Steve NW WI
Unwanted Riff Raff.
I had a friend from the local store offer me some wood. I wasn't sure what it was, or how much, so I told him I'd come over and take a look. I was expecting a couple yard trees that needed to come down.
Man was I ever wrong.
I met him this afternoon to take a look, and we hopped on his Ranger to go have a look. It started with a few elms in the road ditch, then we turned off into the woods. After a few minutes, and him pointing out a bunch of dead and down stuff (not that he needed to, I was drooling and had the thousand yard stare already), I had to ask: How much land do you have? "120 acres, and Mom has 70 across the fence line, but (another friend) is supposed to be coming over to cut some trails in there and clean it up." We rode and looked and he pointed out property boundaries for the better part of a half hour before we got back to the house.
I'd say its probably 40 acres of woods, with enough dead and down oak, elm, and whatnot to keep me busy a LOOOONG time. I'll probably be cutting there as much as possible until the snow gets too deep to get around, then I'll go back to my own back 40. I'm guessing there's 50+ cords laying down, just that I saw, we by no means canvassed the entire woods. Did I mention it's only 6 miles from home?
I went home for the truck and saws, and headed back over. I really didn't need all my gear today, but I put it in just to see how it would all fit in the cab. 3 Dolmars, tool bag, chaps, helmet, rope bag, and a spare flannel pretty well fill a regular cab. 8lb maul and cant hook, and gas and oil cans, still ride in back:
Figured I'd start by cleaning up the road ditch, and get the stuff he drives by all the time taken care of first. Mostly elms, the bunch in the 2nd pic he cut down because they were crowding out the pines. I need to do some teaching on how to safely cut trees the next time he's around...stumps were painful to look at!
Here's the haul for today, better than 1/3 cord of mostly elm, with a bit of box elder, a smidgen of cherry, and a couple sticks of idontknowhattheheckitis:
There's still maybe a 1/2 load in the ditch yet, then I'll get into the good stuff in the woods. Of course, y'all will get the pictures as they come as well. I plan to cut every chance I get between now and whenever I get snowed out of there. I'm just gonna pile it off the truck and worry about splitting later in the winter.
If ya need me, I'll be down in the basement filing some chains and enjoying a cold one after a good day!
Man was I ever wrong.
I met him this afternoon to take a look, and we hopped on his Ranger to go have a look. It started with a few elms in the road ditch, then we turned off into the woods. After a few minutes, and him pointing out a bunch of dead and down stuff (not that he needed to, I was drooling and had the thousand yard stare already), I had to ask: How much land do you have? "120 acres, and Mom has 70 across the fence line, but (another friend) is supposed to be coming over to cut some trails in there and clean it up." We rode and looked and he pointed out property boundaries for the better part of a half hour before we got back to the house.
I'd say its probably 40 acres of woods, with enough dead and down oak, elm, and whatnot to keep me busy a LOOOONG time. I'll probably be cutting there as much as possible until the snow gets too deep to get around, then I'll go back to my own back 40. I'm guessing there's 50+ cords laying down, just that I saw, we by no means canvassed the entire woods. Did I mention it's only 6 miles from home?
I went home for the truck and saws, and headed back over. I really didn't need all my gear today, but I put it in just to see how it would all fit in the cab. 3 Dolmars, tool bag, chaps, helmet, rope bag, and a spare flannel pretty well fill a regular cab. 8lb maul and cant hook, and gas and oil cans, still ride in back:
Figured I'd start by cleaning up the road ditch, and get the stuff he drives by all the time taken care of first. Mostly elms, the bunch in the 2nd pic he cut down because they were crowding out the pines. I need to do some teaching on how to safely cut trees the next time he's around...stumps were painful to look at!
Here's the haul for today, better than 1/3 cord of mostly elm, with a bit of box elder, a smidgen of cherry, and a couple sticks of idontknowhattheheckitis:
There's still maybe a 1/2 load in the ditch yet, then I'll get into the good stuff in the woods. Of course, y'all will get the pictures as they come as well. I plan to cut every chance I get between now and whenever I get snowed out of there. I'm just gonna pile it off the truck and worry about splitting later in the winter.
If ya need me, I'll be down in the basement filing some chains and enjoying a cold one after a good day!
