The Spring Thaw takes place at the George W. Brown Logging Sports Arena in Peavy Arboretum, Feb. 27, 2026.
Macy Moore/KLCC
On the morning of Feb. 27, 2026, a crowd gathered at Cronemiller Lake in Peavy Arboretum near Corvallis to watch students from four universities scamper up an elevated pole of wood and saw the end off with a chainsaw.
The event was called “Obstacle Pole,” and it was part of the Spring Thaw, a series of competitive logging sports events hosted by the Oregon State University Department of Forestry Logging Sports team.
Along with OSU, participating schools at the 2026 edition of the Spring Thaw were Montana State University, the University of Idaho and the University of British Columbia.
Logging sports are athletic events based on traditional and modern logging practices. Events include crosscut sawing, horizontal and vertical chopping, axe throwing and log rolling.
A student competes in an event called "Obstacle Pole," severing the end of an elevated log using a chainsaw on Feb. 27, 2026.
Macy Moore/KLCC
OSU Forestry Club President Norah Steed said the best part about logging sports is the variety.
“There’s something that works for everybody. Starting out, I was a little bit concerned that, oh man, I’m just a little person. I’m not going to do very well compared with some of these huge guys that you’re competing with,” Steed said. “But I found that there’s really something for everybody’s strengths.”
Beyond the competition, students at the Spring Thaw said they enjoyed the logging sports community.
OSU Forestry Club board member Sierra Mirsky said the camaraderie is why she keeps competing. She said the logging sports team helped her find people with similar interests at OSU and beyond.
“Just meeting people from other teams has also been a really great experience,” Mirsky said. “I now have really close friends down in like Nevada and Montana that I never would have met without this logging sports community.”
Students prepare logs for wood chopping events at the Spring Thaw, Feb. 27, 2026.
Macy Moore/KLCC
OSU Logging Sports competes across the country at different logging sports competitions.
Macy Moore is a reporter with KLCC. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
