Forest Transformed

In the Forest...

Buff, owner of "Ron Mercado Logging", saws a choice specimen. Ever the professional, Buff dropped this tree into the exact spot indicated.

Just in case the tree "kicks back," Buff vacates the area. His crew typically starts cutting around 5:30 AM and knocks off around 3:00 PM. The average age of Buff's crew is 48 years. Coincidently, this is around the median age of loggers operating in the northwest.

The logs are stacked on the banks of the logging roads in "Log Decks." They are then loaded onto the logging trucks with "Log Loaders." These "Log Loaders" pick up the logs using their hydraulic jaws and swing them onto the log trucks.

A fully loaded log truck can carry around 5000 bd. ft. of wood. To put this in perspective, a 2500 sq. ft. timber frame home will have around 9000-12000 bd. ft. of timber, depending on the style.

Next - Into the Sawmill