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Posted: 11/6/2015 11:57:05 PM EDT
Well, it’s that time of the year again and it was with a buzzy heart I boarded the great plane west for the Americas! :)
On the flight there were no dramas, on the ground at Chicago it was business as usual. The Customs folks read my declarations, checked my lithium batteries and all was well. Apart from my hand-baggage the main bulk of my gear was not searched. Nearby my position a Lebanese dude was having the full search done as multiple food packages were inspected. I think they were ok with him in the end though. As I passed through the airport into the main area with my bags I thought it was going well, until the weather turned… Great thunderous rain and clouds drenched mid-west America. Nearly all American Airlines flights were grounded and mine was no exception, 'cancelled' read the flight to Denver, as were nearly every other airline flight to the mid-west. After taking my turn to queue at the 'rebookings' telephone quad I got talking to a woman about what to do next. I ended being routed onto a Miami-Denver flight the following morning, there was nothing to do but wait it out and people-watch until sleep claimed me for a few hours. As I drifted into sleep I wondered how my little Cabin Shed from last year fared over the hostile-winter. I woke up at midnight and wandered around, in the main area lots of people had been given cots and blankets, but not the Ryder. They’d all be handed out already! As I was about to head back to the fringes an older woman saw my wanderings and let me share hers instead so it wasn’t all bad. :) We slept tail to tail on a four seat bench against the wall so it wasn’t exactly side by side action for those that wonder. :eek: In the morning she had gone and a New Jersey Jew-dude was sat nearby instead. As I roused myself from sleep and bundled up the blanket he was talking on his phone loudly about business back east and the delays, he mentioned about how some people had been stuck at the airport for a WEEK! I hoped I would not be there that long and headed over to my departure gate before it was too late. The good news was I was now booked onto a direct Denver flight. Apart from some frizzy-attitude from the growling check-in woman (she was a bit over-worked) all was well. The bad news soon became apparent on landing. I was fine with the lack of altitude sickness, but the delayed baggage had me a bit on-edge. No trace was showing up and it was a case of wait-and-see. I had no spare clothing nor my Ram Pump project gear and of course my scout unit. I headed to the base to the north hoping the White Baron and the other expensive gear was unmolested. Mountain Mike was there at city-base and we set up the usual tent for me to crash out in. Mike let me borrow a tent and some old sleeping bags for mattressing. My other Canadian sleeping bag was swiftly washed and dried. 0600hrs next morning I heard an apparition tapping on my tent. It was MM Mike. “Emergency sorta,” he said and I got dressed to see what the fuss was about. To my relief the baggage had arrived, but it had been dumped on the doorstep of Mike’s house without even the courtesy of a doorbell or knock at the door. No phone-call had been made either. Still nothing had been taken, although a TSA card inside my backpack said that ‘for the security of America’ my bag had been searched. That drama over with it was time to get prepared for the expedition. This time I have to scout out a niche in the PNW and do some work on my land in Wyoming! It’ll be a buzzy busy time but should be fruitful! First stop was mundane things like insurance and tags for the number plates. Then came the big project work – My Ram Pump! This would really get things going on the Hold, I could move water uphill with it! Then there's the build itself! More to follow, watch this space... |
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[#1]
Ok, at the databurst library now, still go this nightmare flu but the worst of it has past.
My Cabin Shed is fine, roof held up well, it held up so well that a small family of mice took up residence! Got all the boxes out of it, let the place air out. Apart from an old airbed and fleece hat I had to trash the contents were unscathed from the winter blasts! The old Ram-Pipes at the spring had snapped thanks to the force of wintery snowpack. However, this year I have big plans to fix the water once and for all! The Great Gates of Rohan still stand true BUT one side has sagged ever so slightly. Hopefully it won't get any worse (a third hinge may be needed). I'll have to redrill and align the locking bolt lugs for that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsz8gKPW5jU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iHw-ggkNf8 I've completed the work there and the place is ready for work again. I've taken pictures but like a dolt forgot my camera so it's just text this time alas. I've finally sold the Wolverine (my Ford Explorer)! I was sad in some ways to see it go, but at least it will be going to a local guy who wants it as a project to work on. Better that than it be scrapped. I picked up the super-duper grip-hoist from the Trading Post, I think the owner was a bit peeved at the time my Wolverine was in storage, but should cheer up now someone is going to collect it. I can't stay too long at the Hold, as the water filters are locked in secure storage so I have to rely on water brought up, boiled or manually filtered. That's no-ones fault though, just the way things panned out. I have a lot to do this time. Hopefully it will mean a firm foundation for the future, but only time will tell. In the meantime here's recap of last years doings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Ms4g6Cysw |
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[#2]
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[#6]
Today, despite it being 100 degrees in the shade, I managed to finish off the peeling and get the mighty 30 footer stacked in the racks!
This wasn't as easy as it sounds as several stumps, a tall dead tree and several small trees barred the great logs passage! With my shirt feeling like an oven was slowly cooking me I kept on at it. Eventually the log was tirfored into position with a post log for company. Using G-Man's metal sawhorse I got the big log landed for peeling and it took the weight without buckling. Just to give the impression of the awesome weight and size of the big ridge/purlin/eave log: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCWwqAeqUZc |
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[#7]
Here is the Skywire Lifting System I use for lifting the heavy logs around:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35o83wT3ni8 Well, today was another insanely hot day in the PNW, I tell you I might as well be in the tropics with the temperature, in the shade reading 100 degrees! If it gets any hotter I will seriously considering a night shift! Nevertheless the next stage was to be surmounted and surmounting I did in a most vigorous and pleasing fashion to our survivalist gods! LOL. Two more purlin / ridge / eave log trees were felled. I tried to defy the direction of lean but both trees were having none of it. For one though I rigged up my Tirfor and pulled the tree in the direction I wanted and over it went – Crash! The second tree fell back the ‘wrong’ way which meant a longer Tirforing session. This was very stomper as I had to cut about three stumps and newish trees to make a clear path. Even then some debris just had to get tangled in there. I quit for the afternoon as I waited for things to cool down a bit. Mother Nature takes care of business.
I got the composting toilet working too. A hole was dug and I lined it with saw dust. Then it was a case of emptying the entire black-water contents of the portapotty. I followed it up with generous helpings of sawdust on top! That’s how you do it in the wilderness, no need for septic tanks, fancy incinerators etc. A composting toilet is simple, economical and gets the job done. The only expense are the occasional breakdown chemicals for the stuff so it goes into the ground broken down for the most part. Then it was just a case of pulling in one of the big trees I'd felled towards the processing zone. Unfortunately the tree has too much of a bend in it to be useful for a 30 footer. However it will still be useful as a 14 footer for one of the posts though. :) |
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[#8]
Some Videos of the action now follow.
Getting a dead tree down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1Ts7inW0KY Once it has been felled the glamor is over and the hard work begins. This is moving it with the mechanical mover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stvclLVMYBo On and on the move goes until it nears the processing area: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Sdpb_QZkk Then it's peelin' time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iELjYnHm980 |
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[#10]
Nothing constructive to say other than you are living the dream and I look forward to following your progress.
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[#11]
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[#12]
This is my water replenishment tank!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuR3zgtFAp8 Only 35 gallons but it's a start. Another hot day today and another tree for the felling. This one will hopefully be the ridge-pole. I had a fun time chainsawing it down too. I got the Tirfor deployed to make sure it fell the right way, gave it my three cuts, re-tensioned, one more cut and SWOOSH down went the great tree. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0PXQQwcQJQ After a cable-pulling session through the day (I had to move other obstacles etc), I had the mighty 30 footer ready for lifting and peeling. I wonder how many more times I must call upon Trebor the Tirfor? I hope he lasts as I paid a small fortune for him to be deployed. He gets a daily greasing to make sure his joints are ok so we shall see... Bit of a traffic congestion here, the other tree will have to wait a few more days as he isn't a priority. Finally in position for lifting and peeling: I had a quick check of the log and saw this! A hidden stone must have done that, just as well I leave the bark on for when Trebor moves the logs around! Still the rock has helped remove the bark without damaging the sapwood. :) I will be very glad when the long girder logs are all stacked in the racks! Two are down and I have another three to go! The difficulty isn't so much the weight of them, it's finding a tree that is near-to-dammit straight. Once you go over 13 - 16 feet in length of a tree there's a much greater chance of bends, kinks and swerves to contend with. I don't mind a slight curve but many are only suitable for posts, some barely capable for a 14 footer! The Labors of Ryder continue...[ |
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[#18]
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[#19]
Had my fourth log tree felled today!
Getting it rigged up: Run the lines out extends the range of the Tirfor! This is over seventy feet total length now! Far enough to get a good falling video with it clouting the camera or me. The mighty tree was on the edge of the All-Forest though and I had to wade in with my chainsaw to clear a path! “Take the Strain!” This may look an odd knot but all it is is a bowline on the bight so I wouldn’t have to unspool 100 ft of rope from the drum. Tree Felling Tamarack My only slight concern is that it’s a Tamarack tree which are not the best for log construction unless used as boards. It’s a thick thing but I won’t use it as a ridge log for this reason. Snedded and cut the lengths that were needed, dragged out the shorter log section. Cut a banana-shaped tree down too that was intruding onto the cabin land. Notice the tree in the midst of the All-Forest? That’s what I have to drag out! It’s about 34 Feet long too and still partly on the stump. I carried a small log to put under the stump section still holding the tree, that way when I pull it off the stump, it’ll roll along the log, making Trebor the Tirfor’s job much easier. Gloomy weather brings a bit of rain, but it soon passes for sunshine once more: Still, only one more big tree to fell and sort out and that’s’ the long girder poles out of the way. Then it’s just a case of getting the posts done. Did other small jobs mostly, more dragging tomorrow, can’t wait. |
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[#20]
The Saga of the Water Squirrel I had a gruesome discovery today as well. As I was working on some logs near the toilet area, a foul smell was noticeable. I knew it couldn't have been the portable outhouse as it had been emptied only recently. As I neared the water jerry can I'd use for the outhouse system I noticed a lot of flies buzzing about the open hole for the water to come out (the lid has been lost). Thinking there was some bad water I gave it a pour. The water was brown at first then this flesh-lump poked out! It was like something out of the Thing! As soon as I retipped the can the thing returned inside! After giving a horse-like start I donned rubber gloves and got stuck in. I carried the jerry-can to the outskirts of the Green Havens and emptied it again, this time a pair of little feet poked out! So I took hold and boldly pulled out, like a macabre magician, a dead ground squirrel! It was mostly intact but its little guts had come out a bit. The little thing had obviously wanted some water and tumbled-down inside the jerry can! The heat of the previous few days had acted as a cooker and removed much of its fur too! Taking the drowned corpse away by its bunny legs I hurled the thing far from the acerage. So ended the saga of the drowned squirrel. |
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