a Hard Day's over-Work

This weekend I attacked the Super Cedar with vigor.. and a band-saw and a ladder.  I succeeded in severing several low-hanging branches that obscured our view, including four or five of the 5-inch-diameter sort.  That was hard work, especially ten feet or more off the ground!  My arms ache but the job was fairly well done.  Several of the larger branches broke off before the saw could finish which was definitely not ideal.  I pruned off the greenery and now have a decent pile of extra cedar for the next firewood season.

Our modified view with Rainier behind me & the bench, with
 St.Helens at right, behind other trees 

Later on Sunday, when the hardest work was done, I made the mistake of checking online for chainsaws.  I didn't want to do that since I have a small 2-stroke model already - but it refused to start after several sessions, and it was clearly designed for right-hand starting.  Sure enough, Harbor Freight Tools was having a tent sale - and an electric model with 14" bar was up for a mere $48 and a smidge of tax.  I dropped by and found they had just two left, so I took one home.  I did know better than to attack the 7-inch limb with a band saw, so there's still a little work to be done.  Sadly a few thin and annoying limbs are on the steep downslope behind the Super Cedar, where a ladder can find little to stand on and nothing to lean on - so a few branches will await a different technology.  Maybe a lasso and limb pruner?

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An interesting side note: when counting peaks from right to left I've always seen St.Helens, Mt.Margaret, the Goat Rocks and Rainier.  Today however a new snowy peak appeared between the latter two, a long ridge covered with snow.  Considering the poor snowpack this year, that peak had to be pretty high up!  My best triangulation efforts suggest it's Mt.Aix, just over 94 miles away as Google flies; it's 7760' or so and shows a long ridgeline on the topo maps that would look as the mystery peak does from our vantage.  Other less-likely candidates appear nearby such as Bismarck Peak but that should present steeper sides than what we are seeing.  Interesting find!

Mt. Aix just beyond & east of Rainier