Maine Winter Logging
CAT skidder operator butting up the ends of his hitch to ensure a smooth ride to the landing.
It’s the dead of winter in the Maine woods. It always surprises me that a lot of people don’t realize that this is when we work the hardest and longest. Winter can be a good time to harvest certain woodlots that tend to be a little wet because the ground is frozen and it enables us to move our heavy equipment through the woods more easily. I can’t say it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. Winter days start with waking up at 4am, having a quick cup of coffee, filling the wood boiler at home and heading to the woods. A couple days ago it was a balmy -15 when I got to the woods. I carry a generator with me and plug each piece of equipment in to start an internal heater on the machine. The heater warms up the engine for about an hour and then after everything is warmed up, we can start the equipment and get to work. Machines and fuel don’t like the winter anymore than most of us. I have spent many a morning, like any logger can attest to, changing fuel filters that have clogged due to gelled up diesel fuel. This is not a job easily done with gloves on and typically happens when its 20 below. It’s a ton of fun.
Once I finally make it into my warm piece of equipment, logging in the winter is actually a lot of fun and the view from my “office” isn’t so bad.