the season starts, earlier than expected

[precaud]

We had first snow on the mountains 2 days ago. It hasn't really been that cold (hi-50's/low 60's days down to mid-30's at night), but three overcast days in a row results in no solar gain. And today I had no choice but to make a fire, using some of the Siberian Elm reserved for the shoulder seasons.

I posted a couple days ago in the Wood Shed forum, my concern about the pine populations in this area being decimated by the infamous bark beetle. While part of it is for environmental reasons, part of it is also purely selfish. If there isn't pine/pinon to burn, then I'm stuck with this Siberian Elm, which is thriving while the indigenous species are under siege. It is one of the worst fuelwoods I've ever used. Besides smelling awful and putting a bad taste in my mouth, it has low heating value, burns reluctantly, and leaves no useful coals. If this was the only wood available to burn, I'm not sure I'd do it. Awful stuff.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Folks further north also have some woods that are pretty bad stuff too. Ever burn popple? Willow? Thorn apple? There are many others, but sometimes folks do have to burn whatever they can get. Good luck.

Snow is slow coming this year for many folks. We had a few flurries a couple days ago but today it was back up into the 60's. Felt warm too.

 

[BrotherBart]

Had my first fire last night because we had our first frost warning. Then today it got to seventy outside and sunny. Supposed to be in the seventies in daytime for the next week. Considerably above average. But three days of rain later in the week. I'll take some more warm weather for awhile. I can wait for cold. I could wait a couple of years for cold.

 

[precaud]

Folks further north also have some woods that are pretty bad stuff too. Ever burn popple? Willow? Thorn apple? There are many others, but sometimes folks do have to burn whatever they can get. Good luck.

Popple=poplar, yes, there's a little of it here along riverbanks and I've burned it a few times, it's nothing to crow about. The difference, of course, is, there is little risk that your hardwood population will be going away anytime soon. Right now, the only reason I burn the Siberian Elm is because it grows like weeds on my property. New shoots grow 8 feet tall in the first year.

I’ll take some more warm weather for awhile. I can wait for cold. I could wait a couple of years for cold.

I'm with ya there!

 

[Beetle-Kill]

precaud, offer still stands. If you need some wood, I've got it. Damn'est part is, my stove isn't hooked up yet, so for the next week I'm going to the furnace for heat. Prepare yourself, there are a couple of ballot issues that if passed, could help provide us with easy wood for quite a few years. At least up here. Dump Udall if you can.

 

[precaud]

Thanks BK. But that's a bit far for me to drive to pick up 1/3 of a cord! Do you have snow on the ground up there? I'm guessing you do.

Yes, you're going to be in Fat City for firewood for the forseeable future. The next generation or two are the ones who will bear the brunt. Seems that's their lot in life. The boomers will consume all available resources, and leave them the chaff...

We have no senatorial races here this time.

 

[tpikaart]

A few more weeks to cut in the national forest here--just got a nice load of juniper today.

I burn lots of Siberian Elm also, and...maybe I'm just not very discriminating, but I really don't have a problem with it. I usually use it at night after the stove's nice and hot, and f it's dry enough, I really don't notice a bad smell. It's cleaner than a lot of my pinion--some if which has that hardened sap in the middle that burns like crazy but makes lots of black smoke. I actually think that the Elm leaves more coals in the a.m. than pinion or juniper. I got quite a bit of oak this year, but I'm going to save until it gets really cold--I'm kind of anxious to compare w/ Elm.

Got another dead Elm to cut tomorrow afternoon...

 

[Lumber-Jack]

We had first snow on the mountains 2 days ago. It hasn't really been that cold (hi-50's/low 60's days down to mid-30's at night), but three overcast days in a row results in no solar gain. And today I had no choice but to make a fire, using some of the Siberian Elm reserved for the shoulder seasons.

I posted a couple days ago in the Wood Shed forum, my concern about the pine populations in this area being decimated by the infamous bark beetle. While part of it is for environmental reasons, part of it is also purely selfish. If there isn't pine/pinon to burn, then I'm stuck with this Siberian Elm, which is thriving while the indigenous species are under siege. It is one of the worst fuelwoods I've ever used. Besides smelling awful and putting a bad taste in my mouth, it has low heating value, burns reluctantly, and leaves no useful coals. If this was the only wood available to burn, I'm not sure I'd do it. Awful stuff.

I don't get it, you say your pine trees are being decimated by pine beetle and you are having trouble finding firewood to burn?
You know, those beetles just kill the tree, they don't eat the entire thing. ;-P

 

[fjord]

The strange irony of Nature is how species are distributed. Far Northern trees are predominantly softwood; further south, such as Virgina and New Mexico lowlands, mixed.
In your southern climes there isn't the need for high BTU's as in northern latitudes. Yet, you have the denser, higher BTU species. Why (rhetorical) ?

So, while you are complaining about your woods, empathize with those that have only softwoods to heat their home 100% with wood --e.g. Alaska or Newfoundland--rather than supplementing a central furnace
set @ 65 °F .

It's all about "degree days" in your zone. Look it up...interesting comparison to where you live. "You dance with the one you brung to the dance." :gulp:

 

[precaud]

I don't get it, you say your pine trees are being decimated by pine beetle and you are having trouble finding firewood to burn?

Just because you can see it, doesn't mean you can have it... most of it around here is off limits to scavenging, sad but true. Last year I was able to get most of what I needed from private landowners. This year - zilch. Noone has responded. So I've had to make discrete excursions onto public lands which aren't designated cutting areas to get it. Risky bizness.

You know, those beetles just kill the tree, they don't eat the entire thing. ;-P

With pinon, in many cases, the tree is turned into useless mush inside. I have nearly 5 cords of logs stacked in the yard... it's all beetle kill.

 

[precaud]

A few more weeks to cut in the national forest here--just got a nice load of juniper today.

That's a nice lookin' load there, NMman. Some very good-sized trunks. Much bigger on average than the deadwood around here.

I burn lots of Siberian Elm also, and...maybe I'm just not very discriminating, but I really don't have a problem with it....I actually think that the Elm leaves more coals in the a.m. than pinion or juniper.

Trunkwood isn't too bad, but since I'm clearing/pruning from my yard, most of what I have is branches. The bark is like a fortress. Boy, I don't see any comparison in the coals. Oh well.

I got quite a bit of oak this year, but I'm going to save until it gets really cold--I'm kind of anxious to compare w/ Elm.

I put my money on the oak!

 

[precaud]

So, while you are complaining about your woods, empathize with those that have only softwoods to heat their home 100% with wood

We have no hardwoods here. I might be able to find some oak if I drove 100+ miles north. Pinon comes pretty close to being a hardwood, so I try to gert as much of that as I can.

It's all about "degree days" in your zone.

Around here, it's all about replenishment rate. Slow-growth trees being consumed faster than they grow back. A pinon takes 300 years to mature to a 14" diameter trunk.

 

[Lumber-Jack]

I don't get it, you say your pine trees are being decimated by pine beetle and you are having trouble finding firewood to burn?

Just because you can see it, doesn't mean you can have it... most of it around here is off limits to scavenging, sad but true. Last year I was able to get most of what I needed from private landowners. This year - zilch. Noone has responded. So I've had to make discrete excursions onto public lands which aren't designated cutting areas to get it. Risky bizness.

You know, those beetles just kill the tree, they don't eat the entire thing. ;-P

With pinon, in many cases, the tree is turned into useless mush inside. I have nearly 5 cords of logs stacked in the yard... it's all beetle kill.

Bummer, Is there no way to get permits or something to cut that dead wood on those public lands?
Around here we have so much beetle kill pine it has become a real forest fire hazard in many areas, because it is so dry the fires burn with much greater intensity and makes the fire harder to control and does a lot more damage to land it burns through. It seems the mills don't want much of it, and they are having a hard time figuring out what to do with it, I'm sure they have the same problem there.
Firewood permits are free here for most crown lands (our version of public lands), so the upside to all this dead wood is there is an unlimited supply of firewood, and it's pretty much free for the taking if you can get vehicle access to some part of it.
Is there some reason they restrict access to you cutting these trees on your public land?

 

[precaud]

Bummer, Is there no way to get permits or something to cut that dead wood on those public lands?

Not on the one I'm gathering from this year - it's DOE land. The permitted cutting area closest to here stinks, I described it in this thread:
https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/56417/

Around here we have so much beetle kill pine it has become a real forest fire hazard in many areas, because it is so dry the fires burn with much greater intensity and makes the fire harder to control and does a lot more damage to land it burns through. It seems the mills don't want much of it, and they are having a hard time figuring out what to do with it, I'm sure they have the same problem there.
Firewood permits are free here for most crown lands (our version of public lands), so the upside to all this dead wood is there is an unlimited supply of firewood, and it's pretty much free for the taking if you can get vehicle access to some part of it.

That's great, hope you have plenty of storage space!

Is there some reason they restrict access to you cutting these trees on your public land?

Yes, there are different types of "public land" around here, under the jurisdiction of different gov't departments. The Forest Service handles the Nat'l Forests, and they are the only ones that issue permits to the public. But as I explained in the thread mentioned above, it's a remote area with poor access and little wood there. The cutting area for this year's permits is the same area as in 2004, and there wasn't much up there back then!

Because of the close proximity to Los Alamos Nat'l Labs, there is also a lot of land owned by DOE (Department of Energy). It tends to hug the Nat'l Forest Land. In the past, DOE occasionally sold commercial permits for tree removal (i.e. acreage) for areas they wanted to clear, but nothing to us little guys. Technically, I'm not supposed to go there and remove deadwood. I've made nine trips this year and haven't encountered anyone yet. One more this coming weekend and I'll be at my goal of getting two years ahead.