When Richard Malusky started working in the woods in 1975, logging looked very different than it does today.
Crews were larger. Equipment was more manual. Safety practices were still evolving. Richard was just 19 years old, with a two-month-old son at home, looking for a better-paying job.
鈥淚 was making about $4.35 an hour,鈥 Richard recalls. 鈥淚 got hired to set chokers for $6.35 an hour, basically a 50 percent raise.鈥
Fifty years later, Richard is celebrating an extraordinary milestone 鈥 half a century with 国产自拍, working almost entirely in the forests surrounding his hometown.
鈥淚 like being outdoors,鈥 Richard says. 鈥淚 enjoy the challenge, and I feel I鈥檓 really good at what I do.鈥
A CAREER BUILT IN THE WOODS
Richard鈥檚 career has evolved alongside the logging industry.
After setting chokers for a few years, he gradually moved into equipment operation. After spending about 20 years as a hook tender, he transitioned into shovel logging, where he has spent the past 15 years.
Today, he works on our Snow Peak tree farm, gathering felled timber with a hydraulic shovel and carefully moving it to roadside decks for processing.
鈥淭he hardest part is mentally figuring out how to make things work,鈥 Richard says. 鈥淵ou never know what the lay of the land is going to be. There鈥檚 always a lot of challenges.鈥
Even after thousands of days in the woods, he says that problem-solving aspect is what keeps the work interesting.
WATCHING AN INDUSTRY EVOLVE
When he started, many of his coworkers had spent their careers working with older equipment and techniques that demanded intense physical labor. Today鈥檚 operations rely on advanced machinery that allows crews to accomplish work with fewer people while improving safety.
鈥淚t鈥檚 night and day,鈥 Richard says. 鈥淓verything has changed. The equipment, the timber size, the crew size 鈥 you can get more done with less manpower.鈥
Richard believes one of the biggest improvements has been the industry鈥檚 commitment to safety.
鈥淚t鈥檚 completely different today,鈥 he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more knowledge and a much different attitude.鈥
That evolution carries personal meaning.
Early in his career, Richard witnessed a fatal logging accident involving a fellow cutter who had started around the same time he did. The experience stayed with him, reinforcing the importance of doing the job safely every day.
PASSING ALONG EXPERIENCE
It鈥檚 a lesson he鈥檚 passed on while training newer employees.
鈥淢y advice is simple: Slow down and do the job right,鈥 he says. 鈥淪low is fast.鈥
Looking back, he credits one early mentor 鈥 a hook tender who taught him the trade and challenged him to become a better logger.
鈥淚 almost felt like he was a second father to me,鈥 Richard says.
Today, Richard enjoys helping the next generation build those same skills while continuing to tackle the daily challenges that come with working in the woods.
A MILESTONE WORTH CELEBRATING
Although Richard originally set his sights on working until age 70 for practical reasons, reaching the 50-year milestone has become something he appreciates in its own right.
鈥淚t is kind of a bragging point,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something nobody ever does anymore.鈥
Retirement may still be on the horizon, but Richard isn鈥檛 rushing toward it.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure what I would want to do in retirement,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 enjoy my work so much. I鈥檝e met and worked with so many different teams through the years, and I really enjoy the people I work with. That鈥檚 one of the things I don鈥檛 want to give up.鈥
