The Last Load of the Year

[Agent]

The beauty of the Black Hills are the $5/cord cutting permits. The bad part - 140 miles round trip.
I apologize, as these are a few months old, but better late than never!

The first is the beetle killed Ponderosa Pine that is today's target. I've been to this spot a few times, so now the nearest trees are 40-50 yards away. When you gotta manually move every log, distance is the enemy.
The Second is the first stack of logs and my trusty helper.
The third is the next stack. I'm lucky, and there aren't any 20"+ logs this time. They sure fill the truck fast, but they make for a heavy 6' to 8' log.
The last is the truck loaded up and ready to roll out. My helper is ready for her hour ride/nap.

Next year, I should have a winch to drag the logs, and a trailer to cut down the number of trips I need to take. 75% of my firewood cost this year has been fuel to get to/from the woods.
Can't wait for next year to start all over again! The beauty of Wyoming is that Pine cut in the spring is fully dry by fall!!

 

[SolarAndWood]

Looks like a beautiful spot and a happy dog. I envy you guys that live in places that a truck lasts that long in that kind of condition.

 

[JrCRXHF]

looks like a good load.

In Michigan that truck would be long gone due to rust.

 

[firefighterjake]

I love seeing scenes from the "wood lot" from folks . . . what may seem pretty ordinary and blah to me is quite pretty and different from what I normally see.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

When you have to carry logs out, I've often wondered about one of those carts they sell for carrying out game like deer and elk. It just seems they might work out well. Otherwise, a cart or wheelbarrow works okay if you can cut it to length before carrying it out.

 

[Agent]

I love seeing scenes from the "wood lot" from folks . . . what may seem pretty ordinary and blah to me is quite pretty and different from what I normally see.

I know what you mean - People post their "average" oak and maple woods, and I'm thinking "OHHH HARDWOODS"
But yeah, welcome to Wyoming's National woodlot, er Forest. =D

And I've wondered if there is a better way to move logs. Game Kart is a good idea. I avoid the wheelbarrow as the underbrush and seeming universal uphilledness weighs against it.

 

[blacktail]

Looks like my kind of wood cutting and the right size of logs. I cut a lot on public land too. You have to take what's available and sometimes that means cutting logs to manageable size and dragging them to the truck by hand.
Is that a 3/4 ton pickup? That's a big load and the truck doesn't even show it in the suspension.

 

[Agent]

That is indeed a 3/4 ton rocking the old (and in the last pic, smoking) 6.2L diesel. The normal suspension is so high, I have to really jump to get in the bed - so it works out to look normal when loaded down.
The worst part of cutting like this is deciding what trees you feel like taking. 2 or 3 big ones will fill the truck, but damn near kill me in trying to get them to the truck. Or else go with 4-5 smaller ones requiring more, but easier trips?

 

[Gasifier]

Nice work Agent! Like the wood. Like the truck. Like the helper.

A couple of questions for you:
Does anyone deliver logs for firewood in that area?
Between gas, permit, and work of dropping the trees and hauling the wood to the truck, would it save you?

 

[Agent]

Thanks Gasifier -
Around here, pine/cottonwood firewood goes for about $120-140/cord delivered. The catch is that it's delivered within a 30 mile radius of cities more than 30 miles away, so it'd likely be more on top of that.
The permits to cut are next to nothing - But fuel is the biggie of it all. I figured that I running about $50-60/cord when getting 1 cord per trip. This next year I'll have a trailer set up to haul an additional 1/2 cord at a time cutting down on the cost.
So dollars wise, I'm still miles ahead even with all the driving involved. It probably takes me about a day or day and a half to fully CSS 1 cord.
Plus, I like to have some reason to get into the mountains on weekends ;D

 

[bogydave]

Nice pictures, good helper, good full load

Trailer is a good idea. That'll bring down the trip cost/cord by allot.
Double axle 6500 lb one. I plan on replacing my single axle with a double when I find one at the right price.
I use a hay pulley chained up a tree with rope & use the truck to drag the logs to the cut/load area. Faster than a winch. (beats doing it by hand)
I can drag a whole birch tree right to the truck, pulley up high helps. (2 if they are smaller ones)
Various lengths of rope with threaded chain links to hook them together & go thru the pulley.
I use my ATV to skid logs to the truck when I can, but then it takes up trailer space for the load (another reason for a bigger trailer)
Some pics:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/81498/#976517
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/81498/#977553

Like you I enjoy getting out there, & getting to select good wood. $10 a cord here in the state cutting area.

 

[salecker]

That is indeed a 3/4 ton rocking the old (and in the last pic, smoking) 6.2L diesel. The normal suspension is so high, I have to really jump to get in the bed - so it works out to look normal when loaded down.
The worst part of cutting like this is deciding what trees you feel like taking. 2 or 3 big ones will fill the truck, but damn near kill me in trying to get them to the truck. Or else go with 4-5 smaller ones requiring more, but easier trips?

Love my 90 crewcab 4x4 6.2,cheep to fix 17 MPG loaded pulling a trailer. Check out www.thedieselpage.com,it's the Hearth.com of the GM diesel sites

 

[Lumber-Jack]

The bad part - 140 miles round trip.

That's a fair round trip there Agent. I calculated mine and it works out to about 50 miles which I sometimes feel is too far. I have closer wood available, but I like the area where I go and even though about half of the trip is gravel road, it's a pretty good gravel road.
I'm not crazy about dragging the wood too far either. I usually take extra effort to drive the truck off road to get close to the trees. My usual method is to find an area where there are a few dead trees close together and fall them so they overlap each other, this makes bucking and limbing a lot easier. Once the trees are down I'll drive the truck right up as close as I can get. (4 wheel drive makes things safer) ;-)
I've been considering a trailer as well., although it might make things a little tougher backing into the trees.

 

[firecracker_77]

that's a beautiful part of the country

 

[thewoodlands]

The beauty of the Black Hills are the $5/cord cutting permits. The bad part - 140 miles round trip.
I apologize, as these are a few months old, but better late than never!

The first is the beetle killed Ponderosa Pine that is today's target. I've been to this spot a few times, so now the nearest trees are 40-50 yards away. When you gotta manually move every log, distance is the enemy.
The Second is the first stack of logs and my trusty helper.
The third is the next stack. I'm lucky, and there aren't any 20"+ logs this time. They sure fill the truck fast, but they make for a heavy 6' to 8' log.
The last is the truck loaded up and ready to roll out. My helper is ready for her hour ride/nap.

Next year, I should have a winch to drag the logs, and a trailer to cut down the number of trips I need to take. 75% of my firewood cost this year has been fuel to get to/from the woods.
Can't wait for next year to start all over again! The beauty of Wyoming is that Pine cut in the spring is fully dry by fall!!

Nice work Agent. Looks like a great place to work.


zap

 

[bogydave]

The bad part - 140 miles round trip.

I've been considering a trailer as well., although it might make things a little tougher backing into the trees.

I've had to unhook the trailer at a close location, drive the truck in & load it, a few trips to fill the trailer.
My truck has a smaller bed, 3 PU loads fit in the trailer, then a 1/2 loaded PU, hook up the trailer, & head home.
Makes for a long day, few extra times handling the wood, but in the winter our "days" are short.