MUD : Today Rain, Yesterday Logging, Warm

Yesterday saw a cold start warm into a warm day, and that was nice for walking and being outside, but proved complicated for the logging operation at Sibley Farm in Spencer.

The tracked Feller Buncher was doing fine up in the snowy fields, but as soon as the Skidder (shown in green with a yellow grapple above on the left) tried moving trees down to the landing it just opened up a channel of mud. The operators wisely decided to continue to cut and bundle the trees and not to skid them down to the landing area. We will wait for better conditions to do that.

The Feller Buncher was making its way around the perimeter of the fields and cutting the trees growing on the meadow side of the stone wall to reopen to the old original footprint. Here is a shot of the harvested trees lined up ready to be skidded away.

The Feller Buncher has a vertically mounted combination of grapples and what amounts to a circular saw blade on the bottom, so that as the arm extends to the tree the tree is cut, secured, and then can be moved into place. Here is a quick video of how that works:

NOTE: A local saw the farm gate open, equipment around, wanted to talk about the operation, and drove his truck right in... over a hidden embankment under the snow, and into a deep drift. I think it would be smart to emphasize that parking in the parking area is the way to go, and that logging equipment can go places your 4x4 truck can't.

Ted reported in from the AT in Franklin, NC yesterday!
tedatgwlt.blogspot.com


Cascading Waters Trailhead Conditions at 7:30 a.m. (elev. 630'):

Temperature is 41.4 degrees F and steady;
Humidity is 95% and steady;
Pressure is 29.77" of Hg and falling;
Wind is moving but nothing registering mph;
The skies are overcast, but at this moment it is not raining;
Both channels of the Cascades Brook are flowing;
The Cascades are still covered in snow and ice;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE!


National Weather Service Forecast:

Areas of rain and thunderstorms, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Areas of fog before 10am, then Areas of fog after 3pm. High near 52. Southwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.