Logging, Brush Hauling, and Road Undercutting with Excavators and Dozers

Morning Operations: Saw, Excavator, and Brush Hauling

• 🪵 The day begins with preparing equipment, including a new chain on the saw and warming up the 220 excavator.
• 🌲 Several trees are cut in the back, with assistance from Tyler, to clear the area and prepare for hauling logs and pulpwood.
• 🚚 The team focuses on loading brush into a truck, with two people making the process quicker and allowing for cleanup of smaller debris.
• 🪵 Loading smaller hardwood trees presents a challenge as they don't break easily, requiring careful placement and securing with brush.

Log Loading and Pulpwood Management

• 🪵 Logs are loaded to open up space for hauling pulpwood up from cleared paths.
• 🪵 The amount of hardwood logs is less than initially expected, but they are still hauled out.
• 🌲 A significant load of hardwood pulpwood is identified, potentially exceeding a tractor-trailer capacity.
• 🪵 The decision is made to haul both hardwood and pine pulpwood, with pine being a longer round trip.

Equipment Use and Challenges

• 🪵 The log truck driver's preference for hauling hardwood or pine is considered.
• 🪵 Hauling this material is costly, leading to a tendency to burn it, but cutting was necessary to create working room.
• 🚜 Tyler gains experience loading with a grafter on a 350, finding it less precise for picking up logs compared to the 220 excavator's grapple.
• 🪵 Logs are stacked as evenly as possible to facilitate easier loading onto trucks.

Road Work and Undercutting

• 🌲 Pine pulpwood is brought up and stacked, followed by hardwood pulpwood.
• 🚜 The dozer is used to blade over the road, consolidating debris for hauling.
• 🌧️ The goal is to dry out the road surface before expected rain, preventing large ruts filled with water.
• ⛰️ A significant amount of sweeter material is cut out and loaded, working uphill.
• ⚠️ The area requires undercutting about 3 feet of dirt, which was not initially planned.
• 🚜 A smaller dozer might be easier for contouring the road crown compared to the D7, which pushes a lot of dirt but is less precise for shaping.
• 🚚 Dirt, mud, topsoil, roots, and junk are loaded and stockpiled in the back, along with the brush.
• 🪵 The last load of logs for the day is prepared.
• ✅ All brush is loaded out, and the road is cleaned up, marking the end of the day's work.