You've got it right, cut it up as long as you can handle and spread it out at home.
Most of us guys are trying to imagine how you're going to get five acres worth of logs onto a half acre lot, and then get it cut, split and stacked before it rots, because that just doesn't happen where we live. But if you've got the inclination and use for a huge amount of wood, then by all means cut as much as you can and process it when you get around to it. Cottonwood will obviously dry cleaner and quicker cut to length and split, but I would guess that piled in log form it will season in your climate, maybe grow some mushrooms first, but not turn punky like it would even here in western WI. Almost any other wood dries quicker and rots slower than cottonwood, but that's likely what you have most of. Some of the locals should be able to tell you what will happen if you pile wet cottonwood logs for years. Another option might be to drop them now, and cut to length after they have leafed out, wilted and the leaves have fallen off. Most places east of the Mississippi would have the tree sink roots and keep on growing if we tried that.
That looks and sounds like a huge amount of wood. I have no idea of your priorities, but if I had a need for that much wood, I would be calling loggers to do the whole job and deliver it into one monster pile. You'll still have enough work to justify the 362.
Most of us guys are trying to imagine how you're going to get five acres worth of logs onto a half acre lot, and then get it cut, split and stacked before it rots, because that just doesn't happen where we live. But if you've got the inclination and use for a huge amount of wood, then by all means cut as much as you can and process it when you get around to it. Cottonwood will obviously dry cleaner and quicker cut to length and split, but I would guess that piled in log form it will season in your climate, maybe grow some mushrooms first, but not turn punky like it would even here in western WI. Almost any other wood dries quicker and rots slower than cottonwood, but that's likely what you have most of. Some of the locals should be able to tell you what will happen if you pile wet cottonwood logs for years. Another option might be to drop them now, and cut to length after they have leafed out, wilted and the leaves have fallen off. Most places east of the Mississippi would have the tree sink roots and keep on growing if we tried that.
That looks and sounds like a huge amount of wood. I have no idea of your priorities, but if I had a need for that much wood, I would be calling loggers to do the whole job and deliver it into one monster pile. You'll still have enough work to justify the 362.
