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Alaskan Logging Equipment, Left to Rust

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cw4Bray

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
413
Location
.
Contract Logger said:
Bears.

There is one very real problem I have with exploring abandoned areas looking for/at equipment: Bears are curious. And they are everywhere- including in my front yard sometimes. Anyway, I never wanted to be a 'Wildlife Photagrapher', but I have become one out of circumstance rather than desire. Often I'll go looking for an old Madill yarder someone told me about, and come home with 30 or so yarder pics and about 350 bear pics. I dont carry a weapon, never have. Most people here dont, as bears arent dangerous, just curious. They follow you like a puppy through the woods. People who havent been around bears tend to feel stalked or hunted, so they get scared or run, and its all over then. Just like a cat, the faster you go the faster they chase. Instinct takes over by now, and you have made yourself prey. Very bad scenario. Bears and other wildlife are a HUGE part of my rusty equipment hobby, so I will sprinkle some wildlife pics in this thread if its OK by Steve and everyone else. The thrill I get when I find an old yarder on a spur road is intense, and the thrill I get meeting a 900 pound brownie on my way back to the pickup is equally intense. Fortunately, I have lots of pics of both!
Bears dont scare me anymore. Wolves still do. Here are some bears from my neighborhood. Most of these I took on equipment expeditions.
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I think you're making a dangerous mistake, not carrying a weapon. You've become complacent and that's not safe. I'll give you that bears are curious, but they're also hungry. You forgot to mention lions, tigers and badgers. As a pilot, I've seen bears tracking humans so I know what your talking about. I've seen a wounded bear following humans, not sure if the bear was pissed, but I was concerned for the humans. That salmon's got to be 75 lb. !!! Keep up the great pictures. We love them. If you map out the locations of equipment you could sell derelict treasure maps. Maybe you could get GPS meta data from your gear for a map ? Thanks again.
 
Coaldust

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
3,354
Location
North of the 60
Occupation
Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
I’m hearing reports in my AO, they are starting to wake up and ramble down the mountain. Looking for something to eat.
 
C

cw4Bray

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
413
Location
.
Contract Logger said:
As anyone who knows Alaska and this equipment will understand, (maxey- that's you!), these pictures represent thousands of hours in the seat of a helicopter and/or floatplane to get, sometimes (often, actually) both in the same day....
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It appears most of these were shot in "yard areas" with groups of equipment parked together. There's just as much equipment left deep in the forest which probably broke down so it couldn't be moved back to the "yard". The result's slightly different, the deep forest abandoned equipment rusts out just as fast as the yard equipment and it's generally track mounted gear - but can't be seen from the air.
 
E

edward.c.lawton

New Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2011
Messages
3
Location
California
Occupation
retired military(aviation maintenance)
maxey6 said:
I heard Al got rid of most everything but the old D8K. KMC bought the FMC's, Klukwan got the 250' barge, and I heard he sold the tugboat the Cygnet somewhere in Alaska. Lashlander, are you a Lash, or do you work for Lash Corp?
Almandinger was there as a mechanic in the shop, Sang E. Sue and Charley Winters were the field mechanics when I was out there. I don't know Bill Neshiem, but he must be related to David Neshiem who is going to be doing some consulting for us on Afognak.
I sure hate to see the oldtime loggers pack it in, but maybe some of us can take up the slack and keep things goin'. Nothin' I like better 'en getting under some Earth Firster, greenies skin! lol
I have a question I'd like to pose to this board. Do you think the Gildersleeve's, the Buhler's, the Seley's, the Thomas's, the Whitestone's, the Browning's, the Derry's of the logging world are getting out because it's all over, or they know something we don't, or do you think they just aren't willing to change with the times and figure it's time to get out?
You guy's work on that, and I'll scan some pics from the old days. lol
I'd really like to hear everyone's comments on the subject.
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I was a 9-10 year old kid when my dad (Joe Lawton) worked on the equipment there in "Danger Bay" on Afognak. I vaguely remember some of the guys named here like Almandinger and Sue. I remember when Sue saved my dad from being run over by a new FMC skidder in front of the shop there.
 
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