[frankthetank]

What did they use such massive trees for? Did they cut them up into boards or sheets? Build houses with them? Infrastructure? Did they realize that they were harvesting trees that were probably 1000's of years old? I've never been out to the Pac NW, but i doubt there are too many of these giants still standing. I wonder what the current worth of a tree, like the one below, would be today? Could you imagine the furniture you could build.

[MD]

That is completely depressing, thanks

[dunewalker]

Frank, I lived in the coastal redwood region of California for more than half of my adult life, near the end of the old growth logging era. It was common to see logging trucks with loads of one log, as large as 10 feet in diameter, passing through town on their way to the mill. As I understood it, most of these logs were processed into normal dimensional lumber, ie. 2 x 4s, etc, as well as 1 x 12 planks. Many of the old houses in northern California are constructed almost entirely of redwood lumber. Redwood is not as structurally strong as the Douglas-fir of the northwest, but in the days when 2 x 4s were actually 2" x 4", not 1 1/2" x 3 1/2", it was more than adequate.

[morph]

wow some big trees and even bigger saws

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 't')hat is not a partliculary large redwood tree.

[frankthetank]

Seldom! I think your right. I'm almost positive they are not redwood trees. I do think they are spruce.

Douglas fir is an amazing piece of wood, I do believe it doesn't even need to be kiln dried because it doesn't change much dimensional with regards to moisture.

Would have been neat to walk through some of these old forests and see these trees. Heres some more pics @ this link. Go to the Timber Forks Museum on the right hand side. Some amazing pics in there.

LINK

Check this one out
http://content.lib.washington.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/clarkkinsey&CISOPTR=72

[seldom_seen]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'W')ould have been neat to walk through some of these old forests and see these trees.

[dinopello]

Indeed amazing to think of walking through a forest of giant trees and even more remarkable and depressing to think of the attitude that went into just clear cutting them down. But then, my house is probably built from some of that, and the good thing is that my house is still here and going strong after more than 100 years.

An article about the forests of West Viginia and some more logging pics of 10' oaks.

[frankthetank]

Thanks dino, i never knew and Oak could get that big. OMG! The squirrels must have looked like dogs.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'W')hat did they use such massive trees for?

[BlisteredWhippet]

Does anyone know about the current scheme the Bushco forest managers have in place?

In return for "thinning" forests to reduce fire risk, they are ALLOWED to go in and cut down all the "prize" large trees in on federal land.

In other words, IF there are any trees this size left, they are probably have been surveyed and flagged for removal.

Healthy large trees are worth a LOT of money. This is basically a public resource giveaway. But whats new? Ralph Nader is still not president.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', '.')... But whats new? ...

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('frankthetank', 'W')hat did they use such massive trees for?

[dunewalker]

Frank, yes, it appears that the trees in both photos are Sitka Spruce, common to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. I went a bit afield by describing my experiencs in Redwood country. Hats off to Pstarr and his efforts--the Headwaters battle will be remembered as one of the most intense times in U.S. environmental history. Here's an interesting link regarding Julia Butterfly's epic time living in the treetops in defense of old growth:

http://www.mindfully.org/Heritage/Luna-Chain-Sawed.htm

[frankthetank]

Thanks for the comments. Maybe someday i'll get the chance to get out to Olympic or maybe the REMAINING Redwood forests of California (if they haven't rapped those by then). To think of the amt of cutting/burning/mining we've accomplished in 100-150 years, and to think of the next 100-150 years...makes me sick to my stomach.

No wonder OSB is the new wonderboard! All thats left is sticks.

[mercurygirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'A') fearless angel
She was just a kid and she achieved greatness.