Los Valles and Sonoran Desert Coordinators Join Forces For CLDP Training

Tucson CLDP Crew Chainsaw Training

by Todd Loubsky- Los Valles Program Coordinator

                As my work tasks were thinning in Salida, CO due to the end of our crew season, I responded to a request from Tucson Field Coordinator Josh Burt to assist with a chainsaw training by driving 9.5 hours from Salida to the Tonto National Forest in Arizona.  The drive from Salida began with roughly four hours of intermittent snow and icy roads.  Once I passed through Santa Fe the weather broke and for the next six days I enjoyed sunny skies and fairly warm weather.

                I met the crew early on Monday morning as they stood around their campfire waiting for the sun to fully rise.  Josh and I began the chainsaw training by providing some background on chainsaws in regard to how they function.  As this was a training conducted in the field, we used SCC vehicles as our whiteboards to write down important information and draw diagrams (with dry erase markers).  Everyone on the crew was eager to learn and proved to be good students in regard to picking up the important aspects of chainsaw safety and use.  After spending the morning discussing chainsaws around camp, we headed to a trail that needed to be bucked out which provided the crew with some hands on experience.

                The chainsaws proved to be less enthusiastic about the training than the crew and were finicky for the duration (per usual with chainsaws).  However, we got enough of them running for the crew to get a fair amount of stick time.  The crew proved capable sawyers and for the most part quickly picked up proper techniques for bucking and limbing.  As the training progressed, we provided more education regarding felling trees.  Josh demonstrated felling with his preferred technique from Game of Logging and I spoke to the crew about my preferred technique of conventional felling.  As each crew member had become much more competent and comfortable with a chainsaw, we allowed them to practice felling some ponderosa pine trees.

                After visiting with our Salida crews this summer and fall, it was nice to visit with another region’s crew to see how their days and nights in the field were carried out.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them both in regard to time spent around camp and the chainsaw training in the field.  They were gracious hosts and provided me with good breakfasts and dinners.  All in all, between working with Josh Burt, hanging out with the crew, and assisting in the chainsaw training, I had a great time during the week I spent in the Tonto National Forest.