Three Years Ahead At Last

[BigCountryNY]

After some solid CSS'ing since moving to our place two years ago, I'm finally at three years ahead. We burn about 4 cords per year and starting with this upcoming winter it will be nice to have thicker splits that will be well-seasoned. This past weekend we had overnight temps in the 20s and I burned some 4-5" thick splits of red oak and my 30NC was very happy and rewarded us with amazing heat. With only 3-4 of those splits, she would run at about 650F and I'd get about 6 hours with a nice coal bed for a relight with no kindling needed.

As I'm sure many on here can relate, it feels great to be that far ahead. My year three stack is almost exclusively red and white oak and that will be some amazing heat...

 

[Ctwoodtick]

Talk about earning that good feeling you have! Now you just have to ignore when people laugh and say, " why do you need that much wood?". I get that all the time and I only run about 1.5 yrs ahead with about 7 cords total.

 

[BigCountryNY]

Just getting to this point I've had people asking me that exact question. When I tell them I don't have to burn oil to keep my house warm the light usually comes on and it clicks. Since my stacks are in front of the house, I try to keep them nice and neat and have gotten a few compliments on them. I've also had people stop and ask if I'm selling wood. I didn't even want to think about it until I was this far ahead though. Gotta love the pressure we put on ourselves, but IMHO it is all worth it.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

As I only burn in shoulder seasons and then switch to coal I only burn 1-1.5 cords per season. I am currently 3 years ahead and get the same comments.......LOL.......That means I only have 4 cords on property.

 

[mass_burner]

All tolled, so far, still burning, I will probably use 1/2 - 3/4 cord this year.

 

[billb3]

Nice to be extracting maximum heat from your efforts isn't it ?

 

[fire_man]

I've kind of an odd problem. I'm so far ahead (5+ years) that I have to be careful the wood is properly protected from rain.
Anybody that tells you it's not necessary to properly cover wood when you are 5 years ahead probably does not live in a rainy area.

 

[Lakeside]

Looks great !! Yes it is a good feeling being three years ahead, which reminds me I have to get back to work on my stacks.

I bet your Ridgebacks love it too.

 

[ColdNH]

Good stuff! I get the "why do you need that much wood comments all the time" i was the one laughing as I sold of 2 cord last fall for 700$..

 

[BigCountryNY]

I've kind of an odd problem. I'm so far ahead (5+ years) that I have to be careful the wood is properly protected from rain.
Anybody that tells you it's not necessary to properly cover wood when you are 5 years ahead probably does not live in a rainy area.

I agree completely. I am a firm believer in top covering as it just helps preserve the wood if you live in a rainy or snowy area.

 

[BigCountryNY]

Looks great !! Yes it is a good feeling being three years ahead, which reminds me I have to get back to work on my stacks.

I bet your Ridgebacks love it too.

Thanks. The Ridgebacks love the stoves and are often found laying in front of them.

 

[Fred Wright]

Good to hear.

Getting there is the challenge. Took us a couple years to get two stacks worked up and filled while the third was being burned. All winter long cutting, hauling, splitting and stacking red maple on weekends but we got it wrapped. Had a bunch of red oak in the works for good measure but it needed more time to dry than the maple.

It's a lot of work and time to get ahead.

 

[muncybob]

We are 3+ yrs ahead and I'm going for more tonight. I can keep the well seasoned stuff protected and I have the room to store it so why not? As I've told the Mrs, you just never know what the future holds so I'm prepared if I ever get laid up for any length of time.

At one time I thought maybe I would start selling the seasoned wood if I get far enough ahead...now I know it will never happen. I think I'd probably have a tear in my eye if I saw some leaving our property in somebody else's truck

 

[peakbagger]

This winter really helped me get caught up. I used half my normal amount.

I usually end up with a couple of cords at my cutting site. It may still be in rounds, poorly stacked and may not be split but I count it towards my three years.

 

[heavy hammer]

Nice stacks you can never have to much. The only people that will understand this are other wood burners. I'm three to four years ahead, and still processing when I can. You never know what the next year will hold, with work or the weather. As I have said before it's like a different kind of bank account. You always feel better when it is bigger and still growing.

 

[TedyOH]

2017-18 is when I will finally be 3 - 4 years ahead...I only burn around +/- 2 cord a year I will have "in the bank", matured;

2.5 cord of red oak @ 3 years
2 cord bitternut hickory @ 2 years
2 cord ash @ 2 years
1 cord beech @ 2 years
1 cord sugar maple @ 2 years
.75 cord of Tulip Poplar (kindling and camp firewood so really doesn't count)

Needless to say I've been busy CSS'ing last fall and winter - another sugar maple came down and I've been picking away at it while it's been cool, probably .75 cord in the tree.....I may be cutting it close this winter but come next winter It'll be a nice feeling not running around in the woods looking for small standing dead anymore to get me through winter....although I do have a nice 20" ash waiting for me........oh yeah, everything but the beech was all hand split, bought a 22 ton hydraulic from TS as a xmas gift to myself, too old to hand split large rounds like that anymore. Long story short I was pounding away at a knotty round just before Xmas, one of those rounds where your brain is saying you "must" get it split, pulled a muscle or cartilage really deep in my chest cavity, 4 days later had weird chest discomfort, had to take a stress test and all that fun stuff.....

 

[BigCountryNY]

2017-18 is when I will finally be 3 - 4 years ahead...I only burn around +/- 2 cord a year I will have "in the bank", matured;

2.5 cord of red oak @ 3 years
2 cord bitternut hickory @ 2 years
2 cord ash @ 2 years
1 cord beech @ 2 years
1 cord sugar maple @ 2 years
.75 cord of Tulip Poplar (kindling and camp firewood so really doesn't count)

Needless to say I've been busy CSS'ing last fall and winter - another sugar maple came down and I've been picking away at it while it's been cool, probably .75 cord in the tree.....I may be cutting it close this winter but come next winter It'll be a nice feeling not running around in the woods looking for small standing dead anymore to get me through winter....although I do have a nice 20" ash waiting for me........oh yeah, everything but the beech was all hand split, bought a 22 ton hydraulic from TS as a xmas gift to myself, too old to hand split large rounds like that anymore. Long story short I was pounding away at a knotty round just before Xmas, one of those rounds where your brain is saying you "must" get it split, pulled a muscle or cartilage really deep in my chest cavity, 4 days later had weird chest discomfort, had to take a stress test and all that fun stuff.....

Yeah, when you process as much wood as a lot of us do a hydro splitter is a must. I'm faster with my Fiskars if I have someone to help move splits and set down new rounds but with the hydro I can split all day long and not get as worn out.

 

[peakbagger]

By the way, I hand split my wood so 3 years is bit more work than for those with splitters.

 

[Sprinter]

You never know what the next year will hold, with work or the weather. As I have said before it's like a different kind of bank account. You always feel better when it is bigger and still growing.

Exactly how I view it. My shelter is big enough for two years of css only, but I'll keep stacking rounds as long as I can and split and fill it up this summer. I think I can get up to four years or more that way including the rounds.

My son in law (from Portland) doesn't get it. But I'm going to get as far ahead as I can, while I can (not getting younger).