Alberta Bog/Muskeg Tamarack/Larch vs. Alpine Tamarack

[Pete16]

Apologies in advance as I understand my question is pretty localized, but possibly because of my lack of knowledge, someone outside of my region could help as well.

Looking for knowledge with Tamarack/Larch that grows naturally in the Alberta Canada Muskeg (and possibly other areas?) vs the Alpine/Mountain Larch which I think may be more common when people discuss or think of Larch.

Long story short, I was on some Crown Land about a week ago scouting for some lodgepole pine I could harvest when I came across a boggy/muskeg clearing area that has a pocket full of Tamarack trees. There is probably 1 or 1.5 acres worth there (possibly more, but I didn't hike back all that far). What I found odd was that the biggest of the trees was maybe 30-45 feet tall, and the trunks on the bigger ones were about 6-8 inches in diameter. Doing a little bit of online/AI research, because these Tamaracks grow in the muskeg/bog they get very little nutrients and oxygen so they grow very very slowly, BUT because of that are very dense.

Anyway, hoping to hear from some people and their experience burning and harvesting this muskeg style Tamarack, if they truly do max out at like 30-40 feet with diameters that are 6-8" or if I just found a pocket that has younger trees that haven't fully matured.

 

[ABMax24]

Tamarack get much bigger in Alberta, pending the area. But they aren't common. They're never planted back after logging, so you're looking for old growth forests. Here's a load we got last November, the largest are almost 24" across at the widest point. This is by far the biggest Tamarack I've ever come across.

We seem to have different species or sub species. I've cut some that were very dense and had a fair bit of pitch in them, these were cut in muskeg.

The ones in the photos were near muskeg, but weren't in it, which is why I'm assuming they were bigger but also less dense, because they grew faster.

 

[stoveliker]

You'll only know after you cut one...

I've cut 8" or so pitch pine here that was 80+ years old... Very dense on nutrient low sandy soil.

 

[Pete16]

That is crazy! I didn't realize they could get that big. Where in Alberta were you? Grande Prairie area I'm assuming? The ones I found were south of Caroline but north of Sundre. Appreciate you sharing this.
I think I should head further West maybe to find some bigger ones after I harvest these smaller ones. What would you say you find as the average size trees for Tamarack up there?

 

[Pete16]

You'll only know after you cut one...

I've cut 8" or so pitch pine here that was 80+ years old... Very dense on nutrient low sandy soil.

Yeah, for sure. I need to cut some down here this upcoming week when I'm back home. I'm assuming (and hoping) that like you they're just small because they're starved from nutriets, which I think is likely based on where I saw them. I wish I would have taken some pictures.

 

[ABMax24]

These were south of GP.

Average size is pretty small, if you're cutting Tamarack over 12" you're doing well. I've heard rumour of 30" Tamarack, but never seen one myself.

I'll cut Tamarack when it's available, but I have no desire to cut 20 8" trees to make a load. I'll burn trembling aspen or pine instead. Birch is nice when a person finds it, but there not much of that either that's large enough to be worth cutting.

Only thing I don't like taking is spruce and black (balsam) popular. There just isn't much heat in either, and black poplar leaves behind a mountain of ash.

 

[Pete16]

These were south of GP.

Average size is pretty small, if you're cutting Tamarack over 12" you're doing well. I've heard rumour of 30" Tamarack, but never seen one myself.

I'll cut Tamarack when it's available, but I have no desire to cut 20 8" trees to make a load. I'll burn trembling aspen or pine instead. Birch is nice when a person finds it, but there not much of that either that's large enough to be worth cutting.

Only thing I don't like taking is spruce and black (balsam) popular. There just isn't much heat in either, and black poplar leaves behind a mountain of ash.

Good tips. Appreciate it. Yeah, no birch down south from you where I'm at unfortunately. The spruce I burn is just dead standing stuff thats on my property that needs to come down anyway, but yeah, I hear you, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it. I'm curious to see how this lodgepole pine does this year.

I think I'll go out and just harvest some of the bigger Tamarack I found at my spot. Hopefully I can find some 10-12 inch ones in there. Do you harvest from crown land as well?

 

[ABMax24]

Yeah, crown land

 

[marty319]

These were south of GP.

Average size is pretty small, if you're cutting Tamarack over 12" you're doing well. I've heard rumour of 30" Tamarack, but never seen one myself.

I'll cut Tamarack when it's available, but I have no desire to cut 20 8" trees to make a load. I'll burn trembling aspen or pine instead. Birch is nice when a person finds it, but there not much of that either that's large enough to be worth cutting.

Only thing I don't like taking is spruce and black (balsam) popular. There just isn't much heat in either, and black poplar leaves behind a mountain of ash.

That black poplar i avoid altogether, birch is real scarce here as well as oak,it's mostly jack pine in the cutting areas and I'm not into buying wood.

 

[Murray01]

That is crazy! I didn't realize they could get that big. Where in Alberta were you? Grande Prairie area I'm assuming? The ones I found were south of Caroline but north of Sundre. Appreciate you sharing this.
I think I should head further West maybe to find some bigger ones after I harvest these smaller ones. What would you say you find as the average size trees for Tamarack up there?

Talk to the loggers in the area. When I lived in Grande Cache a feller buncher operator put me onto a log deck of Birch, at the time Birch was considered a non commercial wood in AB. These guys were logging out a gas lease site and a pipeline right away.

 

[Pete16]

Talk to the loggers in the area. When I lived in Grande Cache a feller buncher operator put me onto a log deck of Birch, at the time Birch was considered a non commercial wood in AB. These guys were logging out a gas lease site and a pipeline right away.

Not a bad idea. I see log trucks rolling through Caroline/Sundre all the time. I don't have a good enough eye to know what exactly they're carrying since its just the trunks usually, but looks mostly like Spruce. Either way, you're right, they'd be the guys to ask where to go and whats out there.

 

[Murray01]

Don’t forget to consider private land, see a bunch of blowdowns, easy access, the landowner may be receptive to you taking firewood. Old cut blocks and oil/gas roads would be on my list.

Been down the “Cowboy Highway” many times, finding wood shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Pete16]

Don’t forget to consider private land, see a bunch of blowdowns, easy access, the landowner may be receptive to you taking firewood. Old cut blocks and oil/gas roads would be on my list.

Been down the “Cowboy Highway” many times, finding wood shouldn’t be an issue.

Yeah totally. I definitely don't have problems finding wood. Its finding that good Tamarack wood that's a bit tricky especially with my schedule of working 2 weeks away from home then 1 week at home. Next week though I'm going to go back to that Tamarack pocket I found though, maybe walk in a bit deeper and hopefully find some bigger ones further in. And if not, I'll gladly take down a bunch of 8" ones that are there.

 

[Pete16]

Just an update if anyone was wondering (probably not lol). I ended up heading back to my tamarack spot today (gosh its pretty this time of year) and the biggest i could find was about 11 inches. The one that was 11 inches was leaning over at 45 degrees. Id say most of the trees were probably 7-8 inches in diameter. Pretty small. The area I was in is super boggy, so I'm assuming once they get to around 10+ inches they simply fall over because the ground is so soft. Anyway, didnt stop me from loading up. Ill be back there for sure.

 

[stoveliker]

But that's not a high-density version, with those growth rings so far apart.
Seems to be 45-50 years old.
Nice wood, but not the slow-growth ones that have a ton of BTUs

 

[Pete16]

But that's not a high-density version, with those growth rings so far apart.
Seems to be 45-50 years old.
Nice wood, but not the slow-growth ones that have a ton of BTUs

Yeah, I thought the same thing. Better than spruce though! Beggars cant be choosers. Ill take it.

 

[stoveliker]

Better than spruce though! Beggars cant be choosers. Ill take it.

Absolutely!

And nice place (pics)!
Never wrong to work some there with that view

 

[ABMax24]

That's a pretty cool stump. You can actually see exactly where the tree started to lean over. Softwoods build compression wood on the bottom of the trunk trying to push it up, you can see where the rings go from concentric to off center.