Hazards of the profession

It was another one of those timber tramps over Idaho way for Columbia Helicopters.

Just this side of the grade that goes up to Grangeville, there's a Forest Service road to the left. Up, up through a lot of switchbacks to a big burn they were trying to salvage.

Anyway, the cutters were staying in Grangeville, a two and a half hour drive one way. Gett'n up at 3 a.m. cause you had to be on the job at 6 to get flown in.

Not me sez I, I'll camp out.

The only problem was rattlesnakes abounded. Waking up next to a slimy viper was not my idea of "good morning." Problem solved by not sleeping on the ground. So I crashed on the seat of the pickup. Leaving one door open and a little platform for my feet. Everything was hunky-dory.

One morning about 5:30, as I sat on a rock by my campfire with my coffee pot, up drives a shiny new pickup. Turned out a native father and son timber cutters from Klamath, Ore. Dad was driving and look'n around sez, "Where did you sleep last night?"

Sez me, "Right here."

Casting a doubtful eye at the rock pile, he turned to his son and said something. They drove off and went back to town. A five hour drive every day was too much. I didn't blame 'em. Besides he didn't like sleeping on a rock pile.

Anyhow, we had some big pine. The landscape had four-five foot rye growing that they tossed from a helicopter the year before. Some rancher turned his cattle loose on this feedlot. One of the cutters fell a huge pine out in this blind mess and killed three cows that were bedded there. I think they flew the cows to the landing so they might be salvaged.

These helicopter log'n jobs are full of hazards.