Horse Logging: Timber to Cabin Part 1

Horse Logging in the North Woods of Minnesota (Ely, MN)

Tim Carroll of Cedar River Horse Logging was hired by a landowner to log and mill white pines on his property to build a cabin and barn there. We follow him in all the steps. This video follows Tim and his team in the logging part of the project.

Tim is a sustainable low-impact logger and he explains this as a need to balance the material needs of the owner with the needs of the forest as a whole, leaving some mature trees while harvesting some to produce seeds while clearing some to open up the woods. The low impact is the due:

Use of draft horses for power
Saw on site
Build on site

Tim begins by evaluating the forest identifying the trees to harvest and the surrounding trees to clear for the least damage. Clear small trees and trees that would interfere with the dropping of the tree.

He prepare the base of the trunk by cutting the perimeter low to the ground to produce the most wood.

We see powerful footage of his two up team of Belgians pulling the first logs up a steep, soft snowy hill. It is a difficult pull but prepares the snow for subsequent logs, making it easier as the day goes on.

Tim's team is amazing, doing their work following only verbal instructions.

Cutting Logs: Tim explains a method to cut large logs understanding the tension and compression on the felled log so as not to get the saw wedged in the log.

Lastly we see footage of Tim and his 4-up team of two Belgians and two Percherons pulling the logging cart and large log.

Continue watching this series:
Horse Logging: Timber to Cabin Part 3 - The Sawmill
Horse Logging: Timber to Cabin Part 3 - Logging Camp
Horse Logging: Timber to Cabin Part 4 - Building the Cabin