New and experienced climbers over 50 #36

Looks like a pig.

Hey Norm, Saw your post regarding chainsaws. We met in the East Fork Valley years ago, and you shared some smoked Elk meat with us. I've done a huge amount of chain saw work, mostly with the biggest Jonsered's, and recently with a Husky 395XP. Years ago, before those chainsaw mills were available, I spent 20 years making mostly Oak beams on my timber lot, in preparation for a timber frame retirement house, here in NH. You cannot see the frame from these photo's but the roof rafters are 22ft. Oak 8x8's, and the front and back top beams are 40ft. 8x8's. After many years under cover, all the beams were planed square and smooth. I finally put it up after I retired, ( just before the real aches and pains set in). With all the additions, and timber frame garage, it is exactly 100 feet long. Those oak "Summer Beams" in the living room, pictured above are 12"x14", and dried over 20 years before I did the finish work on them.

GabeOwrote:

Anyone else see the fallen giant?  Looking up his nose?  Lower right in the photo.

GO

You’re supposed to be looking at that beautiful dike stretching 60 feet across that face. I was all set to walk like an Egyptian across that wall but apparently that’s not in the cards.  

stephen arsenaultwrote:

Hey Norm, Saw your post regarding chainsaws. We met in the East Fork Valley years ago, and you shared some smoked Elk meat with us. I've done a huge amount of chain saw work, mostly with the biggest Jonsered's, and recently with a Husky 395XP. Years ago, before those chainsaw mills were available, I spent 20 years making mostly Oak beams on my timber lot, in preparation for a timber frame retirement house, here in NH. You cannot see the frame from these photo's but the roof rafters are 22ft. Oak 8x8's, and the front and back top beams are 40ft. 8x8's. After many years under cover, all the beams were planed square and smooth. I finally put it up after I retired, ( just before the real aches and pains set in). With all the additions, and timber frame garage, it is exactly 100 feet long. Those oak "Summer Beams" in the living room, pictured above are 12"x14", and dried over 20 years before I did the finish work on them.

Holy AMAZING GORGEOUS House, Batman!

That looks like it could be over 200 years old but so beautiful!

And how old is the dresser?

Wowzers!

Doing fine Steve. I see Mark and your grandsons in the gym on occasion. Hope to see you again at some point when you are around here.

As should be clear from the picture he posted above, Steve is a master craftsman--as well as a very accomplished climber!!!!

Lori Milaswrote:

... I was all set to walk like an Egyptian across that wall but apparently that’s not in the cards.  

Well, since you decided to mention it (on Pinecrest Lake Buttress, at 5,500 feet (the second link is the route next to it - Ra Ra - which gets the buttress's first sun):

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/120663159/walk-like-an-egyptian 

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/120663475/ra-ra 

Fun area. A 20 minute drive from the house and then a one quarter mile hike (past Royal and Liz Robbins' old cabin - where we used to have the big AAC get-togethers after climbing up the hill).

Alan Rubinwrote:

As should be clear from the picture he posted above, Steve is a master craftsman--as well as a very accomplished climber!!!!

I know nothing about Steve's climbing, but if that's his wood work (and it seems to be) he should be very proud. Gorgeous.

Seeing that little bit of his work makes me think of all the things that I would have liked to do in this lifetime but haven't gotten to and will have to save for the next lifetime or the one after that (yes, I'm making certain assumptions here, with no basis for them whatsoever). Things like gardening and birding and yes, fine wood-working.

Buck Rogers-- The highboy is from about 1750-60, Boston.  JUst about everything in that room is from the 17th-18th century, or earlier.  I'm a serious collector.

Well, if we ever have a meetup in Joshua Tree we'll have to all bring our favorite saws, get drunk and rev them up around the fire.

M Spraguewrote:

Well, if we ever have a meetup in Joshua Tree we'll have to all bring our favorite saws, get drunk and rev them up around the fire.

Then climb a bunch of amazing moderate climbs the next day, hungover as can possibly be with a slight 2 stroke aroma wafting through the cacti

stephen arsenaultwrote:

 You cannot see the frame from these photo's but the roof rafters are 22ft. Oak 8x8's, and the front and back top beams are 40ft. 8x8's. 

Wow. That is seriously impressive. Guessing you had a little help raising them into place… Out of curiosity, what do you reckon those 40 footers weighed when they were green vs when they had dried for a few years?

I'm a big fan of Jonsered saws. Still have my 52e. Had a 621 and a 90 which was outfitted with a 36" bar that ran .404 full skip chain.

Dropped a few trees on my buddies VA property yesterday. They were destined for his WoodMiser mill.

stephen arsenaultwrote:

Buck Rogers-- The highboy is from about 1750-60, Boston.  JUst about everything in that room is from the 17th-18th century, or earlier.  I'm a serious collector.

My god, that's amazing!  

I absolutely love it! 

You're living in an Antiques Roadshow episode.

Hi Steve of course I remember our meeting in the East Fork valley. Been back a few times looking for you. Still drink from that spring you showed us. Great work on your spread. Hope to bump in to you again.

and yes JTree is the perfect place to bring our chainsaws.;-) Why didn’t I think of that before.

And John Bald I remember climbing with you and my wife for a day in J Tree what 15 years ago? You came up to us in the campground looking for partners and we had a really fun day.

I had a great day with Buck today!   He led Rusty Trifle (including the "trifle") and Northern Pillar. Here he is just starting up on the latter.

I thought the sky looked a bit hazy. I bet it was due to the Canadian wildfires.

View from the shady belay on P2:

Thanks Buck! Looking forward to the next outing!

Amazing work Steve. If we have a chainsaw party in JT don't forget to invite Joe Kinder....

tonight's sunset at the lake. Pretty sure that's the guy who gave me the monster trout last week.   another hazy day. 

stephen arsenaultwrote:

Hey Norm, Saw your post regarding chainsaws. We met in the East Fork Valley years ago, and you shared some smoked Elk meat with us. I've done a huge amount of chain saw work, mostly with the biggest Jonsered's, and recently with a Husky 395XP. Years ago, before those chainsaw mills were available, I spent 20 years making mostly Oak beams on my timber lot, in preparation for a timber frame retirement house, here in NH. You cannot see the frame from these photo's but the roof rafters are 22ft. Oak 8x8's, and the front and back top beams are 40ft. 8x8's. After many years under cover, all the beams were planed square and smooth. I finally put it up after I retired, ( just before the real aches and pains set in). With all the additions, and timber frame garage, it is exactly 100 feet long. Those oak "Summer Beams" in the living room, pictured above are 12"x14", and dried over 20 years before I did the finish work on them.

Impressive!

Norm Larsonwrote:

Looks like a pig.

Yes, it DOES look like him, doesn't it?   

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Amazing work Steve. If we have a chainsaw party in JT don't forget to invite Joe Kinder....

Oh...that...is...really...funny.  Busted his chops about it at a meet and greet years ago.  Took it reasonably well.

My dad was from a long line of loggers.  Grew up with a 50's McCulloch with a four-foot bar.  Thing was a beast.  Dad used to bring home these tree cores from the mill he worked at.  That saw could cut 4 at a time.  Nuts.

Chainsaw party!  We could sit around and spray bar tack on each other.  Always thought it smelled sweet...

Brian in SLCwrote:

Been since the early 80s (!) but I worked and lived the summer in the woods on a thinning contract a friend underbid.  Four of us.  I think everyone had a different saw and we had three back ups.  10-12 hours a day except Sunday when we worked 6 hours then went to town for groceries and saw service.  We thinned on KIng's Hill in Montana and used Gene's Saw Service in White Sulphur Springs (RIP Gene...he was a good 'un).

Best saw we ran was a Husky.  Hands down.  Next a Stihl.  I had a Dolmar which was a lemon but ran great until it broke (spindle off axis).  Fixed under warranty the first time then again after I sold it.  Ugh.  We had a couple of Echo's, Mcculloch and a Homelite (we called it a "doglight") which we ran if our saws were down.  Which we hated as a couple of the back up saws didn't have much vibration reduction.  The Echo's were ok and I think they've improved over the years.

A couple of arborist friends run Stihls.

Better yet...what do you all run for PPE?  End of the summer of thinning, my chaps had numerous holes through them.  Steel toed boots were cut down to metal in multiple places.  Had hunks of plastic out of my helmet even with a chain brake (rang my bell a few times).  Got a taste for why loggers have a short life span...  There is something about running a saw...good times.

Pfft!! you dads wana talk chainsaws, here I am, about 1975 I reckon, using my first one...

A Mcculloch superpro 125, all metal, heavy, probably about 13 horsepower. Vibration dampening, who needs that? That shits for sissies!

(You do you f__king idiot says my elbows some 45 years later)

The beast would handle a six foot bar and not slow down.

Jump ahead a bit, in this case, like 20 years, and I was using stihls...

In this case an 075 with a four foot bar.

My main saw during my trail crew days was an 044 stihl with a 28" bar, often bringing a 36" bar and chain to use on stuff bigger than 5' in diameter.

Here it sits waiting to do it's magic (with a bit of guidance of course!)

Then here's the same scene after cleanup...

As a person who made a living running a chainsaw, if it doesn't say stihl or Husqvarna on it, it is probably an inferior product.