Got some birch from State wood area

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bogydave

Minister of Fire
Dec 4, 2009
8,426
So Cent ALASKA
The snow & ice finally melted so I could get the truck & trailer in.
Cut a big birch (big for here) 19". Heavy wood, I could skid 3 round length from the base. Up & side hill.

Rolled the ATV over (a 360°, I baled & let it go) on the side hill & over a stump. It was upside down on a stump & I pushed it on over, oil OK & it started & ran OK. Spent 30 minutes picking up stuff, & fixing the ATV. Sure has tough plastic fenders. PIA getting a usable trail.

Spent allot of time getting a trail to the wood. 5 hours & I got 1/2 a cord +/-.
I fought the big one a long time & cut 2 others that had a better trail. Next trip may be more productive now that I have a safer, usable trail.

Had fun, (except for the ATV roll-over) got sunny for a while , was in a "T" shirt feeding the mosquitoes.
Folding tail gate worked great, just rolled the big ones on.
The log skidder/dray didn't work for shi#. Side hill & the logs kept rolling it over. Back to the drawing board.

Looking like rain so I loaded up, had room for 1 more tree but it was time to "call the dogs".
+ I was tired.

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Hi Dave
Your spruce is probly similer to ours.How much better is the birch than spruce for burning?Is it way better or not so much?
Thanks Thomas
 
Nice haul! Glad you bailed out safely! _g
I guess a wider dray would be needed for those side-hill lies?
 
The snow & ice finally melted so I could get the truck & trailer in.
Cut a big birch (big for here) 19". Heavy wood, I could skid 3 round length from the base. Up & side hill.

Rolled the ATV over (a 360°, I baled & let it go) on the side hill & over a stump. It was upside down on a stump & I pushed it on over, oil OK & it started & ran OK. Spent 30 minutes picking up stuff, & fixing the ATV. Sure has tough plastic fenders. PIA getting a usable trail.

Spent allot of time getting a trail to the wood. 5 hours & I got 1/2 a cord +/-.
I fought the big one a long time & cut 2 others that had a better trail. Next trip may be more productive now that I have a safer, usable trail.

Had fun, (except for the ATV roll-over) got sunny for a while , was in a "T" shirt feeding the mosquitoes.
Folding tail gate worked great, just rolled the big ones on.
The log skidder/dray didn't work for shi#. Side hill & the logs kept rolling it over. Back to the drawing board.

Looking like rain so I loaded up, had room for 1 more tree but it was time to "call the dogs".
+ I was tired.

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Wow....Another day in the life of an Alaskan resident. Glad your Not hurt from the roll over.
 
Dave - as a person who has kissed the handle bars of a quad on a few occasions, be careful. You did the right thing by bailing out. (used to run the big dunes at Glamis Ca. youtube it once just for giggles).

Make that dray as wide as your bike. It will help with stability.
 
Glad your ok bogydave, this firewood can be a groan at times.

zap
 
Hi Dave
Your spruce is probly similer to ours.How much better is the birch than spruce for burning?Is it way better or not so much?
Thanks Thomas

Birch, more BTUs, lot longer burn times. Allot smokier on light up, the bark burns black smoke like burning an old tire.
AK-WOOD-BTU.jpg
 
you went through hell didn't ya Dave. lol

So bad I'm getting ready to go again.
Just waiting for the Ibuprofen to kick in :)

PS: The new spill proof gas can update:, Well I could've filled the saw with what got spilled yesterday.
When it gets warm & you open the valve, the pressure sprays gas over everything.
 
The snow & ice finally melted so I could get the truck & trailer in.
Cut a big birch (big for here) 19". Heavy wood, I could skid 3 round length from the base. Up & side hill.

Rolled the ATV over (a 360°, I baled & let it go) on the side hill & over a stump. It was upside down on a stump & I pushed it on over, oil OK & it started & ran OK. Spent 30 minutes picking up stuff, & fixing the ATV. Sure has tough plastic fenders. PIA getting a usable trail.

Spent allot of time getting a trail to the wood. 5 hours & I got 1/2 a cord +/-.
I fought the big one a long time & cut 2 others that had a better trail. Next trip may be more productive now that I have a safer, usable trail.

Had fun, (except for the ATV roll-over) got sunny for a while , was in a "T" shirt feeding the mosquitoes.
Folding tail gate worked great, just rolled the big ones on.
The log skidder/dray didn't work for shi#. Side hill & the logs kept rolling it over. Back to the drawing board.

Looking like rain so I loaded up, had room for 1 more tree but it was time to "call the dogs".
+ I was tired.

View attachment 67795

View attachment 67796 View attachment 67797
Very nice score Dave! That is one very straight tree and should split nicely..

Ray
 
Wow Dave, you've had quite a time. Glad you bailed out rather than ride the atv on the rollover. The dray sounds like you just need to make it wider. Probably need to go about 5' or maybe even 6' on the width rather than 4'.

Thanks for the word on the spill-proof cans. Sad to hear this but not surprised. Now get back out there and get those skeeters fed.
 
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LOL on the skeeters :)

Ray
 
Got another load. 5 trees. It was one heavy load. I think 4 trees this time of the year is enough.
Uneventful trip (except the can of bug dope I had was empty) . Cut trees, loaded truck & trailer.
Threw some small logs down to fill the low spot on the side hill where I rolled. Much safer now (smarter too :) )
I split a couple with the maul & water flew, probably needs to dry a bit before burning :)

2 loads of rounds, Lots of rollers as it sure is wet & heavy. I'm guessing a "heavy cord" + :
"Heavy cord" : Spring cut wood when the sap is running . LOL

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Too much darn work for free wood!
The initial cost of tree length is $$, but in the end I make money. I've already sold 5 cords of wood I had here at the house. Got so many emails that I had to make a waiting list. $225/cord cut split and delivered.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/mat/3004814058.html

That will almost pay for the first load of tree length. (10 cords). I'll be getting paid to heat my house this year actually by selling the extra wood.
 
No sketers here yet this year. It has been to dry. Had about an eighth of an inch the other day. Just enough to tease us. The farmers could really use an inch of rain. The corn is starting to curl up and the yard is turning brown. I think there is a chance of rain this weekend. I've been to the woods a few times in the last week and the only bugs that bothered me were flys. They didn't bite but kept pestering me.
 
If it is those tiny little black bugs that like to fly in your face?? Try this stuff (it don't work for skeeters but is a dream for the little nat/flys): Dettol
http://www.myotcstore.com/store/p/9...?gdftrk=gdfV23047_a_7c861_a_7c2751_a_7c433946

3 drops in the palm of your hand and swipe it on your face like after shave. It will also work if applied to the bill of a hat or on your collar. It may need to be reapplied ever hour or two. It has an antiseptic smell, but I can deal with that.
 
Come on Dave now tell us the whole story
How many times did ya fall down the hill ...........lol lol

Just the one time (devil's club makes you remember not to do it twice LOL )
But it took a few trips down the hill chasing rounds & rolling them back up before I put up a log to stop them. Granddaughter was with me yesterday & she came up with the idea ;)

Taking the day off from logging to split some wood & figure out how much I got in 2 trips.



Too much darn work for free wood!
The initial cost of tree length is $$, but in the end I make money. I've already sold 5 cords of wood I had here at the house. Got so many emails that I had to make a waiting list. $225/cord cut split and delivered.

I enjoy the work & time spent in the woods.
& figured out years ago, "Nothing is free", especially fire wood :)
For me, only part of wood cutting is about the money :)
I have a neighbor who gets log length & cuts & delivers wood. Like other sellers though, it in log form until delivery time, then CSS Cut Split & Sold, LOL :)

$225 is a good price, lots of work into a delivered cord of split wood, even when cutting log length.
 
Oh, Devil's Club . . . I remember seeing that nasty looking plant while out hiking . . . my sister said for some folks it isn't the sharp needles that are most bothersome -- she said some folks find the plant to be quite itch-inducing.
 
Devils club:
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I used to have something like that growing all over the place at the house. Would go threw gloves and pants even. I killed most of it off with some good spray killer.
 
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