In the Deep Forest

Author: Ken Cable
Part 1 : Chapter 1

Ken Cable

George Lee wrestled the steering wheel of his Kenworth tractor as it churned down the twisting logging road pushed by a trailer loaded with four bolts of old growth timber. Using his Jake-brake, lower gear range – and years of experience – he guided his last load for the week down from the Trinity Mountain cut high above Weaverville. His destination was the Trinity River Lumber Mill outside of town. He knew there wouldn’t be many more hauls out of these mountains; the State of California was getting very close to denying permits for further logging in the Trinity Alps. He smiled at the thought.

The afternoon sun slanted in from the west as he pulled in to the mill site behind two other loggers waiting to unload. A stationary crane swung its double booms over the lead truck and lowered a cable from each boom with an extractor clamp on each end. The operator stopped the drop at the top the two steel ribs holding the logs in place on the trailer. Two Swampers climbed onto the load and fastened the clampers to the ribs. When they were clear, the crane operator pulled the pins smoothly from their slots on the trailer. The logs rolled off of the bed into the mill pond causing the water to surge nearly to the road. When the water settled, the swampers climbed aboard again and guided the pins back into place. The driver then pulled his rig out to the parking yard.

When it was his turn, Lee pulled next to the pond and the process was repeated; three of the huge bolts slid easily into the pond. When the last one didn’t follow, a large forklift rumbled up next to the left side of the trailer and inserted its forks under the bed and tipped it. The last log slid into the pond.

Lee pulled his rig out to the parking area and lined it up with a dozen other tractor-trailers ready for the road on Monday. He walked to the foreman’s shack and checked out. The foreman only grunted when Lee wished him a good weekend. He laughed quietly at the foreman’s response as he walked into the driver’s lounge, took a shower and changed his clothes. He had an appointment to keep.