I'm chomping at the bit.................anyone else?

[muncybob]

Excuse the horse phrase(yes, we have them)......but with all the ice and snow on the ground for what seems like an eternity here I can't wait to get back into the woods with my tractor and saw. Our 2nd heating season with the wood boiler and must say one of the best things we've ever done!

I envy those that can access their scrounging areas. I read somewhere that we are gaining about 5 minutes/day of daylight now and I know changing the clocks is coming soon. I guess I have cabin fever. Normally this time of year I'm drooling over my seed catalogs but now I also just want to get out there and run my saw!

 

[shawneyboy]

I am with ya. For me I just don't want to deal with the ice coating over the snow. I will probably have to scratch my itch come Monday, I have identified some standing deads that need to come down. I hope you get out there soon before you drive yourself nuts.

Shawn

 

[wood spliter]

I'm going out of my mind also. I picked up a splitter just before Christmas and have for the most part been snowed in. The few time the snow has melted I have had stuff to do. I'm hoping we get a little melt with the warmer weather. I still have my Christmas lights on the house!

 

[woodsmaster]

I'm thinking I'll go take a look at how deep the snow in the field is. Maybe the wind left a path that I can take to the edge of the woods. I have some dead ash alonge the edge I could drop in the field if the snows not to deep. we've got about 13" on the ground with 5 of it coming yesterday with little wind so probably wont be able to get to the woods without the tractor and I dont have a trailer for the tractor so I may not be able to haul any. I hate to leave it in the field and don't want to handle it twice so I probably wont cut but I'll still look. Good excuse to get out for a while.

 

[colebrookman]

Excuse the horse phrase(yes, we have them)......but with all the ice and snow on the ground for what seems like an eternity here I can't wait to get back into the woods with my tractor and saw. Our 2nd heating season with the wood boiler and must say one of the best things we've ever done!

I envy those that can access their scrounging areas. I read somewhere that we are gaining about 5 minutes/day of daylight now and I know changing the clocks is coming soon. I guess I have cabin fever. Normally this time of year I'm drooling over my seed catalogs but now I also just want to get out there and run my saw!

+1 here. The snow is up to my private parts so not much fun trying to log and not worth plowing and killing the tractor. Thursday more snow so it will be back on the roofs Friday with no end in site. Be safe.
Ed

 

[shawneyboy]

I'm going out of my mind also. I picked up a splitter just before Christmas and have for the most part been snowed in. The few time the snow has melted I have had stuff to do. I'm hoping we get a little melt with the warmer weather. I still have my Christmas lights on the house!

Thats nothing unusual for me. If we have any snow on the roof, they stay up until spring thaw. With all the snow we got this year, that may be until July !!

Shawn

 

[muncybob]

hmmm, seems to be quite common

Going for a walk is not only physically challenging now with the ice/snow pack but mentally too as I swear the downed tress are snickering at us as me and my puppies are walking by!

Having a new toy like a splitter but not being able to use it would be torture for sure. Almost as bad as saving $$$ for a splitter(which I am) and coming across decent deals on the internet but just not having enough greenbacks to pull the trigger. I'm suffering from cabin fever and lack of patience at the same time! Thank goodness it's Super Bowl time!...spring must be right around the corner, right?

 

[Duetech]

I saw 40's in the forecast for the last week in Feb.

 

[lowroadacres]

Yes. I am "chomping at the bit" here on the prairies to get back at gathering wood.

We have been scouting from the road and even from our house by looking out the windows at the shelterbelt around our yard. It is a mini wood lot on it's own. In it there are 20 or more decent sized standing dead trees, a half dozen or more fallen trees, and lots of trimming to be done.

At the same time we have several cords of split and unsplit wood from last year in piles in a few places on the yard that we did not get stacked before the winter that will need to be properly stored as soon as the mountains of snow we have finally retreat.

We are also keeping a close eye on two different areas to cut this spring as our favorite river front woodlots are likely to be badly flooded this spring which will keep us out of them for weeks if not months this spring. Instead we are planning to do some clean up at several of the neighbours' yards where we have been asked if we would be willing to cut out their standing dead and fallen trees in their shelter belts and windrows.

One of our closest neighbours have just gotten used to their new Napoleon cook top model which was installed just before Christmas. We will be working together to cut the work in half and to share the wood.

It was so bad this week that even though I don't need to cut wood right now as our supply is still holding pretty well I did tie into a stack of 4 foot lengths from standing dead wood where the bark is all off and the cracks in the wood have it almost split. So far so good with mixing a few of those splits into the rest of the supply. I was reminded by my lower back that I should have put a new handle on the 6 pound maul rather than attacking easy to split wood with an 8 pounder with a fiberglass handle. I find that the wood handle keeps the balance point much closer to the splitter head which makes for an easier swing.

I may even try the four pound axe this week on this wood I am cutting. I am so desperate to get my body back used to cutting that I have left the tractor parked and I am using a small sleigh to move the wood around the yard just for the exercise.

The sun is finally up enough now to make it bright enough to work safely so out I go for a bit.

 

[NH_Wood]

100%! About 2-3 feet in the woods. I have about 10 downed trees across the road that are mine for the taking. Was hoping to get a good amount bucked by now, but only had a chance to work up a few small ash before the snow really hit. My chainsaw is lonely in the barn! Cheers!

 

[thewoodlands]

Looks like getting back in the woods will have to wait, we just received another foot of snow overnight with more coming in. Looks like we'll be getting some of that dreaded ice also.


I did save one dead standing sugar maple by the house plus one topped off cherry so if I can get there the chainsaws will be running next weekend. :coolgrin:



Zap

 

[Thistle]

I havent been out in *gasp* almost 4 weeks now. :bug: About 14" in the timber,counting the 2" new overnight.Been too busy with other stuff in the shop & my regular work.Hoping to get out in a week or so,forecast is calling for 40 degrees by next weekend,so should have less snow to stomp around in if it holds.

 

[ISeeDeadBTUs]

Same, same.

Ordered the specialty seeds I needed to fill in some gaps with today.

Heven't been into the woods for over wekk now. Looks like my boiler room will be empty next w/e with a bunch of single digit nights. Tough on the old body and on the tractor fighting the ice and snow. But's tougher dipping into that 8-cord stack that's been chillin for a couple of years now ;-)

Much as I like winter, I can't wait to get back into the fields and start prparing ground.

Rock on!

IcyDBs

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Yea I can't wait for the dry ground. I have been cutting some big ones close to the house and planning on selling the lumber, but I cannot move the logs until the snow goes and the ground is frozen. Also my plow on the ATV makes it impossible to go in the woods because of ground clearance, and I really do not feel like taking it on and off. I have the saws cleaned and sharpened, patiently waiting.

 

[NH_Wood]

Yea I can't wait for the dry ground. I have been cutting some big ones close to the house and planning on selling the lumber, but I cannot move the logs until the snow goes and the ground is frozen. Also my plow on the ATV makes it impossible to go in the woods because of ground clearance, and I really do not feel like taking it on and off. I have the saws cleaned and sharpened, patiently waiting.

Is your ATV plow tough to take on/off? Mine comes off in about 2 minutes (if I'm working slow) and on in about 3 minutes. Not that my rig would be much use in the woods now - even without the plow I'd be pushing a lot of snow. Cheers!

 

[adrpga498]

Friend has a neighbor who had large oaks cut down and bucked by a trre service. The offer to me was "can I come over with my spltter and take 50 % after its all split. I said SURE, right after Cristmas, being that I'm off that week. Well......... 30" of snow Dec 26th has put this project on hold for a while. Can't wait till I get at it, rounds are in the back yard snow too deep yet to drag spltter to the rounds. Approximately 4 cords in rounds .

 

[jhoff310]

i am looking forward to some slightly warmer temps. I have so much stuff to do....mom and dads estate, managing the rentals, cleaning out mom and dads place, cutting and splitting the wood I got late last fall 8+ cords of ash, garden etc.... I am glad I have enough wood to last me a few years incase I do not get to my wood this year


Jeff

 

[Cascade Failure]

UNCLE!

I GIVE!

The snow is kicking my butt. I know we usually get less than others so I'm really not used to this. I cut a trail today to one of my piles of rounds. About a thousand feet. Took about 4 hours. I will never again let my trails reach this point.

Of course while I was cutting trail the wife was raking the roof. I think I had more fun!

 

[smokinj]

Chains are coming out this week! Mother Nature has Kick My @ss Long enough....

 

[zzr7ky]

I couldn't wait any longer. Saturday afternoow I put my deep snow gaiters on and headed into my cutting spot. Dropped a couple leaners with ease. Then I saw a nice pair of 20" Ash... 1st one hung in canopy, second one cleared things up with a glancing blow ; ) Then I spy another pair of 20+" Ash at the end of the opening created by these two... Two more down... Then one more! It was harder and slowwer getting down my escape path. It seemed like more debris than ussual came down from above. I was happy to have the helmet and face shield.

I ended up with 6 Ash 20" diameter on the ground and several smaller ones. ; )

Then It got dark... I'll get most of it bucked before the snow melts enough to haul any! I had big chuncks of Ash bark layed around the base of the biggest trees so I didn't 'fall though' into the deep snow. I still had a time finding the wedge on a couple of them.

Hang in there and be safe,

ATB,

 

[muncybob]

I guess warmer temps have to happen sometime, but we go back into single digits again tonight. We have not had as much snow as many of you have but it's been just enough to prevent me from getting serious about cutting in the woods. I am sooooo looking forward to walking on actual ground again!
On the plus side it looks like we will have plenty of wood to get through this season.

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm chompin' as well. I'm on a mission to have dry wood to burn for a change. I need to get a bunch of Ash CSS in the windy spot so it'll be ready for next winter, then some Oak for the following couple of years. So I need to get at least three years worth of wood now. That's just for us; I need to do the same for a couple of other family members.
I'm gonna need an ATV and trailer, pronto, to haul this stuff out.
Also chompin' to get a new flex liner in and fire up the Keystone. Cave2k mentioned the warm temps coming for next week, so maybe I can get that done then.
I'm also interested to see how the new blower in the Dutchwest will work. Cold snap coming the next several days, so we'll see if we can hold temp a little better in this drafty house.

 

[firefighterjake]

I can wait . . . I enjoy winter and the snow and the snowmobiling and truthfully I have only been able to get out twice for some short 80-mile daily rides . . . which is good for the wallet, but not as much fun as riding all the time and getting in some 150+ mile day rides.

With the snow up to just below my waist -- heck I think with the snow I've raked off the back porch I may be able to get to the back porch roof now without a ladder -- I'm in no hurry to wade through a bunch of deep snow just to cut some trees. I cut several trees in the Fall -- including a few leaners -- that should be ready for me to haul, split and perhaps take down if the wind has not done that job for me this Winter.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Yea I can't wait for the dry ground. I have been cutting some big ones close to the house and planning on selling the lumber, but I cannot move the logs until the snow goes and the ground is frozen. Also my plow on the ATV makes it impossible to go in the woods because of ground clearance, and I really do not feel like taking it on and off. I have the saws cleaned and sharpened, patiently waiting.

Is your ATV plow tough to take on/off? Mine comes off in about 2 minutes (if I'm working slow) and on in about 3 minutes. Not that my rig would be much use in the woods now - even without the plow I'd be pushing a lot of snow. Cheers!

Mine always seems like a pain to line up the holes to push the pins through. I have to lay on my back and keep playing with it. I can see the opening in the hole, but if it is not perfect the pin will not go through. I just prefer to wait for spring and do it once.

 

[mbcijim]

You guys are nuts! I love working in the snow, but prefer the cold. Since the December I have cut just under 5 cords into rounds and I probably have 2 cords split (by hand). The snow or cold wouldn't stop me unless we had 18"+ of snow and fortunately the wind doesn't hit my splitting spot. I would be absolutely insane if I didn't do it. This year I stacked all the rounds and that made it so much easier. Whenever we get a snow I just go over with the leaf blower and blow off the snow. That keeps most of it off for when I want to work with the Fisher. My only bad luck this year was Sam Adams stopping selling it's winter lager the week of 1/21. What's up with that? Sam + Splitting = good times.

Interesting note I've been dumping my ash bucket around my round pile for traction in the snow, and it is actually acting like rock salt when the snow comes down. I'm finding my ash dumps clear after a snow. I didn't know that.