Logging Camp 2

Winter 1994-Near Bella Coola area at Kwatna Bay.Fly in camp.Upon stepping out of the plane,the van driver proceeded to run over half our luggage with the front passenger tire,this was actually a really good intro to the way this whole job went.I just happened to get a room in a real good location,thought I was special.That first night it sounded like an engine brake in a Pacific every 9 seconds,turns out I live next to the loudest snoring and biggest log loading engineer on the coast.withonly a thin a panel of veneer between us.The 235 tracks were the worst they could possibly be,a whole new undercarriage was in the yard,but those must have been getting saved for the next guy.Had to walk it one day about 8 km to camp,When back at camp noticed it left a pee of oil behind it,turns out the engine support mounts shook to death and the engine fell off them,lowering it about 4 inches or so and pulling the main suction pump line down and splitting it.theres actually no spare hose like that there.it got mickey moused back together ,jacked up the engine,re bolted it in.I made the mistake one day of geting told something by the foreman and giving my opinion on the matter,well,the next day I was on the red boat for a 25 minute ride across the bay,to "Clean Ditches"the foreman told me the Hitachi may have a window out,so I might want to bring a small piece of plastic or some bread bags and duct tape(in photo)This sounded great,what an adventure and a boat ride! We got across the bay no one was working there but 2 others had also come(i suspect they all knew what was up)one had to plow km's of snow with a D8H so the other could drive the 4 wheel drive with chains behind the cat to get me up to the middle of nowhere in a snow storm with my regular single layer of 'operator'clothing.It was stinking freezing!Then we finally arrived at the machine.It was last years campfire, with no glass,and near a foot of snow inside.I'm sure this machine was only retained as a form of discipline for employees.That machine was so slow and ugly,an ant could move more material in a day than this old UH14 I was to (and did) clean out the snow filled ditches all the way back to the bay.The wind was sideways,had to keep eyes squinted close.every little while have to stop and hug the warm boom cylinder through the window opening to warm up a degree.Others at camp told me of their concern before I was sent off that that machine only had street pads.Yes it was slippery and all down hill.Its a cool feeling when you swing and only the undercarriage rotates becuase of the snow and ice on the steep grades.I did the job.wentback for dinner at night ,saw the foreman,he asked with a slight smile-How'd it go over there?I knew what I wanted to say ,but I just said 'got all the ditches cleaned out' never heard anything on it after again.To this day I still wonder, who got who!The Chapman 1800 in one pic had a history too I was told.Years earlier it was swinging under a tower side on a downhill show when a big log left the choker and it gun barreled toward the loader,the operator saw it coming and could only swing around to save himself in the cab,it hit the tail of the machine and cleaned the engine and counterweight right off it.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• skadill

[magnumprojects]

worked in Kwatna for G&F in 1984 or so...lots of grizzly, ran excavator

[skadill]

@magnumprojects cool,I'm pretty sure they are gone now,victims of the forest industry times like many others.The owners has G&F logging and Kwatna Timber

[gangesexcavating]

excellent video and only people who have worked in there understand what its really like. , everyone else are pussies. I mean that too. awesome country

[skadill]

Thanks friend-your awesome!!!!

[efrostrup]

@Danno2112 Stay home close to Momma;

Don't want kids in the bush.

Gunde Bella Coola.

[efrostrup]

@MrBoe3333  keep your caulks sharp,

[efrostrup]

Hells Bells anybody on the Burke Channel, Dean Channel Logging in the goddam wintertime with snow on hillsides and loaded trucks and asshole shop forman wanting hour meter readings on an inactive Cat dozer as we are trying to call our fucking miles on icy hillsides at West Side of South Bentink needs their Bosses fukin head read. Been there Done that

Gunde Bella Coola I Quit after thirty five years. Gimme your story bucky..

[MrBoe3333]

thats cool worked In that camp on the dryland scaler...

[greglouise]

excellent worked there also campwatched there for years the wife and i brought back a lot of memories thanks ..veg

[Danno2112]

I worked southcoast loggin. Bella Coola would get lots more snow. I dislike snow:) Cool vid!