alder prices in PNW

[ArtB]

Have not tried to track prices, but must be getting pretty high? There are a bunch of folks here from SW WA who likely keep track of these markets.

Have 32 acres near Mossyrock that was originally logged circa 1900, selectively logged for telephone poles in 1972, nothing since except for firewood for personal use.

Seems lately have been getting an inquiry every other week about selling timber . Not much DF over 18" DBH, but lots of 15" dbh alder, most pretty straight. No need to sell anything, but curious as to the market.

Thinking alder prices must be pretty high. Neighbor there told me 5 years ago he was getting $1100 MBF for veneer quality logs.
Being an old Midwest boy, always considered alder just a firewood tree, not any more, eh?

 

[northmanlogging]

Alder goes fer about the same as doug fir plus or minus a bit, contact nw hardwoods or washingtin alder... same company..

Or in other words 550-700 per 1k bf but its lighter so you can get a whole mess of it on a truck

 

[Skeans]

I'd get a hold of Cascade Hardwoods they pay the same for short logs as long logs and typically pay better from what I've seen of the two price sheets. My last sheets was upper 800's from memory for 12"+ tops 16-40 ft same price.

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[northmanlogging]

$850 fer 12" and up

 

[RandyMac]

Alder must be worth hauling, plenty of truck loads locally.

 

[bitzer]

$850 fer 12" and up

Is that for number 1s?

 

[northmanlogging]

They don't really have a grade at NW hardwoods, if its over 12" and longer then 16' without a bunch of stain thats what they pay.

Only problem is finding enough alder to send them full loads on the regular, stuff is easy to work up and not to difficult to fall, so its easy money.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

We ran into a patch of it this summer, I brought a bit home for the stove. Was crooked and small, 8" dbh at the most.

I'm told it burns about the same as poplar, dunno?

 

[chucker]

it burns better than poplar/aspen.. burns and coals up more like maple and birch, but with out the creosote build up from poplar and unseasoned birch. green birch is a NO no .....

 

[northmanlogging]

Alder burns good not as long as maple but better then fir,

 

[bitzer]

They don't really have a grade at NW hardwoods, if its over 12" and longer then 16' without a bunch of stain thats what they pay.

Only problem is finding enough alder to send them full loads on the regular, stuff is easy to work up and not to difficult to fall, so its easy money.

That's pretty good pay if it doesn't matter for knots or sweep or cat faces.

 

[northmanlogging]

They deduct for imperfections, but its still pretty good pay. Knots don't seem to matter much as long as they aren't real big or prevalent. Cat faces, Rot, and Stain ya try to buck out if you can, but its hard to do on a 32' log, so they work around em same as we would if we could cut 8's or 10's

Sweep in alder is just a fact of life, rare to find a straight one, possible yes... likely not so much

They are a little more picky with the maple, but not as much, the exporters are extra picky on the hardwoods, so it really pays to send a load of hardwood the extra 30 mi north.

And some folks would say that us PNW goons can't cut hardwood... blah blah blah...

 

[Skeans]

They deduct for imperfections, but its still pretty good pay. Knots don't seem to matter much as long as they aren't real big or prevalent. Cat faces, Rot, and Stain ya try to buck out if you can, but its hard to do on a 32' log, so they work around em same as we would if we could cut 8's or 10's

Sweep in alder is just a fact of life, rare to find a straight one, possible yes... likely not so much

They are a little more picky with the maple, but not as much, the exporters are extra picky on the hardwoods, so it really pays to send a load of hardwood the extra 30 mi north.

And some folks would say that us PNW goons can't cut hardwood... blah blah blah...

Good reason to look at Cascade there's no tier system on the pay.

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[1270d]

Could you get more if you bucked for grade like we middle merica folks? On good logs lots of times I butt off an inch at a time (or half inch even) to clear up a log or trim out a knot or mineral.

Although knotty alder is the thing isn't it?

 

[Skeans]

Could you get more if you bucked for grade like we middle merica folks? On good logs lots of times I butt off an inch at a time (or half inch even) to clear up a log or trim out a knot or mineral.

Although knotty alder is the thing isn't it?

That's what we do is buck for grade as well as better scale just for size.

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[northmanlogging]

Could you get more if you bucked for grade like we middle merica folks? On good logs lots of times I butt off an inch at a time (or half inch even) to clear up a log or trim out a knot or mineral.

Although knotty alder is the thing isn't it?

ya do what ya can, need enough long logs to for the bunks, so ya pick yer battles, short butt cut here, vs short tops, or a few that only make 16's, just as long as you have the majority up in the 32'-36' range it makes a good pay day.
The alder out here is fairly knot free, couple of bigger limbs here and there, if its really limby its likely not very tall, and would likely barely make a decent 20' log, the rest being waste. They like to grow in the understory, or as a pioneer tree, where things is thick, then the weak die off after 10-20 years or so, leaving the better trees to go on for a few more, then they all stop and start dying off to make room for the hemlock and ceder coming up from the shade... unless there is a stand of fir and they squeeze into any light they can get, snaking through to find every glimmer of hope they can... makes a thinning job kinda interesting...

there is a bunch on the current project, that is close enough I can see the NW yard on a mostly clear day... just gotta talk the owner out of em.

 

[Skeans]

ya do what ya can, need enough long logs to for the bunks, so ya pick yer battles, short butt cut here, vs short tops, or a few that only make 16's, just as long as you have the majority up in the 32'-36' range it makes a good pay day.
The alder out here is fairly knot free, couple of bigger limbs here and there, if its really limby its likely not very tall, and would likely barely make a decent 20' log, the rest being waste. They like to grow in the understory, or as a pioneer tree, where things is thick, then the weak die off after 10-20 years or so, leaving the better trees to go on for a few more, then they all stop and start dying off to make room for the hemlock and ceder coming up from the shade... unless there is a stand of fir and they squeeze into any light they can get, snaking through to find every glimmer of hope they can... makes a thinning job kinda interesting...

there is a bunch on the current project, that is close enough I can see the NW yard on a mostly clear day... just gotta talk the owner out of em.

Is NW hardwoods still running the tiers for lengths?

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[1270d]

Is NW hardwoods still running the tiers for lengths?

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Skeans did you guys decide on a machine? Great lakes expo is this Friday if you want something looked at

 

[Skeans]

Skeans did you guys decide on a machine? Great lakes expo is this Friday if you want something looked at

Have not since we aren't working for Weyerhauser anymore our contract is still open if they decide to let more work be done. At this point it'll be something used and probably a touch bigger around a 425 leveler or a 725 leveler with a Skidmore or Logmax 7000 fixed head, either would probably work but I'm thinking the logmax would be better since we're clear cutting more now.

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[northmanlogging]

Is NW hardwoods still running the tiers for lengths?

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nah its all based on diameter, bigger pays better etc, they take anything 16' to 40' (though if you can find decent 40' alder logs...)

the "soft" wood folks have the tier thing going strong though, both lengths and diameters, and grades on top of all that.