Hard Maple?

[Soundchasm]

I'm not great at identifying sugar maple logs, but it certainly looks like Red Maple logs I've harvested. Another benefit not mentioned is Red Maple is easy to split. Straight rounds up to 20" can easily split with a maul. The more twisted rounds are slightly more difficult than ash.

I'm not sure the samara's are always good indicator. The one you pictured looks pretty close to Norway Maple because there is a large obtuse angle between the leaves. Sugar samaras can probably vary a bit. I usually think of the blades more like these:
View attachment 201097

Another good indicator is the twig. Sugar maple has a narrower twig with a very sharp point at the end.

Rats, so you're saying that a paired arrangement is NOT a guarantee of a hard maple? I hope I'm still safe in thinking that a silver maple is a single seed. OK, I just did some looking. It appears that silver maple are also pairs!! Dang, here I am on the internet spreading misinformation. I hope the internet doesn't get a bad reputation.

I really thought I got that from a credible source. Apologies.

Thanks for "samara". Cool word.

 

[Soundchasm]

Those seeds here in UK are from a Sycamore tree. I think in US you call it a Sycamore Maple.(Acer pseudoplatanus)

Boy, I was completely up the wrong tree. I thought I read somewhere that a pair of seeds indicated a hard maple. Looking into it tonight, that is NOT the case. I'd love to remember where I got that idea, but mainly only to shift blame...

So it seems they are all pairs, but a horseshoe appearance probably indicates a sugar maple.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I hope the internet doesn't get a bad reputation.

I think you're a little late for that!

 

[ValleyCottageSplitter]

Boy, I was completely up the wrong tree. I thought I read somewhere that a pair of seeds indicated a hard maple. Looking into it tonight, that is NOT the case. I'd love to remember where I got that idea, but mainly only to shift blame...

Hmm, maybe you heard that maples have paired samara's where Ash tree's have single Samara's. Here's a bunch of ash tree samara's:



There are a few other trees with samara's though they are more distinctive. Guess where I learned all that?