I didn't realize how much I liked the smell of chainsaw exhaust until I fired one up for the first time this season.
I sometimes feel like people who have never done saw work don't understand it. Lots of people find chainsaws intimidating, but I always say that it's like driving a large vehicle - the idea of it is scary, but when I actually have one in my hands I feel like I'm in control. I've had people tell me that they find it monotonous - they don't like that they can't talk to their fellow crew members since they're wearing ear protection and running loud machinery all day. Sawyers love it - the rhythm you get into when it's just you and your thoughts with the humming of the saw drowning out distractions. You'd think that tool maintenance would be tedious, but there's nothing quite so satisfying as cutting with a perfectly functioning saw that you know you've taken care of yourself.
We did our chainsaw training with the leaders of the Saw Crew, the Fire Crew, and Trail Crew Juliet this week. We took the group out to Prima Ranches, near Oak Creek, to do some work on a fence corridor. The landowners want a 10-foot corridor cleared so that they can bring a professional crew in to build a new fence. It's a big project - the saw crew will be here for three weeks this summer.
Our sawyer crew leaders are pictured below. From left to right: Troy Gambrill (Saw Crew ACL), Ashley Roscoe (Trail Crew Juliet CL), Trevor Foote (Fire Crew ACL), Erica Kistner (Fire Crew CL), Kayla Howard (Fire Crew ACL), Matt Baker (Saw Crew CL), and Taylor Healy (Trail Crew Juliet ACL). Looks like a group that's eager to get some oil and gas stains on those crisp new shirts!
