CFPA Chainsaw Refresher Class

The Shelton Trails Committee works closely with Connecticut Forest and Parks Association to maintain and improve the Paugussett Trail; one of the oldest historic trails in Shelton and Connecticut.  Some of us have gone through CFPA chainsaw training classes and learned a lot of good things to make our lives a lot safer and more efficient.  Pretty much none of us are not professional loggers, but it's always good to learn from one, particularly Bill Girard, on a cold and rainy November Sunday.

CFPA schedules a variety of trail training sessions for volunteers throughout the year.  In this case it was a Refresher Chainsaw Training for experienced trail maintainers.  Bill is in the center and runs the Games of Logging training program for CFPA. He not only does chainsaw training, but has his own logging company in Massachusetts, and brings a wealth of practical insight on how to cut up trees on Connecticut's trails while minimizing the chances of getting hurt.

I say minimizing, because any time you go out and work on trails there's always a chance of getting hurt.  In most cases it's pretty low, but things will happen (cut by briars, poison ivy, stung by wasps, etc.).  Other times you are chainsawing a tree hung up over a trail following a hurricane, and it's over your head, and the stakes are quite a bit higher.  That's when you REALLY appreciate the training that CFPA (and Bill in particular) brings to the table.  There is a lot of applied physics in getting a tree that's perched across a trail down in a controlled manner, so it's less of a danger and doesn't hurt the trail volunteers.

Lets start with PPE.  CFPA is a very safety conscious organization: they have us sign liability waivers, wear hard hats, safety glasses, chainsaw chaps, ear muffs, face shields, boots, and other safety paraphernalia.  Partially, because they don't want to get sued, but also because they truly want to protect their volunteers.

But they have not, at least so far, made us get a suit of armor, in order to cut trees for free on the weekends.  Don't tell the attorneys or they'll add some extra clauses to those liability waiver forms.  Go to the Arctic Circle website for more silly chainsaw and resiliency-related cartoons that you can purchase.
 

Bill went through every ones chainsaw helmet, chainsaw chaps, safety glasses, ear muffs, steel toes boots, first aid kit, etc.  It's surprising how much stuff you should bring to cut a log.  My dad and Uncle John logged above the family farm in Vermont in the 1930's and 40's with a 2 man hand saw, and Uncle M used to bring the logs down at night with the family horse.  I'm pretty sure they didn't have all this safety gear.  But then my Uncle John had some pretty messed up toes from having logs roll over his feet.  So, maybe leather boots with composite toes are a solid idea.  

Let me try to boil down Bill and Alex's safety advice.  If your hard hat is discolored and 20 years old, replace it.  If you give it the flex squeeze test and it splits down the middle, replace it.  If your chainsaw chaps are dirty and greasy, wash them.  The Kevlar fabric in the chaps doesn't work to bind up the chainsaw blade if they're all gunked up.  If the chaps are cut with big holes in them, replace them.  Duct tape doesn't work in this case.  Wear your safety glasses.  If your safety glasses are cracked or messed up, replace them.  Make sure your ear muffs are down around your ears when you start the saw, and pull your face shield down too.

 Bill went thru everyone's saw.  Five points to look at are the throttle lock, inertia brake, chain guard, spark arrestor, and chain tightness.  

If your chainsaw is dull, sharpen it.  I found that I need to work on my chain sharpening technique.  Get a roller guide and check the filing angle for Stihl saws vs. Husky saws.  A sharp chain prevents a lot of wear and tear on the sawyer.  

If your chain is loose, tighten it.  Mind the kickback corner.  Listen to the tree.  Use your wedges to avoid getting pinched.  One guy brought an electric saw that was pretty handy.  His saw started better than some of the gas powered saws.  Just make sure the battery is charged.

We then when out and played with chainsaws after lunch along Highlawn Trail.  And by played we practiced cutting spring poles so they wouldn't whack back and hit us, did some notch bucking to lower the tree to the ground, worked on our off-hand cutting,  game-planned some blow down removals,  checked out how trees would jump when we cut them certain ways, stayed out of the eggbeater, and watched a little wedge bucking.  Usual stuff most hikers don't have to do on any given Sunday.

I was humbled and impressed by all the quality of the people at the class that day.  These were the experienced CFPA trail maintainers from around the state who were spending their Sunday learning to cut trees and clear trails a bit better.  You think that you know everything, and then you are lucky enough to get plunked in with some truly experienced folks, and you learn a lot of new things that make your life easier.  It was a valuable class that was well worth attending.

Thanks to CFPA for offering this refresher training.  Alex, Clare, and Bill should be commended.  I know that this training has been rescheduled a couple of times due to Covid and other issues.  We appreciate CFPA putting this on.  It's amazing what goes on behind the scenes to make hiking through the woods in Shelton and around the State a more pleasant experience.