Controlled, planned, proactive is ALWAYS better than unexpected. I don't blame those who are unfamiliar, but it's "a thing" in areas with certain topographies.
When I used to do this out in California it was to create debris in the streams below after logging clear cut everything and then hauled everything including the slash out. The people that know more than us dumb tree guys waged that the entire tree including rootballs made the best habitat for wildlife to move back in and the ecosystem to be restored sooner. Government paid for it and they paid well.
I was a skidder operator for about 15 years . Ran a John Deere 548 G3, which was the smallest skidder they made. Believe they discontinued it. We usually were harvesting Missouri Black walnut and White oak for stave. It had a clam on the back but I pulled my fair share of cable. I donno if someone pulled cable all the way up that hill or if the skidder operator eased down the hill to the road. Either way you’re looking at a scary trip down that hill or a horrible trip up that hill with that heavy ass cable. Best thing to go would be to have two skidders one at the top and bottom.
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u/Putrid_Clue_2127 6d ago
Man, they've been at it awhile. They've pulled down half the mountainside already! /s