SLEDS AND SLED-HAULING l6l 



neck," which is a V-shaped pair of thills. They have a hook on 

 the apex by which they are attached to a ring on the back side of 

 the forward bunk and the divergent ends of the goose-neck are 

 fastened to the roller ends of the rear sled. The length of the 

 goose-neck is from i6 to i8 feet, which gives a distance of 21 or 

 23 feet between the rear bunk and the forward rocker. When 

 the empty sled is ready to return from the landing to the skidway, 

 it is customary to unhook the goose-neck, turn it back on the 

 rear pair of runners and couple the sleds close together by means 

 of cross chains. 



The cost of construction of a two-sled in a camp blacksmith 

 shop, including labor and materials is between $50 and $75. 

 Dealers in logging supphes quote them at prices ranging from 

 $100 to $150. 



SLED ROADS 



Yarding Sled Roads. — Roads for yarding sleds are laid out 

 by the camp foreman. Several main roads diverge from the 

 skidways generally going up the slopes, and from these, branch 

 roads are built directly to the logs. 



Main roads are built 5 or 6 feet wide, stumps are cut level with 

 the grade and all brush, fallen timber and boulders cleared away. 

 The road is roughly graded, holes and depressions are filled with 

 brush or dirt, streams are spanned with crib bridges, swamps are 

 corduroyed and cross-skids are frequently placed across the road 

 at intervals of from 10 to 20 feet to prevent the runners from 

 cutting up the road. Side-skids may also be placed along the 

 lower side of the road to prevent the sleds from leaving it. On 

 side slopes, the outer edge of the road may be built up by laying 

 skids parallel to the road and then placing short skids 2 or 3 

 feet apart across them. This crowds the sled towards the bank. 



Main yarding roads are generally built by a special road crew. 

 The secondary roads are laid out and constructed by the swamp- 

 ers while preparing the logs for skidding. Easy grades are de- 

 sirable both for main and secondary roads, but are not absolutely 

 essential because the speed of loaded sleds can be checked on 

 steep pitches by a "snub-line " or a ''bridle." 



