Lay Of The Land

Blomberg Logging navigates tough terrain and other challenges

3 MIN READ

Dusty Blomberg, owner of Blomberg Logging, contemplates the vast, rugged landscape surrounding a logging site in Sutherlin, Oregon, about an hour south of Eugene.

Yarder operations are well suited to Oregon's steep terrain, but the challenges are unending. Blomberg compares yarding to a series of difficult, constantly changing geometry problems.

"It all depends on the lay of the land," he explains. "You need to know the forces at work, the pulling strengths of different lines, and how to anchor the lines properly." If no good anchor points are available, the crew may have to drill into rock or put buried logs into the ground for support.

"There's a lot that goes into it," Blomberg reflects. "Above all you need to find people who already know how to do it or who are willing to learn. We have a great crew right now. Without them, we're nothing."

FRESH PERSPECTIVE

The yarder crew includes two choker setters, a rigging slinger, and a hook tender, who oversees the safe movement of logs. This operation feeds a John Deere 3156G Processor and a 3156G Log Loader.

Finding enough skilled workers to form a second yarder crew is difficult if not impossible, according to Blomberg. Instead, the company's second operation runs a John Deere 959ML Shovel Logger. Designed specifically for steep terrain, the 959ML Shovel Logger can work in places that traditionally would require a yarder crew.

"That's a big deal for us," says Blomberg. "The 959ML has significant power and works really well on steep slopes. We can log more areas without adding additional boots on the ground. It helps us maximize what we can do and changes the way we look at things."

GROWING PAINS

Blomberg is a third-generation logger from Drain, Oregon, a small town just south of Eugene with a population of 1,151. His father and grandfather owned logging trucks. Blomberg drove a truck for his father when he was 18.

"I always felt more comfortable in the woods," he says. "So I gravitated toward the logging side." At 19, he began setting chokers, working up to rigging slinger and hook tender.

Blomberg started his own logging company five years ago with the help of his wife and co-owner Shae. The company harvests mainly second-growth Douglas fir. "We've been investing everything back into the business to help it grow," he says.

In the beginning the company was really struggling, running old machines, which were always breaking down. "We've had some growing pains for sure," he says. "We're loggers. We use what we have. Poor men have poor ways (laughs)."

Blomberg Logging's local Deere dealership, Papé Machinery, helped get the company into new equipment, including a John Deere 3156G Processor and a 3156G Swing Machine with grapple shovel. "That was a godsend," he says. "We have fewer breakdowns, so costs are down. With a warranty and maintenance agreement, we can better predict what our expenses are going to be and can budget our costs."

The 3156G packs a lot of power into a smaller package, according to Blomberg: "It's great at the landing, but it has enough power to shovel if you need to. It's just a good all-around machine."

Papé Machinery has done an amazing job with service and support: "If we have problems with anything, they get right on it and are there for us in a heartbeat. They know if we're not running, we're not surviving. In logging, downtime kills you. We're stretched thin."

A Papé Machinery representative, Chris Rhoades, refers to Blomberg as the Mayor of Drain. "We're pretty active in our small community," says Blomberg. "So he calls me mayor (laughs)."

He and Shae help out at local fairs and parades trying to get young people interested in logging. Papé Machinery often donates equipment. "What really drives me is family and trying to do something for the community," he says. "We're providing a decent wage in an otherwise disadvantaged area. Knowing that inspires me to persevere in tough times."

Blomberg Logging is serviced by Papé Machinery, Eugene, Oregon.

A set of John Deere 3156G Swing Machines equipped with a claw and Waratah HTH624-C head collect logs.
A John Deere 3156G Swing Machine expertly loading logs onto the back of a semi-truck.