I called my Dad today to ask him some questions about his employees he had in the early years of his business. He was quite chatty, and we had a GREAT time talking about the old days logging at 'the beach'. One story turned into another. Looking at the logging pics here, and reading the things posted, prompted the call. So many memories. Thanks to ALL who post on this forum, whether pics and information, or just things you remember. Dad has a list of everyone who worked for him. I will put up some names later. I know some of you will know a few of these loggers. Keep posting.
Well, you should have your dad "log" in here and check out the forestry section of the forum. He would probably get a kick out of all the stories and photos there akroadrunner.
Can't let Dad know about this site yet, cause 'Vigilant' is working online here to get a model tower built for him. Check out the thread 'A tower for Smoke's Dad'. That Vigilant is about as good as they get, IMHO.
Ahh, a self inflicted dilemma eh. LoL
(blushing) So I guess it's true: Uncle Vigilant is not a full-time a s s s s hole after all. Thanks, amigo. I have enjoyed your posts, and this site, immensely. I haven't given up on the models, although it doesn't look like things are moving forward. Looks like it's time for Plan B.
akroadrunner Having lived on the harbor all my life was curious if you are related to steve or Rick Ross that live around copalis crossing? also there was a Ross that logged in late 80s or so that had blue mack trucks with super single tires? Roger Landberg
Well said roadrunner. I can't begin to say how much I have learned about real yarder logging, the men and women involved, and the histroy behind the great machine manufactuares. Not to mention the tragic sides as well. I was the ripe old age of 6, on a farm in Indiana when St. Helens blew its lid. Mom moved us to Idaho when I was 11 or 12. I remember seeing the log trucks rolling through town with 3 to 6 logs on them and thinking to myself- AWESOME! Thats what I wanna do when I grow up! We had a neighbor that was a logger. He got us all our firewood the first year we lived in Idaho. I used to go with him and set the chokers to drag the over abundant buckskin larch trees up into the road, then try to split and then load up his old flat bed Ford with about 2 cords of wood. He would even let me run the old 540 JD skidder they had, and tought me how to fall a tree. Good times. As I entered high school, my best of friends all had dad's who were (are still) loggers. Apon graduating, thats the route I went. Sawing landing on a tractor crew. There never was much for yarders in my neck of the woods. I worked as chaser under a couple 98 Link Belts, but never down in the brush. Did that for a couple years then the chance to operate a scraper on a highway job presented its self. 3 years of that and I was back in the woods, this time as an owner operator with a damn good friend from high school. A year later we were broke, I worked for a couple more seasons off and on logging and building log roads. Got a job offer on a rock crusher. Did that for a while, then got back into the dirt moving game. I miss the heck out of the woods, and have a boat load of friends that are still eeking out a living that way. They always say they would love to have a job like mine, and always say I would love to have a job like theirs. Only wish there was money in logging these days, cause thats where I'd be. This site has made me wish we had moved a few hundrend miles further west then we did. Thanks to all you guys for posting your thousands of pictures and telling your awesome stories!
As I'm sure you know, JTL, scrapers (or pans, as they call them in the South) are designed to do two things: haul dirt, and kill the operator. I enjoyed running a pan, for the most part, but it sure took its toll on my body. Back in the day, it was about like riding a bucking bronco. The best way to feel your guts tear inside you back then was to actually sit down in the operator's seat.
Great story, Jason. Love of logging. You always have great stories and adventures. Cool to hear about that and from so many others on this site. I just noticed that Monday is five years since I signed up for this HEF. Pretty good stuff. Keep it all coming, gents (and ladies).
Steve and Rick are my cousins. Uncle Norman's 'boys'. Rick bought (with help from my Dad and his Dad, Norman,) a White/Western Star with a 318. Can't tell you what it had for a tranny, but I do know it had NO power steering. Plain Jane. We sent Rick all the way to Kalama from our side overlooking the Pacific Ocean north of Taholah with some of the export loads. Not really a highway truck, but he made due. You might ask him about the time he whipped the arm wrestling champion from Seattle. The guy was a hair dresser, but still a champion. Well, he never wrestled an off highway load with no power steering. Rick did!
Rick bought that White/Western Star in 1972. If you see him, you might ask him about the deer he hauled around in the cab with him like a pet dog. Also ask him what he said to Jack Tillman when he was on the landing helping us prep the carrier for the new Skagit drums. Rick thought Tillman was an employee, and gave him some 'smack' about standing around, doing something to the dog........ Tillman set him straight real fast. Rick was the first to get out there and pull haywire, or whatever needed to get rigged up on the next 'show'. He also was NEVER late to the landing no matter what time we started. His truck was backed in and ready to load. If we knew he was coming back for another load, we stayed to load him out. Always a smile on his face.
rick sounds like a pretty good guy
Ah yes, the venerable 318. Also known as a double breasted Yamaha. I found that the KWs and Petes without power steering were not too bad. An R Model Mack without power steering would put some muscles on you. Back in the day, a REAL truck driver could turn an R Model Mack one-handed. And then, there were the steering wheel holders......
I hauled for ross & son's at aloha in 70's when mayr bros took over the aloha claim. rick had the white with the 318. around 1976 he got a new star with a cummins and a real nice truck. he always loaded first and got his trips. he's back hauling logs on the harbor and the last time i talked to him he was teaching his son to drive been a few years since i've talked to him but he is the same old rick. and no i knew pete ross and i don't think there ia any relation logdog.
I would have been the one hooking your trailer onto the shovel so I could latch to your truck. Probably threw some wrappers too. I chased on the landing most of the time, and ran yarder. I was the 'good looking' one. Haha.
back in the day of cable loading machines and someone to put the strap on the grapple and climb up and hook to your trl. buy the time we got there in the mid to late 70's the logs were getting guite small lot's of 30-40 log loads loaded with a cable machine those guys were pretty good but got a little testy at times. the wood going to klama was the small saw logs going to the mill that is now a rsg mill right along side of the freeway it payed 100.00 more to go onto klama from mayr bros yard about 100 miles but when you got into the yard at 5 pm and had a chance to pick up another 100.00 it was a homerun. when aloha bought the new pete private trucks in about 65-66 my dad bought one of the hwy macks belive it was #6-4 it had been rolled over on snake hill right at the end had a new cab put on never hauled a load. to this day the non air drivers seat is by the stove in our shop never hauled a load. you guys were good to haul for never over trucked you always got your trips