A Steam Donkey and Our Local Mountain Legend Bruce Baker

Back in the 1920s local lumber companies used what’s called a steam donkey that is a cable pulling system powered by steam. They were used to drag trees up to one steam donkey and then hook to another steam donkey and drag to the next location, and so on until reaching the milling location. The interesting part is that steam donkeys were built with sled bottoms, where they could drag themselves through the forest to their location to be staged. Bruce Baker, one of our local timber experts recently took on the endeavor to get one from a remote location in the forest to be donated by the landowner to our wonderful local San Lorenzo Valley Museum. As I started to investigate the story, I reached out to Bruce. Here’s what Bruce had to say:

(In the late 90s while felling “timber for Big Creek lumber, I stumbled across this Steam Donkey long abandon down by a creek deep in our local Boulder Creek redwood forest back country. There were hand split board cabins with leather door hinges, and the most beautiful pristine creek you’ve ever seen, with fish too. I knew then, 26 years ago, that this would look cool in the Boulder Creek Museum. The tourist going through town to see old growth Redwoods in Big Basin State Park might stop at the SLV Boulder Creek Museum and ask about it. Hopefully they go away with a better understanding of our logging history, and our sustainably harvested second growth operations ongoing throughout the Santa Cruz mountains.

So over the years , and much phone talk , the property owner agreed to meet me at the Boulder Creek Museum this past May 31st. Lisa Robinson, the Museum President, wooed Him as he stepped foot in the door. She showed a short video of Santa Cruz Lumber in1923, now called RedTree their 100 year anniversary. He was given the grand tour, and then he donated the steam donkey to the museum.

“Nice work Lisa”. Now getting it moved?

I had always planned on having a local logger help me get it out and delivered. With a D-6 caterpillar tractor we would skid it 2 miles up to the better ridge road, load it on a flatbed lowboy truck, and unload it at the Museum, right on HWY 9.

Then Mike Figone “cabin photo credit “, shared a better way with minimum equipment .

So knowing it was expected for a logger like me to get this out, I decided to let Charlie Brown or local legend and mover have the move job. After all, Charlie can move a piano into a bell tower. Ok!

So Charlie contacts AutoCare towing, and we spent a whole day with Steve Silva cutting through years of down trees, ATV wide just to evaluate the possibility, and AutoCare agreed to do the move with their New 4×4 tilt bed wrecker and heavy winch. So the following weekday I worked some hours with my helpers/employees Whitney Wilson and Cheyanne Pilgreen cutting the down trees wider for the big tow … the 4×4 wrecker needed to wiggle on down into the deep forested Canyon. If that wasn’t exciting enough!

On way out of the forest that day I closed HWY 9 , and HWY 236 upper with my truck, ATV, Saws, ropes, and tools burning, melted to the asphalt, 100% total loss.

I just call it Bruce luck and move on.

Additionally Roaring Camp railroad in Felton donated the rail ties for the new perch for the stream donkey. Our Steam Donkey recovery date was Friday May 23rd. With no injuries, this was to be a big successful event in my life personally.

Additionally if I might add, they are accepting donations at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, earmarked Steam Donkey Recovery to offset AutoCare Towing expenses.

I want to thank everyone else that offered to help both Charlie Brown and I, much appreciated.

Travis Tree Professionals

Christianson Tree Experts

Sunderland Tree Service

Big Creek Lumber

Redtree Partners