Into the Unknown

Oct 23

A Day in the Life of a Lumberjack

I have to start out by saying that I really had no idea what I was getting into. I expected a tough job that had potentials for danger but this has far exceeded any of my expectations. If I wasn’t absolutely needing this job in order to survive, I would definitely not be working there right now. Today topped it off more than any day so far and they all have been extremely brutal.

Today we get there right when the sun is rising and instantly start running, literally! We just moved our yarder to a new location to start bringing up trees that have been blown down from a storm as well as some that were cut. But we had to bring these cables from the yarder and connect them to stumps to secure it from tipping over, which almost happened the first day I was working and I was right next to it, crazy. Anyways, after running and exerting a lot of energy, we had to set up the line for the caridge to ride. This consisted of us carrying heavy HEAVY equipment in both arms, through this war zone of fallen trees. We were walking on logs sometimes 20 feet above busted limbs and other logs, that if anyone fell, would be extremely wounded. This war zone lasted for 400 yards were we left the equipment to get it set up and I was the only one to go back for more. Basically 3 hours into the day without any food or water I was getting ready to die. Thankfully the yarder busted for a short period and the radio did also so I was able to get back to the landing and get some water and food. Continuing to work while eating my peanut butter and jelly, the yarder was fixed and we were back logging. I then chased chokers for an hour, which consists of running to the logs after they are brought up and undoing the metal cable, which brings craziness entailing climbing logs up to 8 feet high, going through branches, and constantly watching yourself as a 20 pound toggle is swinging trying to knock your head off. Today I got hit in the hard hat twice and a couple days ago it swung and straight knocked my hat off. After many scrapes and falls, because if your not running and jumping into the trees with both hands, your fired, I then had to march through the brush out to the end to find out, when I am already completely exhausted, that I need to climb a tree and set the rigging. This was the second time I climbed, first time setting the rigging, but for the History Channels sake it was my first ever. Anyways, I strap on metal spurs and get this 30 year old rope set up and climb 40 feet above ground. Its tough. It takes an absurd amount of energy, energy that I didn’t have to give. The filmers made it extra difficult for me, putting a helmet with a video camera on it, which included an extra case (more weight). I succeeded, having to pull an ax up to chop down branches, and then pulling the necessary cables and blocks up and getting them set. I was completely burnt out, but the day wasn’t done…we then went and picked up more cables and mine weighed at least 50 pounds, honestly probably more, and had to carry them in the roughest terrian I have yet to hike. I fell a couple times, luckily it was in places that had brush to support me and I only dropped a few feet, but by the end of that hike I couldn’t see straight and my legs didn’t hold me up anymore. Thankfully the man I was working with is great and he and the rest of the guys think I am doing amazing for my first week but I had to just lay on the ground and not move. After a short scare that we might have to work an extra hour because one of the guys asked when we were leaving, we left 15 minutes after that moment when I laid down. A brutal day amidst other brutal days…

It has been difficult to get any pictures. First off, I’m working from beginning to end and second, even if I have 30 seconds I don’t think the boss would like it at all if he saw me with a camera. He is definitely a man you want to leave unagitated. Anyways, with a buddies help, this is what I was able to sneak…

the work site, over looking the ocean and Vancouver island

hard hat for a greenhorn…fitted backwards helping me stand out even more

my hands on the yarder with the processor in the background (de-limbs and moves logs)

couple guys on the crew being filmed

there’s nine cameras on site with occasionally extra (helmet cam)

my mug, dirty and broken after a long days work and yes, those are my pants being hung back there

Oct 21

Park Ranger! I guess not…

Posted in: Pages

When I moved up to Washington I really had no idea what job I wanted to get into. But within the first couple days I read the job description for a Park Ranger and I immediately fell in love. It was a job that used my degree, was entirely outdoors, and the job description was lengthy with its various aspects. The application process was extremely long, more than any other I have even heard of, but I got started right way and thought I would grab a random job in the mean time in order to get by. One of the processes was calling the human resources for the Rangers and having them send out a packet consisting of a personal section in which I needed to fill out as well as fingerprint sheets that I had to go to the police station with. As I was looking through the papers excited that I was one step closer to obtaining my new dream job, I read this…

Within an exhale, I released that this was not going to be a career for me. I have had many journeys and crossroads in my life and over those courses I have had encounters with drugs. It is not something necessarily that I am proud of but I do feel that everything that I have experienced in my life is for a reason. A reason that I cannot come close to explaining but everything has always worked out amazing for me. It definitely may not have seemed that way at the time, yet, there seems to always be that moment when I realize my life is unfolding just the way its supposed to, perfectly. As I have slowly matured to this 24th year of my life, my times of questioning with anger have seemed to dissolve.

Because of my history I can’t be a Park Ranger but if it weren’t for my history I would not be the man I am today. Yes, I was initially bumbed out that I couldn’t continue in the pursuit for that job but I trust with all my beliefs that that job was not what I was intended to be doing. In working to apply for this job I obtained a great reminder, to try and act according to what you feel is right. I am not a person that lives in regret, I may look back and know I could’ve or should’ve acted differently, but those are the situations, as well as many others, I learn from and attempt to minimize.

If or when I have children I will let them know of this situation. I will let them know, as my parents told me, decisions you make today may affect your entire life. Yet, I trust, as I do for my own life, things will always work out for the good, if you have a belief in God.

Now, on a completely different path in what I innitially thought once I got up here, I am excited with complete optimism, to see how this next adventure unfolds…

Oct 18

1st Day

Posted in: Pages, Photos

This first day was far unlike any other first day I have ever had. With two days of filming before I even got to see the job site or meet all but one of the guys I will work with, it was an anxious time to just start working. Even the morning up until I got to see the guys was a 2 hour ordeal. With a producer meeting me in the hotel room, to driving with me to the site, to then having to wait 20 mins before “the shots” were in order for me to walk up to the site. Honestly it was so obnoxious having to deal with all the camera people, when all I have been wanting is to work.

So after the “meeting” I was thankful as well as the rest of the guys to get to business. My position is next to the yarder, a huge machine that is anchored to various points and basically pulls up the fallen trees to be then processed, and loaded into a truck. My job is to run to the trees after they have been pulled up and undo the metal cables, so the yarder cartridge could go back down and pick more up.

Its a real quick process, or supposed to be, I wait until the trees have fallen in a “safe position” and I run out jumping on and over logs and limbs trying to get the cables unfastened. It sometimes is that easy but trees are on top of cables sometimes so the guy needs to shake them up a bit, and there is this huge metal clap that is constantly moving that you have to be weary of, it got me once but pretty softly and thankfully I had the hard hat on so it wasn’t a big deal.

It rained for half the day, so that always makes working outdoors a bit more pleasant. Everything I owned was soaked, especially my socks, which is never fun to deal with.

Overall, I enjoyed the first day, the guys thought I did a great job, and they want me back for Monday. So, at first when I got up here, a had a place to stay and no work and now I have work and need to find a place to stay. This is definitely a better spot to be in though and fortunately in these small towns a monthly hotel rate isn’t that bad.

Here are pics of the outfit for the first day…

Oct 16

I got a job!!

Posted in: Pages

After 9 days of a grueling search in trying to get employed again, I finally got a job! I am going to become a logger. That’s right, a logger, “one who logs trees, a lumberjack”, as defined by dictionary.com. After applying to Starbucks, Home Depot, and various other positions in town and out, I obtained a wonderful job, making good money, in a beautiful location. The funny thing, is this job doesn’t just consist of going out and performing the tough and dangerous work in which a logger performs, but it is apart of a television series being filmed by the History channel. The show is called Ax Men. This link shows episodes of the first season and I am going to be the extreme green hand in the now being filmed second season. It is definitely a trip. It is something that I never thought I would be apart of. But when I applied to a Craig lists ad described “Want to be a logger?,” need someone energetic, outgoing and physically fit, and able to be in front of cameras , please send a photo and a personal write up…I did not think that I would be applying for a main character role apart of a History Channel series. After I applied, I got called the next day in order to set up an interview. The interview consisted of me being filmed by the producer of the show with a microphone slipped up my shirt. I definitely felt out of place. It wasn’t bad because she was asking simple questions in which I am speaking for myself (rather than trying to play some character). After a couple days, hung over, I wake up to my phone beeping with having missed calls. It was the producer, and she was letting me know that I had the position pending a meeting with the owner of the logging company, to make sure that he wasn’t strictly opposed. As I quickly got my things together in order to make the ferry ride, I was shaking nervous, knowing that this meeting would either enable me to be working tomorrow, or have me continue on this horrible search for employment. After a couple whiskeys and a beer, I calmed my nerves down enough, to meet the man (described loud and angry), which controlled my immediate fate. To my amazement, the meeting was as if we were making a movie, which I guess we kind of are, but still, I was not expecting it at all. They wanted to film me driving up, which I had to do a second take because I didn’t drive quite fast enough. Then they wanted me to walk around the front of my car and then start at this particular place and say, “Hi, Gab.” Then the interview started with little interference by the producer and the supporting sound and video guys. It was rough to say the least, I was letting him know to the best of my abilities that I am a tough guy and I feel that I will be a great asset to his team. Accentually, after everything, he let me know that I am greener than green as he laughed at me. It was completely obvious that he did not think that I would make it out there but it would be funny to give me a shot to see how I did. Essentially, that was all I cared about, getting a shot. I had to expect that that would be the reaction that I received from a multi generational logger. It would have been nice to have been received acceptingly and openly but who am I kidding, I am from Southern California, coming into a world in which I know absolutely nothing about.

I left and had dinner with Sarah, the producer, and Thomas, the video man, and they let me know more of the role in which I would be living. They wanted me because I am completely green to this world, they liked me because I am tough and have experience to prove it, and they felted that, “I could be a main character in order to show the rest of America what this job is really like.”

In the misted of dinner and further as the nights progressed, I am left to realize that I am getting ready to get my ass kicked! Not only am I a new guy joining a veteran group but I am a guy that has been chosen by the History Channel, specifically because I know nothing. I have a slight urge that my first day on Friday is going to be a day that I cannot wait to end. Oh yeah, I have yet to meet the owner of the company, the real “Asshole.” They specifically wanted it to wait until my first day…greeeaaaat.

I am excited, nervous, anxious, determined, and hopeful that I am what I believe I am. And I am a man that believes that I can accomplish anything that I set my mind to. And right now, I am completely focused on not getting fired from this job, a job, working with men, which seem to have no intentions of wanting me around.

I am in the process of starting a new adventure…lets see how long this lasts…

Oct 14

Island Hopping

Posted in: Pages, Photos

In the continued search to try and get a job, I am led to cross the Admiralty Inlet, via a ferry boat. This was the first time that I was on a ferry since Europe, so I was excited for the trip and the opportunity to see more of Washington. It was a gloomier day, a bit breezy, but filled with wildlife and excitement knowing that I could possibly be moving to this new area.