Extra Precaution Downhill
The arrival of the bigger, heavier bulldozer should have been a clue to the precariousness of the new haul road.
The full impact of the danger removing large loads of timber from the top of the hill came as I followed the second load out of the woods.
The second load to be removed from the forest was filled with large white fir. The heavy logs weighted the truck to capacity with seven logs.
Once the truck pulled out of the area of the log decks at the top of the hill, a steel logging cable was strung under the belly of the dozer and attached to one of the largest logs strapped onto the truck.
The bulk of the dozer was going to be used to keep the truck under control as the pair make their way down the steep road out of the woods. I had a good vantage point from the Gator, traveling the same road well behind the load and the dozer.
On the steepest areas of the road, the heavy dozer seemed to be dragged down the hill behind the loaded truck like a tinker-toy.
In reality, both the truck driver and the dozer operator agreed that the road was indeed safe to haul the heavy loads out of the forest and that the tether process was simply an added safety measure.