Pacific Northwest New Year's Eve Scrounge

[Oregon Bigfoot]

I had a friend tell me he had a Douglas Fir tree break off in a wind storm recently, and asked if I wanted it. Of course, yes. I knew he didn't burn wood, and he owns about 3 acres of forested property, including about an acre of over grown Doug Fir Christmas trees in the back of the lot. Those trees are 50' to 60' now and average 12" diameter. I've gotten many cords of wood from his property over the years from blow downs, and gradual thinning of the Christmas trees.

Anyhoo, the Douglas Fir tree was about a 100' tree, that the wind broke off about 20' from the ground. The tree was right at 20 inches in diameter at the top of the stump after I dropped the 20' foot log. I cut and split down to manageable size, and filled my truck. I was about a half a row short from filling my truck, so I fell a small 50' Christmas tree telephone pole that was only 8" in diameter at the top of the stump. It was just enough to finish the load. I was running out of daylight, so I quarter split or half split the big tree, and did not have time to split the smaller tree. I'll do that later this weekend. I ended up with about 6/10 of a cord of nice Douglas Fir. After getting 9 loads of green HEAVY Oregon white oak this past year, it was nice to deal with lighter wood, and wood that split so easy.

You'll see a Redwood tree in the background behind the stump of the bigger tree I worked. His dad planted it many years ago, and now it's 100'+ tall and about 24" at the base. That's a cool looking tree.

Enjoy the pictures and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Oregon Bigfoot

 

[skyline]

Nice Score Bigfoot. Don't you just love clean Doug Fir. That and the great thing about scrounging is you have no mess to clean up.

I just got in from cutting 5 trees down but will spend more time cleaning up than getting the wood.

Happy New Year!

 

[blacktail]

Nice load. It's hard to beat Doug Fir around here. That load musta made the F150 sag. It should be a crime for your friend to have 3 acres of woods and not have a wood stove.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Happy New Year Bigfoot. Good way to end 2011.

 

[WellSeasoned]

Thats alot of wood. Nice scrounge! Love the pics

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

Skyline, I didn't have to, but I did clean up the mess too. I put all the branches, bark, and stuff into a nice pile for him to help him out.

Blacktail, he used to have a woodstove, but family allergies prompted him to get rid of it. He's got a larger Douglas Fir leaning into a maple tree, about like the leaning tower of Pisa, and it's about 25" at the base, and a guess, it's 120'+ feet tall. It started to go over last year in a windstorm, but got caught up in a large maple tree, and I did not want to drop it. Now, it's got a break in it about half way up, because it's starting to snap in half. That dude is coming down, and I am not going to try to do it, it's just too dangerous. I guess nature needs to take this one down. Next time I'm over there, I will take pics of it. It's in his thicker "rain forest" old growth part of his woods.

Oregon Bigfoot

 

[bogydave]

Looks like a "head lights pointing to the moon" load
Nice score, close to pavement, level ground, close to the truck. Gonna be some good BTUs for 2012
Nice pictures.

 

[skyline]

Bigfoot,

Didn't mean to imply you weren't going to clean up, just that your friend's fir is so clean there is hardly any mess to clean up, but anyhoooo......

HOW BOUT THEM DUCKS :coolsmile:

 

[Oregon Bigfoot]

I split and stacked this wood last Saturday, January 7, 2012. It turned out to be about 8/10 of a true cord, counting the couple of wheelbarrow loads my neighbor gave me last month. This is a temporary holding stack, until later in the spring about May or June when I will move it into the wood shed. I need to burn the dry wood in the shed first, in order to have room for this wood.

This wood was a standing dead windfall, so it's pretty dry already. I wish I had a moisture meter, but the wood feels pretty dry from the get go. Even though its dry, it will not be used until 2012-2013 burning season. It will have all this winter, spring, summer, and fall to season outside in the wood shed.

My friend has another standing dead Douglas Fir he wants out of there, and he has a couple of other windfalls too, I am not sure I will get this time or not. Hopefully I will get it this weekend if it doesn't rain. We have had very little rain in the Pacific Northwest this winter, and the forecast for this weekend is also dry. I might get to play with my chainsaw again! :coolsmile:

 

[skyline]

Looks good Bigfoot! That came out great. Let me know if you ever need a hand.
I'm guessing you're on the south side of town from the pics but only a guess. If you ever want to work up some maple/alder to go with your fir, let me know.

Cheers,

Skyline