Stowe photographer Paul Rogers http://paulrogersphotography.com or INSTAGRAM trekked into the woods in November on a day when the crew cleared fallen trees from the tubing lines. Here are a few of Paul’s photos from that day:
The day starts in the wood shop were Chief of Operations sharpens his chain saw. Note the hunter’s hat. The crew works through deer season. Rifle season ended but muzzleloader season continues through December 11th.
On this map of the sugarbush, the crew has marked the main line problems: Tree down over main line. Dead tree at top of main [needs to be topped]. Hole in line. Microburst section [many dead trees along the main]. Fitting pulled apart. Manifold broken.Ross and Lew head up the hill with 50 lb. packs laden with fittings, wire ties, extra wire, rope, tape, extra clothes, lunch – the list goes on and on. The telescoping pole over Ross’s shoulder is used in place of a step ladder to maneuver a rope up the trunk in order to guide the tree to fall in a certain direction.
The chain saw and a bucket of main line tools.
This yellow birch tree had fallen across a main line. The inside of a yellow birch smells like wintergreen.
It’s so important to repair broken lines before the cold, snow, and ice numb up the hands and stiffen the lines. Of course, come February and tapping time there will be fresh blowdowns.
Ross coils extra tap line tubing. This skinny blue tubing wraps around the maple trees and feeds into the main line highways.
Inserting a tee into a tap line. There’s a tool for every task somewhere in the backpack.
Tomorrow the crew will head up for another day of chain sawing. Will they finish? “It’s barely possible,” says Chief of Operations.
Hi Bea, There is no vehicle access to eighty percent of the sugarbush so they leave most of them to decay. They do buck up the trees into chunks in order to roll them out of the way. AC
Ahhh, to have a day in the woods in November. Even if it is to work. I’d go just to carry stuff for them. Oh well, maybe next fall after I retire from “paying” work. At maybe I’ll find to walk more in my woods.
Hi Sue, The lighting, the stillness, the carpet of leaves, the air….November. I’m SURE you will find your way into the woods post-retirement. Come visit and carry stuff! AC
The Nebraska Knoll Blog 
So, do you saw the fallen trees into chunks and remove, or leave them in the sugarbush?
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Hi Bea, There is no vehicle access to eighty percent of the sugarbush so they leave most of them to decay. They do buck up the trees into chunks in order to roll them out of the way. AC
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Ahhh, to have a day in the woods in November. Even if it is to work. I’d go just to carry stuff for them. Oh well, maybe next fall after I retire from “paying” work. At maybe I’ll find to walk more in my woods.
LikeLike
Hi Sue, The lighting, the stillness, the carpet of leaves, the air….November. I’m SURE you will find your way into the woods post-retirement. Come visit and carry stuff! AC
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