Redwood Logging in the forties | General Homesteading Discussion | Forums

I spent most of my childhood summers in the 'redwood' area as my grandparents lived there. My 'playhouse' was an 11' redwood stump that stood right next to their house. I came to not really like redwood so much because it splinters easily and those slivers are more like cactus needles - barbed as heck and infect readily too! Plus we kids got the job of staining the redwood patio furniture which was a messy and sticky task (old stains). Overall, to this day I do NOT buy redwood products because frankly the trees are so magnificent and in my mind deserve to be left alone. And the redwood lumber now days is all 're-growth' which isn't as good as the old 'virgin' wood that the above lumberjacks cleaned out. About the best thing I can share about that area and times was all the logging truck & drivers stories that I remember. Those guys got paid BY THE LOAD so were on the MOVE and OWNED the road! Cowboys of old would recognize the risks and drive that those fellows took. Can't remember how many times we would see PETERBILT or that little bulldog (MAC) in the rear window with air horn announcing that we were in the way! (move over or get driven over)

The following picture can't share the size of the tree which probably has at least an 8 foot base and reaches near to 200' -

Cedar is a nicer alternative for paneling and it smells wonderful too.