Update from NW Alaska driftwood-burning woman

[Sooz]

Well, it's been a year since I posted a question about the best stove for those of us living in treeless tundra with few alternatives but driftwood for burning, and the responses were not only helpful but hilarious! I finally selected the Pacific Energy Alderlea T5 from the amazing Mr. Chimneysweep because of it's replaceable stainless steel baffling system, and because of his stellar service! It arrived on the last barge of the season last summer, but completing our addition took longer than expected so the stove was simply a lovely plant stand for the winter. However we did finally get it installed and had our first fire this July. (Yes - it was cold enough to warrant a fire!) My husband has been utterly ambivalent throughout the entire process of selecting and installing the stove - until the very first fire! He fell completely under the spell of the dancing flames, the functionality of the stove, and its stunning good looks! I even had to rearrange the furniture because the rocking chair was blocking his view! He's outside right now bucking up and splitting wood - and loving it! Yes, we are mostly burning driftwood, and we search long and hard to find dry spruce - the hardest wood our beaches offer up! But hey - wood gathering in the warm September light, with the surf gently lapping, sandhill cranes flying over head, and grizzly tracks in the sand is a pretty fine time! I'll report back in a few years how the stove is holding up, but even if we have to replace the stainless baffling system every few years, at $5/gallon for stove oil we're still well ahead of the curve - and loving it! Thanks, all

 

[Dix]

Not so fast there, girlfriend.


Where are the PICTURES ??????????

 

[cmonSTART]

Glad things are working out for you! I agree with DEH. We need pictures both of the stove and your area.

 

[katwillny]

We need Pictures of the new member of the family mama bear. Glad you are all set. Happy Burning!!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sue, I'm glad this is working out well for you. It is always nice to hear from our northern neighbors and I sincerely hope you don't wait a year before checking back in on hearth.com.

I figured this time of the year you might be out hunting. No doubt a caribou would come in mighty nicely for this winter along with all they fish.

So, come back often and let us know how you and the family are doing. We enjoy hearing from you.

 

[fossil]

Wow, it's really great to hear from you, Sue. Sounds like the stove thing's working out pretty danged well. That brings a big smile to my face. Stay warm, and keep in touch more often than once a year, will ya? Rick

 

[begreen]

Woohoo Sue. Good to hear an update from you. Don't be a stranger. It would be great to hear how this works out for you this winter.

 

[greythorn3]

hey sue where you at in northwest alaska? bethel?

im a city slicker down here in anchorage, nice to meet you

Ray

 

[savageactor7]

Boy that has to be pretty remote if you can count on driftwood for heat...Sue how about some pics?

 

[Highbeam]

So do you find large driftwood and cut split and stack it? How is that on your chainsaw teeth? I imagine they'd dull quickly. Do you find dry driftwood or do you allow time for drying? Surely your stove and chimney will have shorter lives but when all you have is lemons....

 

[Sooz]

Wow - you folks are really paying attention! Okay, to answer a few questions...We're in Nome, not Bethel. Bethel is actually closer to trees and farther from the coast, but on a big, broad river. I WISH the caribou would come this way but they just don't migrate this far west. Moose season is over and that's just way too much meat for two people. However, we have great friends who always give us some - along with reindeer and muskox. The muskoxen population has exploded in our area and I might just try shooting one this winter. I have no love of killing but I do prefer to eat local wild-grown 'organic' meat over commercial/corporately raised. You know - Live Free, Die Fast. We can catch or trade for local wild salmon, halibut and Pacific cod - and in the winter my husband augers a big square opening in the shore-fast ice and puts a crab pot down - so we have king crab every Sunday! Just about everyone gathers a collection of wild berries and freezes them for winter, mindful that apples are currently over $4/pound, and any fruit under $3/pound is a steal!

I'm sure the driftwood is dulling our chainsaw blade faster than regular wood, but if it's all you know then it just seems normal! While there is an abundance of wood on the beach much of it is not suitable for burning; too rotten or wet, but you can definitely find some decent logs. So far we're mostly bringing back stuff large enough to cut and split like you would any wood. Some is dry enough to burn this year; some we'll wait until next year to burn. We also have a large collection of old untreated lumber, and wooden shipping pallets to mix in with the beach wood. Native folks in many of the villages having been burning nothing but driftwood their entire lives and don't see what all the worry is about, but their stoves are all pre-EPA standards. I'll keep you posted on our own experience more than yearly!

We still haven't finished the addition but at least we can have a fire. And instead of a hearth we just tiled the whole small addition, which includes a door and an 'arctic entry.' And now I'll try to figure out how to post some photos! (One of them is of our 'other' wood stove - in our Arctic Oven tent.)

PS - Woke up to snow on the ground this morning!

Stay warm, all!

 

[Frostbit]

Dang, Sue, you got pictures up way before me and I've been burning since last December. That PE looks happily content. I'll have to drive out and get a good look at it, since its only 2 miles away. Do you have cold beer?

I've been burning every evening for the past couple of weeks.

And I was not prepared to see that white stuff on the ground this morning. Tell hubby he needs to get that woodpile bigger.

 

[Sooz]

Hiya neighbor! This is just one woodpile - more on the side and the back of the house. We're positioning them so we can get our hands on wood no matter which way the snow drifts build!

Are you burning driftwood, or just pallets, or hauling spruce back from Council? As for the snow this morning, I knew there was a reason we spent this beautiful weekend doing garden and outdoor chores instead of having fun out in the country!

And there's ALWAYS cold beer on hand for visitors. Stop by anytime!

(So now that I've figured out how to post photos I guess learning how to create a 'signature' is next!)

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sue, on the top of the page, just go to Your Control Panel to edit your signature.


Thanks for the pictures. They are great and your stove and hearth also look really good.

We have our stove going again after letting it go out the night before last. Today isn't that cold but cool and very damp with strong NW wind and constant light rain. The heat feels good. As for the snow, we are hoping to get into November before seeing much of that. Hey, we haven't even had a freeze yet. Frost, but not below freezing. That should come soon. I think the full moon is this coming weekend; I'd have to look to be sure but that might bring some freezing temperatures.

 

[Frostbit]

Hiya neighbor! This is just one woodpile - more on the side and the back of the house. We're positioning them so we can get our hands on wood no matter which way the snow drifts build!

Are you burning driftwood, or just pallets, or hauling spruce back from Council? As for the snow this morning, I knew there was a reason we spent this beautiful weekend doing garden and outdoor chores instead of having fun out in the country!

And there's ALWAYS cold beer on hand for visitors. Stop by anytime!

(So now that I've figured out how to post photos I guess learning how to create a 'signature' is next!)

I'm burning 50/50 driftwood spruce and cut standing dead spruce. I have a stack of pallets as backup. I don't think I have enough wood total to make it through winter, but I may get out and scour the beach for a little more.

I haven't figured out how to post pics yet.

 

[Sooz]

Hey neighbor... When you go to make a post, scroll down until you get to Attachments. Then click on Browse, and it will take you into your own computer system where you can navigate around until you get to the photo you want to post. First, though, you have to make sure the TOTAL number of photos you want to post won't exceed 450 KB, so you may have to reduce the KBs of your photo(s) first. You also have to make sure that you've already sized your photos down to under 5" in width. (At least it seems that way. I got lots of 'sorry, you screwed-up' types of messages until I got my photos to 'fit.') If you want to post more than one photo hit the 'Preview Post' button. Once that window reopens you can add another attachment. Clear as mud? You can always use this as an excuse to stop by and drink a beer! Same to everyone else out there!

And is there standing dead spruce accessible and 'legal' on the south side of the Niukluk?

Cheers!

Sue
Alderlea T5
Arctic Oven tent stove

 

[Dune]

Thanks for the pictures and description of yourlifestyle Sue. How does muskox taste anyhow?

 

[begreen]

The stove and family shots look great. Good to hear that Tom got you set up well. He offers great service.

The Alderlea's a great stove and should make a big change this winter. Hope you are happy with it and see that it really isn't too big!

 

[Sooz]

Greetings Be Green! You - and Tom - were just SO great when I was struggling with what stove - and what size - to buy. I can't thank you enough - and we just love the Alderlea T5! Whenever we FINALLY finish the addition I'll send more pics of the stove. Interestingly, my husband works with getting energy upgrades done to low income houses in our area, and the program was just sent a bunch of Pacific Energy stoves.

As for the taste of muskox, as long as it doesn't come from some big old bull, muskox meat is great! It's actually milder than moose, although by the time I'm done turning it into stew, or borscht, or spaghetti sauce, or Mongolian moose/muskox, it all just tastes like red meat!

Thanks again!

Sue

 

[ansehnlich1]

gawd dang, this here thread is just beautiful.....

greetings from pennsylvania

burned one little load of cedar this past saturday to take the chill off, otherwise, "woody" sits silent in our family room, waiting for what we call "that canadian air".

 

[Dix]

Great pics, Sue !

I think we created a pic monster %-P

 

[greythorn3]

dang thanks for the pics ! i hope my alaskan install goes as well as yours!

Ray

 

[Pagey]

Beautiful stove, beautiful photos.

 

[Wet1]

And even more so, beautiful country... Thanks for sharing.

 

[firefighterjake]

Love the stove, wood pile and photos of God's country. Thanks for sharing the pics.