's inch has been melting off the roof. But, it's only 28 F now.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

isawlogs

 I'm starting to think that the snow belt moved ...  closer to me .  >:(
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

SwampDonkey

Well Marcel, if it's going to snow...you might as well keep it all. :D :D :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

maple flats

Several years ago when the kids were young we had and tapped 3 or 4 BIG box elder yard trees, just for personal use. I never kept track of sugar % or sap boiled but the syrup was good from them. Now I have no box elder so I could not even test sap %. After you boil it down it would take a side by side sampling to tell any difference in flavor. If tapping box elder i would think you could tap more heavily since the trees grow so fast and the reason for conservative tapping guidelines on sugar maples is so you will always have wood to tap without running into an old taphole dead zone (there is an area with 5/16" spouts of about 1" either side of an old hole and up to 2 feet above and below where the wood is stained after tapping and will not produce well if at all and should be avoided.
logging small time for years but just learning how,  2012 36 HP Mahindra tractor, 3point log arch, 8000# class excavator, lifts 2500# and sets logs on mill precisely where needed, Woodland Mills HM130Max , maple syrup a hobby that consumes my time. looking to learn blacksmithing.

Coon

Cool info mf.  WHat would you use for taps in my case of just using for personal use.  I would like to make them.  I was wondering if I could just use stanless steel line of about 5/16 or so.  What should I use for a simple sterilization process that you talk about?  I will be using brand new plastic buckets with lids.  Is this ok? or should I use stainless steel or galvanized?  The plastic would be the cheapest route.
Brad.

Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

jon12345

I think just about any tree could be tapped  some are just utilized more because of their volume and sugar content.


Maybe I'll try tappin some ash   ::)       please forgive me  :D
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

SwampDonkey

Try some spruce, she's already thickened. Might be bitter and gummy though. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Coon

I read an article the other day in a Ducks Unlimited magazine while waiting to see the doctor.  There was a couple of guys who were stranded along a lake and river when they hit a rock and busted up their canoe going through some rapids.  They remembered about seeing an old alluminum at an abandoned trappers cabin.  They hiked along the swampy shoreline to get this canoe.  When they got there they found it and realized it was a flat bottom canoe in rough shape.  They figured that the trapper must have used it behind his snowmobile.  Well they needed to get back so they used crystilized spruce gum, that they chewed, to form plugs to fix the canoe.  They claimed that the spruce gum was very bitter sweet and worked until they went over some rocks when they heard a boat a couple miles away.  They made it to shore to make smoke signals.  The boaters did rescue them in the end.  From the way the article read they claimed that the natives from the North West Territories have chewed this spruce gum for years even far enough back before gum was invented.
Brad.
Norwood Lumbermate 2000 w/Kohler,
Husqvarna, Stihl and, Jonsereds Saws

jon12345

I've also heard that about chewing on tree sap.  Thenative americans are also inventors of maple syrup and candy.

In NY the name of our most famous mountains and state park means Adirondack  'bark eater'.  An insult the mohawks gave to their enemies.  This is an insult because  it meant they were poor hunters or had bad luck, and had to resort to eating tree bark to make it through winter.
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

SwampDonkey

People chewed it here to, my grandfather said they always chewed it (spruce gum) when he was young. I've chewed it a couple times, bitter stuff though. ;D

The early explorers had to eat stewed tree bark, or the broth of it from white cedar to prevent scurvy. They learnt it from the natives or they would have all perished.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Woodhog

I have been eating tree bark all winter for my lunch while cutting logs... I am trying to keep expenses low to make up for the high cost of my fuel and the low price paid for the logs... :D :D


SwampDonkey

woodhog, I don't know how you cut wood at those prices. Is the wood free? ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

jon12345

I would think the settlers ate berries to get their vitimin c  ??? pemmican  is sold as commercial  beef jerky now but I know it got its beginnings somewheres else and is still made in its 'natura'l form by some.  I'm sure the native americans also shared this with the pioneers.
A.A.S. in Forest Technology.....Ironworker

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