Finally Finished Splitting and Stacking Three Years Ahead

[Oregon Bigfoot]

My goal was to be done gathering, splitting, and stacking firewood to be three years ahead by June 30 (thanks to hearth.com). Well, I was two days off. I finished tonight after work. Now I am ready to camp, fish, crab, boat, and enjoy the summer with my family and grandson! I leave for Alaska in about 2 weeks for salmon fishing with my brother-in-law, then in August, I'm off to Minnesota to fish Lake Superior and some other lakes with some other friends, who live there. Then, in late August, September and October, fish for salmon, steelhead, and go crabbing here in the great Pacific Northwest, as time allows.

The first picture is the wood in my shed I cut/split for the 2012-2013 winter - about 2/3 oak, 1/3 Douglas Fir, and a few wheelbarrow loads of birch/pine/plum/apricot/maple/arborvitae from my next door neighbor. I have about 3.75 cords stacked and ready to go.

The second and third picture is my 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 firewood, stored at my sister's place. It's oak, ash, maple, Douglas fir, honey locust, apple, hawthorn and some plum. I have roughly 6.25 cords at my sister's place.

The fourth picture is my stacks from a distance. I have the stacks tucked away on the edge of an old growth Douglas fir forest on their property. It's a very beautiful place at my sister's house.

The last picture is in my driveway of mainly Colorado blue spruce, photinia, and some more wheel barrow loads from my neighbor. I am letting the spruce sit out in the spring/summer sun to season up before putting it in my wood shed later in a month or two. It's probably a third of a cord.

All total, I have about 10+ cord, cut/split/stacked. And my friend still has more firewood available from the "Glory Pile". My back hurts, I'm tired, I think I will wait. If some is left in the fall, I'll think hard about getting more. It's time to relax and enjoy the summer, and even burn a few Swedish candles!

Have a safe and happy 4th everyone!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bigfoot, I suggest you quit now. Have you considered going fishing?

Nice work.

 

[Gark]

Good job! A lot of work invested in those pictures. Take a break.

 

[mywaynow]

Nice job. Your half way home!

 

[red oak]

Nice work! You have definitely earned some rest and time with the family! Someday I will get three years ahead....

 

[fox9988]

As of Feb, I entered the "three years ahead" club. I'm never going back. Congrats to you, happy burning.

 

[osagebow]

wow -nice stacks! Go getcha a redhook or 2!

 

[swagler85]

I just finished the 2 year club after my first season burning this year. Have 7 cord stacked and another cord or so split but still in piles. And have around 5-6 in log length waiting to be cut and split, so once I get that done I should be 3-4 years out. But I have so much fun doin it I don't think I will be able to stop.

 

[bogydave]

You earned a nice vacation.
Looks great!
Sounds like a great summer ahead

 

[thewoodlands]

Nice job Bigfoot, like Sav said it's time for a break.

zap

 

[JoeyD]

Welcome to the three year club. Feels good doesn't it?

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Bigfoot, I suggest you quit now. Have you considered going fishing?

Nice work.

I don't know should I?

I hope to be stacking the fish like cord wood! The Kenai sockeye counts so far are almost double the average the first four days of July.

 

[woodsmaster]

Nice to be that far ahead. I have 10 cord css but that only puts me 1 year out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I don't know should I?

I hope to be stacking the fish like cord wood! The Kenai sockeye counts so far are almost double the average the first four days of July.

Wow! How do you take care of the fish? Do you do any canning?

 

[ScotO]

Nice job, Bigfoot. I'm working on my fourth year right now, it pays to get ahead as others on here have taught me. As far as the fishing is concerned, sounds like you'll be burnt out of doing that by the end of fall! Seriously, you earned some time to enjoy life, there'll always be wood to cut and split but those little ones grow up one time. Enjoy your summer, keep us posted on your outings too (pics or it didn't happen!)

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Wow! How do you take care of the fish? Do you do any canning?

I mainly fillet the salmon and freeze for later use. Later, I'll thaw some salmon and make smoked salmon, smoked salmon dip, bbq'd salmon, deep fried salmon (in Pride of the West batter, yum!), pan fry salmon, make salmon cakes (like crab cakes), make salmon sandwiches (using salmon in place of the tuna, like tuna salad), salmon chowder (this is good!), salmon in a seafood salad, you get the picture! But I have never canned salmon. The cat gets the left overs, and usually overeats, its hilarious when it's fat full of fish.

In fact, I'm brining some salmon right now, to smoke tomorrow with alder wood. This is some sockeye salmon from last year from my friend in Alaska, where I'm going. This will be my first trip to Alaska. I went to the sporting goods store tonight, and bought some tackle to take with me.

Nice job, Bigfoot. I'm working on my fourth year right now, it pays to get ahead as others on here have taught me. As far as the fishing is concerned, sounds like you'll be burnt out of doing that by the end of fall! Seriously, you earned some time to enjoy life, there'll always be wood to cut and split but those little ones grow up one time. Enjoy your summer, keep us posted on your outings too (pics or it didn't happen!)

What's the appropriate hearth.com forum to post the salmon fishing pics in, when I get back, so you know it "happened" I just hope the bears stay away, because I really don't want a bear encounter.

Me, burnt out from fishing??? No way!

 

[savageactor7]

Props on job on getting 3 yrs ahead...you earned some quality time.

 

[ScotO]

What's the appropriate hearth.com forum to post the salmon fishing pics in, when I get back, so you know it "happened"

The "perfect picture" forum is where you want to post those pics........along with the yarns that go with them!

 

[nate379]

I need to get working on my wood! I have processed about 10 cords so far, but I sold it all.

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Someone gave me two pallets today, so I went over to my sister's house and put them by the wood pile, ready for use, whenever, I get back to wood cutting.

I did go salmon fishing in Alaska, what a blast! I made a longer post in the perfect picture section. First pic is some sockeye salmon we caught in Soldotna, Alaska in July, second pic is when I went to Duluth, Minnesota, and fished Lake Superior one day for mackinaw lake trout in August, and the last picture is a 22 pound salmon I caught on the Columbia River near Portland on Sept 11. I'm still tired of wood cutting, but there is no way I am tired of salmon fishing! My Oregon salmon fishing vacation is coming up in a few weeks.

 

[weatherguy]

Sure beats splitting and stacking, Salmon are fun to catch and good to eat.

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Here's a few more pics of this summer. Anyone ever ate at Sven and Ole's Pizza in Grand Marais, Minnesota? Great pizza right near Lake Superior! I don't remember what they called it, but we got a sauerkraut and Oktoberfest sausage pizza, maybe it was called the Oktoberfest Pizza. Wow, that was awesome!

I'm really not looking forward to woodstove weather yet.