Going in a dumpster?!!!

[Flatbedford]

Just the other day I was thinking that it would be great if I could scrounge a couple cords of one of the taster seasoning woods like Ash, Cherry, or Black lOcust so that I could let my Red and White Oak season one more year.
I was out after work yesterday to pick up my lawnmower after some service (the first time I have ever paid for such service) and decided to take the dirt road home and check what I consider my roadside wood lot. Some of you have probably read my posts about the dirt road about 1/2 mile from my house that seems to be plagued with fallen trees lately. I saw the two downed White Oaks that I plan to harvest this spring and then I see a 30 yrd dumpster on the side of the road. Next to it a dirt road freshly cut into the woods with downed Black Locust trees along side it! There are also piles of Black Locust logs cut to about 4 feet near the road. Not believing my eyes, I park so that the dog and I can investigate. We took a walk into the woods and see that there are cut trees along side the 400 or so foot length of the path. This is like Christmas, my birthday, new years, and the fourth of July all wrapped up in one! What the heck is going on here? It's about 5 pm, the dirt is freshly dug, but there is no equipment or people there. Now I am figuring out how to get the truck in etc. When I walked back to the road a car pulls up. Two guys get out, one with a chainsaw in hand. They tell me that the retirement housing complex up the hill is going to build a walking path for the people and that all the cut wood will be GOING IN THE DUMPSTER! One of the guys works for the complex. He tells me that I can take what ever I want, it is all garbage to them. He and his friend are gonna take some right now. Of course it is now about 5:15 pm, I have to leave the house at 6 for an appointment and I don't have a day off work until Monday! 6 days I beg them to load the dumpster as slowly as possible and promise to take as much as will fit at my house on Monday. I grabbed what I could and threw it in the truck with the lawn mower. This is the scrounge of the year and I might miss it all to the damn dumpster
Attached is a picture of one of the piles laying there, what I could grab without cutting, and what I got stacked for cutting and splitting at home.

 

[mywaynow]

Call the dumpster company and tell them to dump the contents at your location. They pay to junk that by the pound possibly. Might be just as happy unloading the whole thing at your house.

 

[Thistle]

That's like found money. County landfills charge so much per ton for tipping fees,some areas you cant even dump 'yard debris' there now.Every State & most Counties have different rules it seems.

 

[WoodpileOCD]

Call the dumpster company and tell them to dump the contents at your location. They pay to junk that by the pound possibly. Might be just as happy unloading the whole thing at your house.

+1
Depending on how much trash stuff they put in it.

 

[KarlP]

In the NYC area yard debris is charged for by the yard and goes in different places. Its used for fill or thrown in giant tub grinders to make mulch or topsoil. If you mix trash in it, it has to go to a trash landfill at 4-5x the price.

 

[Flatbedford]

I have no place on my 1/4 acre for a 30 yd dumpster full of anything! I have to bring it in my truck. I'm hoping that they work slowly. The next couple days are going to be snow or rain so maybe they will not work. That leaves only Friday, then the weekend. I'll be there early Monday and hope for the best. I will try to get in touch with the management company of the complex.

 

[Flatbedford]

Just left message for facility manager. I hope we can work something out. This could more than make up for loosing out on the massive Oak score that I thought I had last week.

 

[nate379]

I would have loaded the truck way more that the dozen or so logs you have.... it ain't full till it's falling over the bed sides... and then pick up another load before or after work.

 

[Flatbedford]

I would have mounded it as high as the cab and then come back with my flatbed and done same, but I only had about 15 minutes to work and no saw with me. I am waiting for a call back from facility manager. I am hoping he and I can work something out.

 

[mayhem]

When i got access to a score of red oak at work I took my saw wiht me every day. Take your tools and a change of clothes with you to work every day and stop on the way home for a heavy load. Unload as quickly as possible and if its still light out, go back for a second run that day. Do this till you run out of room to store it all.

 

[nate379]

Gotcha. I think I would have just called in and said I would be late. I run the night shift but my guys can handle it on their own for a few hours.

I would have mounded it as high as the cab and then come back with my flatbed and done same, but I only had about 15 minutes to work and no saw with me. I am waiting for a call back from facility manager. I am hoping he and I can work something out.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Good luck on that Steve. It could really be a good one for you and save a lot of work too.

 

[andrewdee]

I think I can still get a few more in ??

 

[cygnus]

Scrounging doesn't end at sundown. Pull an all-nighter.

 

[jhoff310]

Scrounging doesn't end at sundown. Pull an all-nighter.

That is true. to be on the safe side I would get the name of the person you talked to just incase the local barney fife shows up and tries to give you some guff. It has saved me on numerous occasions. Great score hope you can get all you can


ah heck its only a half mile load it like i do


Jeff

 

[nate379]

There we go, that is how I do my loads as well.

My Dad calls is a lazy man's load. I call it using less fuel and time.

 

[mywaynow]

I am happy to see that loaded Yota is in Ohio and no where near me! How many helper springs are on that?

 

[Flatbedford]

Things changed at work and I was able to get home at about 6 last night. It was snowing here last night but I went over there and got what I could in the hour or so of daylight that I had. I think I have to start going to meetings. This is what it looked like when I left the house.
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It was about 35 degrees with snow, sleet, and rain falling.
The new road was a mud hole. I could only get the truck about 20' in until it was stuck. Remind me to NEVER again buy a truck that is not 4 wheel drive! I cut a bunch and started walking it out piece by piece. I ended up with about 3/4 a truck load of of logs either in round length or 2xs round length for the ones that I could carry that way.
Did somebody say something about an all nighter?
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My wife is now sure I am crazy! There is still more there. I have made arrangements to get into work late this am so I will be on my way back there shortly. The facility manager plans tto load the dumpster today so I am hoping they will load my truck instead. More soon...

 

[cygnus]

Excellent! That's an episode fit for 'Extreme Scrounging'

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Scrounging doesn't end at sundown. Pull an all-nighter.

Aint that the truth. Dude,you do what you have to do. Ash and black locust are my 2 favorite woods(great burn and fast seasoning). I would do whatever I had to do to get as much of that as I could. I'd take a vacation or sick day if I had to (I have plenty to spare for just such an occasion). And if I ran out of room at my house,which im about to, I would find a local friend or family member that wouldnt mind me using their land as a temporary staging area. These finds don't come along everyday, and we must do what we can to maximize the opportunity. Good luck,brother. Get to WORK ;-P

 

[Flatbedford]

The weather is not working with me. I went back with the 4x4 F250 this am. I couldn't get it in much further.
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It was a snowy sloppy mess in there. Still about a 50'-'75' walk to the truck in some seriously sloppy slippery muck.
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I cut and dragged some more Locust and some very long dead Red Oak to the truck. I didn't get much. My 41 year old body was telling me that I should stop before I hurt myself. The wrong slip in that mud and I would be out of work for $400 worth of wood. After I got the truck out of the mud hole I drove up to the office of the apartment complex and introduced myself to the facility manager. He told me that his crew might be there on Monday, My next day off and that if they were he would have them load my truck instead of the dumpster. He told me that he regularly loads a three dumpsters of wood off the property yearly. I told him that I would be happy to take wood off the property any time in the future and left heim my phone number. I'd say I lost this battle, but may have made some progress in the war. I now have two muddy trucks with wood in them and I am off to work now.
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[jhoff310]

I am happy to see that loaded Yota is in Ohio and no where near me! How many helper springs are on that?

helper springs? What helper springs? That was the last tree my dad and I topped before he passed, I took it down after he passed and hauled it about a 1/2 block to my house. I normally do not load it like that but this was one of those times. The buddy who helped me fell the tree was worried about the police stopping me...I said dont worry about it, they know who I am, and just kinda look the other way....I think they think"OH NO! He's at it again


Jeff

 

[SolarAndWood]

I'd say I lost this battle, but may have made some progress in the war.

I agree. That contact is worth a lot more than some wood you have to fight through the slop for.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I hate working in the slop. Did too much of that years ago. So, around here we normally quit cutting around March 1. But that is only one reason as there are others.

 

[Flatbedford]

We suburban scroungers can't be too picky about when we work.