Skyline for super low impact (don't laugh west coast folks)

[dustintheblood]

Please don't laugh you folks that are anywhere west of the Mississippi or Sudbury, but here in eastern ontario I've got a white cedar swamp that was hit by a downburst a couple of years ago.

It's an ecological wonder, and *DanG wet.  Springs, muck holes and a waterline just below the sole of my boots.  There's been about 2 tandem loads worth of prime cedar in there that we couldn't get to.  Total mess.  Roots tipped over stand about 12' high (one of the pics in my gallery)  Last winter was stupid cold, but it all sat on the top and didn't go down through the ice layer.  Nothing froze.

Well that gave me a summer to do some head scratching and napkin thinkings.

Solution is a skyline.  Borrowed from the yarders out west, we're making it level and reaching in about 400' into the prime area to fly the logs out.   From an easterners perspective it's a bit zany, but I thought some of you may appreciate it.

Did a test run today it worked like a charm.  Bolting on the GoPro tomorrow and hope to get some good shots.  (yeah I'll edit out the carnage)

If anyone's tried it before, please let me know the tips & tricks before I make a fool of myself  :D

G

[Southside]

Looking forward to seeing it. 

[Ljohnsaw]

Your putting the goPro on the head that's going to fly?  Can't wait to see it!

[beenthere]

Look forward to seeing it too.

But better hurry, or they will be froze in for the winter, seems like as how the cold weather has been.

[thenorthman]

Yes that would be excellent... ;D

I really want to see a video. 

On flat ground yarders tend to have trouble with running the chokers back to the rigging rats, if you got it working I'd like to see what you got figured.

Been some talk elsewhere on the web about modifying a skidder to work as a poor mans yarder for ravines and gully's.

[BargeMonkey]

 You will have a TV show before you know it.  ;)  interested to see this.

[Woodhauler]

Local guy used a 440 c john deere as a make shift yarder on a mountain side here, Ran cable up the steep stuff and hooked to a big standing tree, then hooked up a bunch of trees to the slides! Tighten cable and down the trees come. Worked fine untill alcohol made the operators mind allittle fuzzy one day! He forgot to drop the cable before the trees got to him. Hit the skidder and *DanG near wrecked it and him!  End of highline logging in dixmont maine.

[Kodiakmac]

I'll be waiting to see this too.  Two years ago I was contracted to build a bush-road and do some select cutting through private land and about 500 yards of it ran through a cedar swamp just like you described.  Half a turn of the skidder wheel and I was through moss and into soggy black muck - another 1/2 turn and it was slimy clay. I took out 2 beaver dams and took out the beavers and that helped drop the water table some so that I could get to some of the big stuff and blow-downs.  But there's still a messy, mucky area with some really nice cedar that I just couldn't get to.

So I'll be watching and waiting to see what you get rigged up!

[jocco]

  

[Skidder Kev]

looking forward to seeing how seeing this and how well it works. 

[Jeff]

You'll not be the first. I'd read about flying cedar out of the swamps of michigan with a donkey engine. You may be the first to film it though!

[dustintheblood]

Hot diggity it works.  Real well in fact.

Used it on a moderate slope today.  Got some great video. Just need to figure out how to post it here.  I don't have a youtube or anything.

[treeslayer2003]

Yes that would be excellent... ;D

I really want to see a video. 

On flat ground yarders tend to have trouble with running the chokers back to the rigging rats, if you got it working I'd like to see what you got figured.

Been some talk elsewhere on the web about modifying a skidder to work as a poor mans yarder for ravines and gully's.

oh i'm watching  ;)

[goose63]

I waiting    

[dgdrls]

you will have to take lots of photos and document as you go.
I have an area in mind on Company land that would use a
similar approach.

Looking forward to seeing more on this,

Best
DGDrls

[dustintheblood]

Help me out folks.  I'm actually pretty good with the computer, but dang I can't figure out how to get the pics from my gallery to show up in my posts.

I'll try to get the video on youtube shortly

[dustintheblood]

 

 

[dustintheblood]

Got it.  Figured out how to get the pics up.  Now it's on to getting video going.

[beenthere]

Put your video on YouTube and link to YouTube in your post. That is what works.
Good on the pics. Put some words with your pics.

[dustintheblood]

Hope this helps see what we're doing with the skyline.  This was the test on a moderate slope today.  We're going to speed things up tomorrow and get the production up, but as far as making it work - safely - I'm pleased

http://youtu.be/Ef-gpKCicEs

[Southside]

Great job.  What did you do for anchors and how are you pulling the logs?  Skidder winch?  I have an area this would work really, really, well in. 

[dustintheblood]

3 of 2" ratchet straps on each end going from the cable loop down to the base of trees about 12' out.  Choker around the tree to keep the line up, and allow for the cable to move as the tension changes with loading.

So simple, but I wish I'd done it years ago.

[dustintheblood]

Sorry, didn't answer the question.  It's an Igland winch on a Case tractor that pulls the mainline.

[Southside]

You lost me on the rigging description.  Do you have any photos of it?

[dustintheblood]

I can get some in a bit, but if you put the video on full screen, you can see 90% of the details.