wood I.D.---north central WA

[blacktail]

I found this stuff while camping in the Okanogan area of north central Washington. It had been left at a campsite by someone else, so I don't know what it looks like when the tree is still standing. The most distinguishing characteristic is that the bark smells AWESOME when it burns. It almost smells like incense. It's not something I've come across on this side of the mountains, but someone from the east side of the Cascades should know what it is. Anyone?

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Looks like some type of Oak....

 

[wazzu]

Looks like the elm I burn down here. Smells real bad when green but good when seasoned.

 

[Locust Post]

Looks a little like oak but that split in the background makes me wonder if it is. Of course you are in a different world. Where is that Nrford at.

 

[bogydave]

I think it's pine of some kind ?

 

[blacktail]

Looks a little like oak but that split in the background makes me wonder if it is. Of course you are in a different world. Where is that Nrford at.

The wood in the background is a pine, but not the same wood.
I was splitting the bark off this stuff to throw on the camp fire because it smelled so good. It was a very perfume or incense smell. I wish I was more familiar with wood east of the Cascades.

 

[blacktail]

I'm pretty sure I saw this same wood in some wood stacks when I was in town, so it should be a local wood to the area.

 

[Woody Stover]

Where is that Nrford at.

I don't think he's too familiar with the western stuff....

 

[paul bunion]

The growth rings look too far apart to be oak, at least the oak I'm used to seeing. That looks like a faster growing tree.

 

[ScotO]

That bark resembles honey locust, but the heartwood doesn't. And honey locust doesn't smell all that good when burning....
As Stihlhead can tell you, I'm not real good at identifying most western woods, either!

If it has a nice smell when burning, I'd be leaning towards some kind of fruiting or ornamental tree.....

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Whack a piece of it open and post a picture of the grain....and what if any aroma it has.

 

[blacktail]

I can't post anymore pics. I didn't bring any of it home with me.

 

[StihlHead]

Lots and lots of fruitwood over on that side of the Cascades. I have posted photos of monster piles of Apple in east Washington State on this forum that wood make Scotty blush with envy. Alder smells good when burned. Was the wood heavy or light?

 

[blacktail]

It definitely wasn't alder. This stuff was pretty heavy. I thought about maybe a fruit wood but I doubt it because of the size. I used one round of the stuff for a chopping block and it was about 18" wide.
The smell didn't strike me as something I'd want to smoke meat with like alder or apple. The smoke was very pleasant but doesn't seem like something that would taste good. Again, it smelled like incense or perfume. I just looked through my trip pics to see if I had any with the wood in the background but didn't see any.

 

[blacktail]

Plenty of alder smoke once I got home...

 

[StihlHead]

Ah, you know the secrets of smoking with alder. That salmon looks... GOOD! Better than bacon.

I was just ruling out one of the better smelling native Cascade woods. I collect alder, cherry and maple here for my smoker. People drag up all kinds of wood with them to burn, and likely it was not a local species. It does not look like Oregon white oak or bigleaf maple, could be Oregon ash with the bark, but that grows on the west side of the Cascades. It is obviously not cottonwood/poplar/aspen or willow with the smell and heft. Does not look like incense cedar (or larch, red cedar or Doug fir), and you were too far north for chinkapin (common on the east side of the cascades in Oregon). Hazel is light in weight, along with pine and alder. Obviously not birch, madrone or cherry/plum from the bark. You were too far north for tanoak as well. Could be something like cascara, pacific dogwood, or juniper.

 

[blacktail]

Ah, you know the secrets of smoking with alder. That salmon looks... GOOD! Better than bacon.

This was a camping/kokanee fishing trip.
My grandpa cut a bunch of small alder rounds for my dad to smoke with many years ago. I still have a big box of them.