These photos were taken in 1978 on the McDermott Hill setting. Camp Grisdale is in the background on the several of the photos. The Hook-Tender was Harold Haney (standing on the landing with the unapproved L&I baseball hat), the Chaser was John Mobrey ? from Montesano, WA. (standing on the edge of the landing with the L&I approved hard hat-yet under the sky-line). This was a slack-line Skagit tower. Although an observer on this day, I was a choker-setter for B&B Logging in 1976/1977 at two other settings- both even steeper than this. Exciting times to say the least. At that time, the Hook-Tender was Jim Leslie, Rigging Slinger Bob Leslie, Choker-setters John Reese, Mike Dunn, and yours truly.
NICE photos. Thanks. Nice to see such a pristine photo of a Young heel boom. Back in the Sixties, I recall an outfit in Aberdeen called Brumfield-Twidwell Equipment. I suppose Bill and Roy were part of the same family? I used to live right behind a gent whose name you may recall: Ira Blackwell, aka Hippo, from Grisdale. He used to dress up as Santa Claus at Christmas. His father was the legendary Cy Blackwell, who very likely held the world record for hurling the most horrible threats and profanity ever known at a team of oxen hooked to a pull.
Brumfield Logging I want to thank the poster of these pictures. Just came across this as I was Googling my father Roy Brumfield. I remember this site also but didn't work on it. Wasn't the logger my father was. He's in poor health right now and just this morning taken to the hospital. But, I'm glad someone remembers these times instead of the ******** they show on TV.
I took my TV to the landfill years ago. My only regret is that I did not fill it full of buckshot first.
Finley Hayes' book on Saginaw Timber has several photos of men with the last name Twidwell. It's out of print, but you can still find it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...424218044&sr=8-1&keywords=book+saginaw+timber
Bill and Roy Brumfield, Grisdale, WA. Oct. 1979 These are additional photos of Bill and Roy Brumfield's "high-ball" gyppo outfit at Grisdale. Wa. October 1979. Little did we know at the time but this was the end of another era in logging. Camp Grisdale would shut down in 1985; old-growth timber would either be gone or off-limits. BTW, the Chaser was John Carlstead (not Mobrey as in my original post). John was an ex-marine and a hell of a nice guy-as were Bill and Roy.
Gotta love the camp run loads, big iron & yellow fir firewood!!