Forestry Fest draws a crowd

At right, brave men participate in the log birling event at Ballaine Lake (photo by Todd Paris, UAF Marketing & Communications). Below, UAF student David Spencer hefts an ax toward the target during the 11th annual Forestry Fest on Oct. 4 (SNRAS photo).


Saturday's 11th annual Farthest North Forestry Fest attracted lumberjacks young and old, along with a variety of onlookers.

Winners were: Larsen Hess, bull of the woods; Alice Orlich, belle of the woods; Old Foresters, overall team; Pete Buist and Jason Buist, men's double buck; Alice Orlich and Amy Rath, women's double buck; Kristen Shake and Nelson Crone, Jack & Jill Double Buck; Pete Buist, men's bow saw; Ann Knowlton, women's bow saw; Jesse Hoff, men's ax throw; Ellen Hatch, women's ax throw; Andy Hess and Larsen Hess, men's log rolling; Clarissa Ribbens and Hilary Nichols, women's log rolling; Andy Hess and Yuki Nagasaki, Jack & Jill log rolling; Andy Hess, Larsen Hess, Kyoko Okano, John Smelter, pulp toss; Matt McAnder, men's birling; Alice Orlich, women's birling; Pete Simpson and Pete Buist, fire building.



The event, held each fall to celebrate old-time forestry techniques, is sponsored by SNRAS forestry school and the the Resource Management Society.

Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner coverage of the event, "Competition celebrates lumberjacking, old school style".