Last weekend, while cleaning up storm damaged branches from the big snow storm we had a few weeks ago, one of my neighbors, Rick, stopped by and asked if I burn box elder. Yep. I needed a new hoard since all of the wood on my property is all cut and split. So I hopped in his car and we went over to another neighbor's house and took a look. There were several decent sized box elders leaning over, minimal brush and good access to the backyard with my truck and trailer. The only real issue is that I can't drive my truck over the septic drain field which means I need to haul rounds about 100 ft to where I can back up my truck and trailer. I found a decent solution for that yesterday with the snow. The jet sled. Here's what the back yard looks like to start. All pictures were on my Motorola as I got my new pixel 8 pro set up last night. The Motorola took decent pictures, but the pixel 8 pro is the best camera you can get in a phone, so future pictures after these will be even better. If you zoom in, you can see damaged trees. My neighbor Rick used his gas pole saw to help get some of the branches down last weekend after we both over there. Here's pics of what I did so far yesterday. I used my jet sled to haul rounds to the trailer. Not bad, it was only slightly uphill. 10 sled fulls was a full trailer. First load First load at my house to be split Second load, Second load at my house. Both loads were mostly stacked well, but not as good as I typically do because even with driving on the streets, instead of as the crow flies, it's probably a quarter mile each way on the truck. There's still a couple box elder trunks/ leaders that I need to cut down, a nice sized dead ash 18-20" so or so that shouldn't present much hassle so long as it's not windy like yesterday, especially with me taking 2 decent sized BE down yesterday. Also there's a crabapple that was pretty badly damaged that I thought she said she wanted cut down. I'll wait until she's around to verify. She was out of town until after I was done yesterday. That ash will add up to a decent amount. There's more dead ash back there too, but it's a whole wormhole thing. I could probably work back there for weeks, but would being able to drive my truck past where I did, it's more work. I could drive my garden tractor there, but unless I cut through Rick's yard, which borders mine, doing that would be a pain to drive on the main road. There's also a pile that Rick cut up, that will be smaller, 3-5" diameter pieces. I'll take all that too. There's a few small rounds of crabapple too I got, but it was mostly box elder. That's fine, the BE will dry over summer and I'll burn than for 2024/25 season. When the homeowners got home after I was gone, they texted me that they were very happy with my work so far and the backyard already looks much better and were impressed what I got done in only a few hours. It's always nice to see that your work is appreciated
We have been driving over the septic field at my moms since 1980 with zero issues. Is it exceptionally shallow?
It’s great being so close to home. I used to be able to drive my WheelHorse and wagon about 150 yards to my grandmothers place for wood. Miss those days.
Agreed, it should be no problem, as long as its not way shallow, or the ground is really soft...well, that and you stay off the tank(s) itself...
Nice score! I love that saw, is that a 6400 or a bigger cc model? Not many Dolmar saws out here in my area. Also what is a "jet sled" ?
Finally! Now we all know just how much wood is in a "Rick" of firewood! Good idea on using the jet sled Horkn There have been too many examples of people driving snowmobiles over drain fields and then having them freeze up in these parts.......then what happens? I'll tell you what...... I'd throw the carharts in the truck and be right down to help split but then you'd probably offer me some foo foo drink or wine for helping.
Blue Makita 6421. Stock for now except that bar. It still has the cat in the muffler, despite sounding like it has been nuff modded. A jet sled is this.
I was raised with that stuff! When one of my folks asked us with younger legs to get them a beer we got the first sip out of the bottle (we started young). The brewery was only about 25 miles from where I was raised. Dad always picked up some Bock beer in the spring when they cleaned the vats. Nasty vile stuff.
UWSP is my alma mater. Actually drinking a can of point special right now. Maybe in the old days the Bock was bad, it was good when I was in school there in the late 90's, They have Bock in fall and spring and my buddy and I had several 12'rs this past fall and it's very good. One of my old roomies in college after we moved out of the dorms is married to the director of marketing at Point Brewery.
JET SLED that's interesting. I've never seen one before. Looks like it would be handy for moving stuff over snow. Probably pulls great behind a snowmobile.
Less snow cover produces deeper ground frost. In a typical winter, the deep snow cover acts as an insulation blanket on the ground. Even then, the frost easily gets over a foot deep. With less snow cover as in this winter, the frost penetrates easier into the ground. But, you do have to have freezing temps in order for frost to form. That's something we have been having here regularly.
I don't know if that's good or bad...... I haven't had a beer in years and years. I think the last one was at the end of a Coors brewery tour and I left half of that one there. 2000?
