After clearing the trail, I saw the two Maples in picture 1764 when riding the trail that runs below so I went up to the trail nearest the Maples. The Maples are near the edge of a drop off so I might be able to buck it up and roll it down hill for easier access. In picture 1769 is a big ole rotting something that would need to be cleared out if I want to split up there. On the last hill I checked, I found a wind damaged Beech on the ground so I cut one load before heading home, hopefully the main trunk of the Beech which is still up is good.
I remember the wind event we had that knocked down three or four years of firewood when I first started cutting, we haven't had any like that since. I still never got all the wood that is down from that storm, the hills put a hurting on the old frame. Most of what's down is softwood, White Pine and Hemlock.
That's number one on our list from what our lot holds for firewood. I will start taking more since we have the Beech bark disease.
I started late today but another load of Beech made it to the new splitting area. I was able to get another four or so bigger rounds and then fell the smaller Beech that was next to or growing out of the damaged Beech. I also noticed a dead Beech that is next to another smaller Beech that has some bark damage to it, I'll grab both those and a few more on another day.
Years ago I was able to get a load of Beech delivered in log length, it was nice not cutting Beech on the side of the hill.
I felled three more Beech today, two loads came home with some still up in the woods. I also brought the shovel with me and dug up some leeks, a nice bag for my neighbor and a smaller bag for us so the wife can make potato leek soup.
Nothing when we bought the property but I did plant 6 small Red Oaks a few years ago. I have another four Beech in that same area that need to come down, hopefully another two or three tomorrow. I would've had more Beech down today but I had to go and pick my new glasses up this morning.
I took another Beech that was rotting at the base and on the second load I hauled out, I added some damaged Maple. I'm hoping that I can add two more Beech and more damaged Maple and start spitting & stacking.
I felled another damaged Beech and Maple today and then bucked up more rounds off the Maple that was felled yesterday. Pictures 1805 through 1808 are the Beech, 1809 through 1817 is the damaged Maple I felled today.
I plan on taking another Beech tomorrow, the rot has set in about three feet up from the ground. I was thinking about felling it today but I had some Maple down that I bucked up instead so I'll sharpen the chain tonight and go at it tomorrow. I would like to cut for another week (starting Monday) and then start splitting and stacking. Hopefully when I'm done stacking, I have close to 60 face cord up before my fall cutting starts.
