I can’t get over how smooth that bark is. In VT, just about all the beech eventually gets a fungus or something that causes the bark to get rough. You very rarely see smooth bark on a beech unfortunately.
This post made me cry laughing a few weeks ago, and it’s doing it again now. Also, that’s a pretty incredible view!
I'd say beech is one of my favorites. Hickory would be top. Depends on which BTU chart you want to believe. Some charts even show beech as more BTU's than white oak. Heck, I just ran across a BTU chart that has rock elm as 32 mbtus a cord, which was higher than any other wood. Next closest was shagbark at 30.
I wouldn't even say that. If you want to list an oak with more BTU's guaranteed than beech, it would be live oak.
Neighbor kids trespassing did that to our grove of beech trees before my mom sold the land. Pretty easy to find who did it based off of their names. Aside from high BTU's, I love the smell of beech wood getting toasted.
I’m still looking for just one that shows WO density lower than locust. No love for WO but absolutely loves elm.
I run my wedge in this far: And I can easily pull the two pieces apart. (yes I’m currently on the splitter as I’m posting) That’s a 24” piece of white family oak.
It'll be tough to find a BTU chart that lists any density. I love white oak. I look for it as much as I can, but I'm not driving out of my way to get it when I have plenty of great firewood super easy to get. Hard not to want to take ash before it goes bad to get it into the stacks. I just have to give elm some love to negate any hate.
I generally classify beech, sugar maple and black birch about the same btu wise. Primo one year drying woods.
Great score. This gives me hope for some Beech someday. Being one town over from you, There must be more in our area.
