Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[H-Ranch]

More this afternoon.

And another trailer load, looks like elm this time. I am pleasantly surprised that it splits much easier than some of the pine and box elder I've been dealing with lately. No time like the present to get started.

 

[JustJeff]

About to cap off the third modified holzhauzen. Not exactly following the writings of Lars Mytting but I'm not climbing a ladder to stack firewood. I have found these round stacks really dry wood well even into the center. Each stack is on 4 pallets and with the vertical center pieces, air is drawn in and up in a chimney effect. Man I need to take at least a year off. I have enough split and stacked for the next 3 winters. Probably get good and fat before I need to scrounge again!

 

[JimR]

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About to cap off the third modified holzhauzen. Not exactly following the writings of Lars Mytting but I'm not climbing a ladder to stack firewood. I have found these round stacks really dry wood well even into the center. Each stack is on 4 pallets and with the vertical center pieces, air is drawn in and up in a chimney effect. Man I need to take at least a year off. I have enough split and stacked for the next 3 winters. Probably get good and fat before I need to scrounge again!

Yesterday a guy that bought a cord of wood from me told me about these wood drying structures. Looks like that would work very well.

 

[JimR]

Get ahold of your local shelter or sheriff's dept., those animals need a welfare check?

I told my wife that. She said if you do this he will know it was us that turned him in. We shall see what the future brings soon on this issue.

 

[JimR]

sometimes getting to the scrounge area can be tough going!!!
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Massachusetts

 

[GrizG]

Finished the utility corridor today. The hillside is very steep... the old steel and concrete stairs are very steep... I had to dig my logging boot heals in to stay on the hill. It was challenging to fell trees under those conditions! Tomorrow morning the electrical contractor is going to try to drive the drilling rig up as far as he can and hopes he can reuse the same hole as it's solid rock... I don't know how the trees even grow on it! I have a little tidying up to do with the pole saw but otherwise it's done... might try to clean up an ugly stump, might not though as it was a dangerous tree to cut. All together I have about 11 hours on that hill and my son has about 8 helping me.

I believe the trees I couldn't identify are some type of sumac... haven't been able to identify the variety yet. The other trees taken down were catalpa and a few small maples. The old power pole is near the bottom of the remaining stairs (from there down they were removed by a previous owner... bad condition). I cut the pole into 3 pieces so I could work around it easier. The debris to the right is in an old foundation that is about 8 feet deep... it doesn't look like much but there is a LOT there... 8 or 9 useless trees plus brush. You can just make out the powerline drop going from the conduit to the upper right corner of the photo.

BTW, the odd stripping on the road is for the Empire State Trail... there are bike lanes on both sides of a state highway on the way to the bridge over the Hudson River.

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I am many weeks behind here... Dealing with family affairs... missed out on early bear season completely.... No end in sight...

Anyhow I finally identified the trees that gave me problems by taking down the utility pole. They are named "Tree of heaven." Called by some "Chinese Sumac." That name is for a good reason as it's an invasive from China that was introduced here in North America in the late 18th century. Various sources all have the same theme: "Due to its extensive root system and resprouting ability, tree-of-heaven is difficult to control." We're going to focus our control efforts on the areas around the houses, utility poles and solar array and consider the rest of the "infected" forested area a loss. The flowers are a very light green and look yellow under some lighting conditions.

 

[SS396driver]

I think you need to feed your wingman a little more. I can see his ribs.

He wasn’t happy when I stopped for ice cream and he didn’t get any . Don’t want no mess on my seats dairy goes right through him . Well pretty much everything does

 

[xraydaniel]

Not sure which one of you gents had a saw holder on casters but I admired that one and finally got around to building one from leftover lumber from previous jobs. Pretty much cutoffs and warped stuff sitting in the basement. Still gotta do a bit more work…

 

[MustangMike]

I know, I know, it was the last day of early antlerless season ... but we just finished butchering my grandson's deer yesterday and the wife wanted to go for a hike ... so we went for a hike! Boy, things are changing too fast!

We first tried to go to our old spot (which we used for decades even though it went through private land) which was a shortcut up to South Mt. Beacon, but it was now posted so we could not go there.

So, we tried to go to some of our old spots to hike State land near Breakneck Ridge, only to find no parking signs on several places we used to park and over a hundred cars hogging the remaining spots! We ended up parking far North of where we wanted to go, but luckily there was a trail entrance there we had not been on previously (did I also mention that the Metro North train comes up on the WEs from NYC with hundreds of other hikers).

OK, so it was very crowded, and less than half the folks spoke English (mostly Asian and Hispanic). I was stunned by the look of the new trail. It was obviously built for "heavy traffic", and the signs made you think you were on city streets instead of on woods trails. The amount of granite steps installed up the hillside simply boggled the mind. I cannot imagine the number of hours it took to install them.

That said, we did manage to have an enjoyable hike, but anyone who thinks we need more people coming into our State was not there today!

To the North you can see Bannerman's Castle on Pollepel Island (formerly used to store surplus arms for an Army / Navy store in NYC). Directly across the Hudson is Storm King Mtn., and despite the "road signs" the Breakneck Ridge hike can be quite challenging. I actually did my good deed today and went up and helped a guy who got stuck.

 

[MustangMike]

Storm King viewed from a lower part of Breakneck Ridge (notice the road cut into it).

The second view is 9D going south with the RR tracks to the right. Across the river and further down you can see West Point. On the left and in the next picture is Bull Mtn (AKA Mt. Taurus).

The wife is sitting on some of the numerous granite steps going up the mountain (on the Ninham trail). I was joking with her that we should take the escalator!

 

[MustangMike]

The Jerusalem Artichoke are in full bloom in my backyard! Many of them are over 6ft tall, and the flowers are beautiful! I will have to harvest some one of these days, as they seem to keep spreading nicely on their own.

 

[xraydaniel]

 

[djg james]

Out working the piles when I get another text from my new PTA best friend. He's on his way over with another trailer load. Oh and here's more of this for you to see.
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Must be nice to have your scrounge come to you. I have to drive 2 miles to get mine !

 

[djg james]

More this afternoon.
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And another trailer load, looks like elm this time. I am pleasantly surprised that it splits much easier than some of the pine and box elder I've been dealing with lately. No time like the present to get started.
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I still think you may be just reposting pics of wheelbarrow loads out of your massive library. You're really sitting around in front of the tube drinking beer and eating Bon-Bons . One day I'll catch you!

 

[farmer steve]

I am many weeks behind here... Dealing with family affairs... missed out on early bear season completely.... No end in sight...

Anyhow I finally identified the trees that gave me problems by taking down the utility pole. They are named "Tree of heaven." Called by some "Chinese Sumac." That name is for a good reason as it's an invasive from China that was introduced here in North America in the late 18th century. Various sources all have the same theme: "Due to its extensive root system and resprouting ability, tree-of-heaven is difficult to control." We're going to focus our control efforts on the areas around the houses, utility poles and solar array and consider the rest of the "infected" forested area a loss. The flowers are a very light green and look yellow under some lighting conditions.

View attachment 1113279

That's the favorite tree of the Spotted Lantern fly. Kill them all if you can. I don't recall having much trouble controlling them other than the seeds sprouting up . https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/113303.html

 

[JimR]

I am many weeks behind here... Dealing with family affairs... missed out on early bear season completely.... No end in sight...

Anyhow I finally identified the trees that gave me problems by taking down the utility pole. They are named "Tree of heaven." Called by some "Chinese Sumac." That name is for a good reason as it's an invasive from China that was introduced here in North America in the late 18th century. Various sources all have the same theme: "Due to its extensive root system and resprouting ability, tree-of-heaven is difficult to control." We're going to focus our control efforts on the areas around the houses, utility poles and solar array and consider the rest of the "infected" forested area a loss. The flowers are a very light green and look yellow under some lighting conditions.

View attachment 1113279

I know that tree very well. Rip it out today and a few more are growing there tomorrow. I hate them and dealing with them also.

 

[JustJeff]

Storm King viewed from a lower part of Breakneck Ridge (notice the road cut into it).

The second view is 9D going south with the RR tracks to the right. Across the river and further down you can see West Point. On the left and in the next picture is Bull Mtn (AKA Mt. Taurus).

The wife is sitting on some of the numerous granite steps going up the mountain (on the Ninham trail). I was joking with her that we should take the escalator!

Great pics. Looks like a beautiful spot.

 

[H-Ranch]

One day I'll catch you!

Catch me if you can!!

 

[MechanicMatt]

Alright, who’s pile is this?

 

[H-Ranch]

Hey, look over there!

Worked on the quiet stuff this morning, but now it's the chainsaw hour!