Red alder from PNW

Here's the weekend's haul of truck, wood, and tractor. I run 50 miles to a remote woodlot and fall the trees, skid them, buck them to 3 foot lengths (2-18" rounds), and then haul them back. Truck is 2000 F350 diesel with a 9900 lb GVWR and a 7500 lb empty weight. Note the sweet vertical stacking method. No wood will fall out of the truck.

Skidding tractor is a Kioti CK30 that I've put 765 hours on over the past few years. The tow bar arrangement is fantastic at lifting the log up off the ground for much easier dragging.

Wood load shown is 2 trees worth of red alder. Both were blown down and were not easy to get to for removal. 4 more trees were stacked in the deck for my next trip out.

Am I wrong in thinking that is a long way to drive for such a small amount of wood? I am not familiar with that kind of wood, but doesn't it cost more in fuel than having someone deliver a bigger amount?

Just asking here. ;-P

Shipper

Man, you guys out west sure work hard for that lousy soft wood. Keep it up Highbeam, some day you will buy that Woodstock and cut your firewood consumption in half.

I think what Highbeam is doing is first trip he pulls out extra logs and returns without that lovely machine of his and brings back an empty trailer to haul back the mother load on his second trip.

Exactly. I can only haul a truckload when the trailer is occupied by the logging machine. While I was harvesting that truck load I also harvested many more logs and prepared them such that I won't need a tractor to load the trailer for the mother load trip.

Buying bulk logs in my area cost 100$ per cord and C/S/D costs 150$ per cord. There is about 2/3 of a cord in this load which is say 60$ worth of wood had I paid for the logs to be delivered. I only spent 23$ in fuel for the whole day's work so that little truckload of wood was worth three times what it cost to get it. I got a 200% return on that investment.

My next trip out will probably be the same deal since there are more trees to be fallen and skidded into the deck before the leafs really come out. The woodlot is not just a clearcut, it is my recreational property so I must fall the tree, cut the stump very close to the ground, and move all of the branches to the slash pile. I can't be too picky and must also fall the rotten alders and moe them to the slash pile too, those don't get me firewood but they do get me more pastureland.

Highbeam we also use a tow bar with an eye and a short chain to lift trees and haul trees. SWEET! btw nice place you have there.

Well...lunch is over, time for some chain saw music for me.