Tree cutting to start 12/27/08

[James Patten]

Zack says that tree cutting on the Right of Way will start this weekend, 12/27.

We will first be cutting at Head Tide, where the ROW comes out of the Head Tide Cut and approaches the road to Head Tide and the red cape property.  We don't own this land, but the owner is giving us an easement in exchange for cutting the ROW.

After that I think we're going back to Sheepscot and finish cutting off the parking lot by the road.

What we do after that I have no idea.  It's a long walk in to the Mountain.

[Gordon Cook]

Woo hoo!
Have new chainsaw, will travel 

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

If a tree falls on the ROW, and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?

[Ira Schreiber]

No, it merely rails at the ROW.

[Vincent "Lightning" LeRow]

oh, I thought it just bent footplates.....

Anyway, what time will cutting start?
And will there be a meet at sheepscott before traveling to red cape?

[James Patten]

I suspect cutting will start around 7:30.  And yes, we gather at Sheepscot before heading off to cut.

[Dave Buczkowski]

James;
Snow, sleet and rain turning to all rain by noon is predicted. Will you still be cuttin' but not necessarily burnin'?
KD

[James Patten]

The rain actually makes burning a little easier, as you don't need to worry too much about it spreading.  However with the weather forecast tomorrow there may not be any cutting & burning.  I'll find out tomorrow when I show up!

[Wayne Laepple]

Okay, I've been trying to figure this out for several days now, and I gotta ask the question.

What exactly is the point behind cutting trees off the right-of-way in Head Tide, which is well over a mile north of our current end of track? And why is that more important than cutting off the rest of the proposed parking area and the leach field for our comfort facilities?

[Allan Fisher]

Because a condition of the easement was that we had to cut and clear the right of way by this winter.  The owners want to use it for cross country skiing.

[Mike Fox]

Also by cutting it now before the snow gets to much deeper, it is easier walking.

[Ira Schreiber]

Any updates on what, if anything, happened on the wood cutting yesterday?

[Ed Lecuyer]

We got confused.

We were so taken aback by the stunning replica of the Head Tide water tank at Sheepscot, we *thought* that's where we were supposed to cut. 

In seriousness, the weather forecast called for a day of freezing rain, so it was decided to cut for the new carhouse/septic project. Despite the valiant efforts of Zack and a new propane-fired torch/weed-burner, we could not get the already-amassed piles of brush to light. (Too damp and too much snow on top.) We're hoping that the dryer and warmer weather predicted for this week will help make burning these piles possible sometime soon.

Almost all the required trees have now been removed so that grading can begin.

Other activities included Jason working on an axle for the railcar.

Oh, and the weather was completely fine after about 8:30am - no freezing rain or drizzle.

[Mike Fox]

To be a little more specific, we cut everything north of the little (and deep too) stream that was staked out for the future siding to the engine house, car storage area. We took down all the smaller stuff south of the stream to just west of septic heights. A lot of the previously cut brush was dug out from beneath the snow and piled up. Weather is looking snowy for Saturday so I may try to burn the piles Friday.

[Wayne Laepple]

For the north lead to the carhouse and roundhouse, will the "corner" of the hillside be cut back or will an actual cut be made through the hillside? Just wondering....