Describe your perfect wood getting day.

[Garmins dad]

A couple years ago in late September my dad and I plan a trip to cut some wood. I woke up early, it was a beautiful crisp cool morning. I met him at his house, we filled our coffee cups up and threw in a few last minute things and off we go. On the drive up we had a good visit taking about life...farming, cattle, work and of course saws. We get off the pavement and start winding up the forest service roads. Then we start talking about the trees that we have scouted out and the ones that we have been watching die for a few years (beetle kills). I told him if that big Doug Fir was still there on that switch back we were going to cut it. (We had been watching it for a year and a half die) I had my doubts about it still being there.
We pulled this last steep grade and about to make this switch back and I can see the top of the tree... IT WAS STILL THERE!!! I was pumped. We pulled over and fueled the saws, grabbed my wedges and pounded. I cut the tree so the tip hit the barrow pit and the tree almost paralleled the road. We bumped all the knots, got it marked out and got it mostly bucked up and I told dad I was going to go down the road to get cell service to call my brother and have him bring my truck up because we were not going to get it all in his.
I drive back to the tree and we get dads truck loaded (2 cords). Then here comes my brother, we fill my truck to the gills. We took every last piece and it was a perfect fit (another 1.5 cord).
When we finished we had a beer or 2 on the mountain talking about the day so I pulled my tape measure out and it was 36" at the stump!

Now I will never forget that...WHAT A DAY!!!

I had a day like that with my ole man a few years back.. Only it was hunting 700 miles from home...

 

[Fred Wright]

The perfect wood getting day is 50° or below. Sunny with no wind and no mud. Drop the trees I want into a clearing where I can get to 'em easily with the cart.

Had several of these perfect days last fall... dropped some red oak and a bunch of maple. They all fell in line or pretty close to it. Brush was piled at the site, no need to drag it. I'd cut a little, load a little and rest a little. Life is good.

 

[HD2010]

A cool Fall morning. Pull into the woods and see a few deer, finish coffee while watching deer. Then get to work.

 

[greendohn]

Cool/cold morning with little or no wind. Thickets dead and trees clear of leaves, you can see all the way through the woods.

 

[jthornton]

Sitting on a beach somewhere sipping on a Piña Colada with a shade over me and my feet in the cool water... while you cut and split my wood.

JT

 

[RedFir Down]

Redfir you forgot to say what kind of trucks you were loading? Two cords in one truck is a heck of a load!! I wish I was back in Montana there are very few trees to cut where I am at now. Got any pics of the tree? Good story!!!

Dad has a 1 ton chevy. I build him a nice "stock" rack for his truck back in high school shop class. Yes 2 cord is a monster load on that truck, we had the load rounded pretty high. It sure does set the truck down thats for sure!! I just have a 3/4 ton with racks on it.
I dont have any pictures of that. I kick myself for not taking more pictures!!Im getting a new phone that takes pictures so I will be taking more!:msp_smile:

 

[EXCALIBER]

Redfir if it was a one ton chevy it will handle that load no prob, even your 3/4 ton would be fine. I put that much in back of my half ton a few times. Just don't go to racing when its loaded! I haven't been through Idaho in about 10 years. We were going to go through and see the craters of the moon but our vacation got cut short and that was one of the activities that got cut out. Good to hear you are out cutting and enjoying it but take more pics as someday they will be worth their weight in gold! Anyway sorry for the thread highjack now back to our previously scheduled perfect day of cutting stories/ideas!!

 

[kjp]

yesterday, got to use my new thre point winch and pulled more out in the half day i was there then any full days work before it. My mothers boyfriend was there to help, always a good guy to cut with and a 50 foot high fire that night out of all the branches and tops from logging so far this year.

 

[RedFir Down]

Redfir if it was a one ton chevy it will handle that load no prob, even your 3/4 ton would be fine. I put that much in back of my half ton a few times. Just don't go to racing when its loaded! I haven't been through Idaho in about 10 years. We were going to go through and see the craters of the moon but our vacation got cut short and that was one of the activities that got cut out. Good to hear you are out cutting and enjoying it but take more pics as someday they will be worth their weight in gold! Anyway sorry for the thread highjack now back to our previously scheduled perfect day of cutting stories/ideas!!

Well the truck was pretty loaded down because the wood was heavier than usual since it had just finished dying there was quite a bit of moisture still in it (Heavy wood). But yeah you definitely aren't going to the races with it.
You are absolutely right about the pictures. I kick my self every time I think about documenting cool stuff I've done. Especially those times we have gotten into some MONSTER old growth Doug Firs!!! I would pay money to have pictures of that now.
No your fine, you didnt hijack the thread... We are talking about our firewood outings!!:msp_biggrin:

 

[RedFir Down]

Oh and that is a nice load of wood you have there. Thanks for the picture!!

 

[mtfallsmikey]

My perfect wood cutting day:

No back pain
Not going hypoglycemic, having some food
A bottle of Fireball to sip from after it's all done

 

[Saddle Mander]

I would have to say 30* no wind, full sun, on level ground, with full access to whatever equipment I may need. A nice bonfire to the side, my trusty dog helper, my son and younger brother there too. With maybe 24 hrs of light, the 8 hrs winter has is way to short for this perfect setting. I wouldn't want that day to end.

With 24 hrs of light, you wouldn't get the amazing, beyond-believable sunset that would come with this day.

So I agree with your perfect day, except I would add a 3-hour sunset!

 

[artbaldoni]

Any day cutting with my kids! Anytime. Anyplace.

The twins.

The sisters.

I am truly blessed!!

 

[olyman]

The wife does all the work.

And I get to watch and drink beer.

pics,,or it doesn't happen,,and we want a certified watcher to prove its so......................:smile2::smile2:

 

[olyman]

perfect day.. cant say as ive had many of them. person calls,,says I need tree down..go and look,,and cripes a mighty..every thing that's a possibility to go wrong.......................got it down with no problem. been out when its colder than a well diggers arse,,was out yesterday,,and the day before,,when it was 97 degrees....why?? because after I was told about these white oak,,i was told I had a SHORT time to get them out....what would you do?? GO CUT EM!!!!!!!! primo wood!! all of them, 30 to 44 inch dia!!! YAHOO!! think I drained the water well dry.....

 

[bodhisoma]

The wife does all the work.

And I get to watch and drink beer.

This. /thread

Oh! When OP says "wood getting" they mean ...uh ...dead trees...

Nevermind...

 

[Festus]

Realistically, I love getting out in January or February when temps are in 20's or 30's and there is less than 6 to 8 inches of snow. I'm not a winter lover, but there are no bugs and it helps with the cabin fever that sets in that time of year. The wood splits easier when it's cold too.

I would need a time machine for my perfect day in the woods. I would go back and spend a day with my grandpa. He's been gone now for about 20 years. I always enjoyed spending time with him, which usually meant hard work, but he was maybe the best friend I ever had. Before Arboristsite, everything I new about cutting wood, not to mention life in general, I learned from him. He had more to do with the man I became than anyone else. A day working with Grandpa always meant plenty of time listening to his stories. He never had much money, but he did what it took to survive, part of which was getting through the great depression. The only exception I would make is I would have to take my 2171 Jonsered with me. He would be as blown away by the saw as how much I paid for it. I still own and use the 1936 F20 Farmall we used to snake the trees up to the house. From there we used the F20 for the belt power to run the saw rig to get the wood bucked. I also own the land we got the wood from. It's the bottom 40 of his 80 acre farm. As with cutting wood, half the fun of deer or duck hunting with him was listening to his stories.

 

[NDtreehugger]

the perfect wood day, anyday is a good day.

 

[Joesell]

Today was a pretty good get'n day. I was cutting my grass when I saw 2 local tree service trucks coming up the driveway. One was pulling an 18" chipper, so I figured they would have nothing but the big stuff left. How wrong I was. The big stuff was in there, but he also had a nice pile of the easy stuff for me. They dumped it all on the pile, and were gone in 10 minutes.

That's what I call a great get'n day!

 

[Jere39]

Temps in the 30's, ground frozen, enough sun for good visibility, easy driving access to a standing dead Black Locust or Red Oak, and Dad sitting on a round, ready to grab my pup so he doesn't come running up behind me when I'm running the saw.

I'm lucky enough to get several of these every year.

It's the "getting" not the "having"


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