Posted 1/10/01
Almelund logger trusts his horses to do the job
By Jon Tatting
About a quarter mile into the pine, the narrow, woodsy driveway soon reveals a large pickup truck latched to a taller trailer.
The woods within Wayside Park in Bradford Township offers the frequent hum of speeding drivers along nearby County Road 10 and chatter from curious birds perhaps content with an unusually warm January afternoon.
The aroma of sweet manure dominates the camp where Daniel H. Carlson and son Kevin prepare their two Belgian draft horses for one last pull of the day. With small- to medium-sized steps and rhythmic headbobs, the animals use their massive hooves and bodies to pull the trees back into the clearing.
The men tightly grip the reins, coaching the horses to stay on the path, which theyíve created throughout the day. Once in the clearing, Daniel and Kevin direct both horses to haul multiple logs ñ held together by chain ñ back to another clearing, ready to be taken home next time.
Horse logging can be tiresome work on the narrow trail. ìTheyíll do the job ñ sometimes in snow up to their belly,î said Daniel Carlson, whoís been living on his Almelund farm in Chisago County for 36 years. ìThem horses, they always start in the winter.î
Carlson traveled across county lines last weekend to log about 24 premarked pines ñ purchased through the county ñ from Wayside Park.
The trees, taken from the 80-acre county park, will be custom cut for rafters, roof boards, rafter ties and floor joists, which will eventually become the familyís third log cabin.
All his life, Carlson has been around horses, building log cabins from his own sawmill for 20 years. While one of Carlsonís cabins stands in Center City, his new cabin will be built for his sons Kevin, Erik and Chris up in Two Harbors, MN.
But itís the labor of Carlsonís draft horses that makes the job unique from more progressive methods ñ as with skidder tractors.
Instead of tending to machinery, Carlson relies on the quieter, more environment-friendly draft horse. Heís proud to say that his eight horses were born, raised and broken on his farm. While seven can drive, the youngest is in training at two years old.
When the Carlsons used Jay and Dick for hauling lumber at Wayside Park last weekend, they attached halters and announced orders to horses with varying experiences. At 19 hands and 2,400 pounds, Jay proved to be challenging at times to keep on task.
ìThis guyís over the hill,î Daniel said. ìHeís on social security.î
However, the other horse, Dick, was quite calm and seemed almost happy to be working. The 2,500 pounder is 16 years younger than Jay and considered in his prime, added Carlson.
Besides horses, Carlson also likes to work with healthy snow cover, since it helps with smooth log hauling through the woods and sleigh rides, a business he used to be involved in.
ìThis is the first good snow weíve had,î said Carlson of recent winters. He noted that snow cover keeps the logs clean, since mud and sand can be hard on the sawmill.
And the environment can be hard on itself, too. Prior to the Almelund farmerís arrival, the county had marked with paint those trees that were crooked, smaller and crowding the healthier pines.
ìItís like thinning carrots in the garden,î Carlson said.
After purchasing the two dozen trees from the county, Carlson expects to haul logs from a 33-acre, county-owned lot on the east side of County Road 1, west of Cambridge, where a future county park is anticipated.
Aside from building log cabins and offering frequent sleigh rides, Carlson further keeps his friends and family happy with his maple syrup operation. For the last 30 years, heís been tapping maple trees for their syrup. He explained that heíll tap 60 trees, collecting 10-15 gallons per year.
ìIt makes good Christmas presents,î he said. ìThe grandkids really like it.î