Nathan Frechen with his chainsaw which is equipped with Oregon bar and chain

Nathan Frechen

crew member #4 Test & Measurement Engineering Manager, Maintainer of trails

Bio

Location: Portland, Oregon

Nathan has been with Oregon Tool for over 15 years working in manufacturing, product design, and testing.  

  • As a true maintainer of trails, he has multiple years volunteering on multi-use trails (hiking, horse, mountain biking) in Oregon and Washington, typically 20+ days/year.
  • Nathan helped organize over 10 volunteer work events per year in the last 4 years and helps maintain 200+ miles of remote backcountry trails, primarily by removing fallen logs with a chainsaw or crosscut saw. 
  • He is a lead chainsaw instructor for a volunteer organization based in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon and maintains affiliations with five volunteer organizations in the Pacific Northwest. 
  • Nathan currently holds a "C-chainsaw" certification (highest level) as a volunteer for the US Forest Service.  

Why Oregon?

"For me, it comes down to dependability, ease of control, and maintain-ability, with respect to bars and chains. Given the terrain and risk associated with removing blowdown in the woods, I need a chain that can cut fast yet smoothly, so I have as much ability to control the situation as possible. I’m often in less-than-ideal body positioning, so minimizing extra effort goes a long way over the course of a day."