I don't use one, but know they exist. A Dray keeps logs off the dirt. https://project.woodmizer.ca/en/Home/ProjectDetails?id=1973 Of course, getting the log onto it needs to be considered.
I would cut/split and toss into a pile by the woodshed. Let it set till the thaw. It will burn more betterer... or not. Gotta go easy. Around here anyway it get very icy quickly.
I've seen those before pulled by horses. Thankfully most of what I will be winching is not over long distances so I'm not really concerned with dirt and debris on the logs. I mainly just need to winch the logs to a spot where I can pick them up with the grapple. If I could go back about 15 years, I would have purchased something like the trailer below to make life easier. Unfortunately, the only place I really have at the moment where I could start a random pile of splits is in snow two to three feet deep. And I just have an aversion to tossing splits in the snow. I have enough stack space for probably a couple cords of new splits, so I'll start with that and see how it goes. Maybe I'll try to push some snow back and stack anything else I split on pallets for now until the snow is gone. Wouldn't be the first time I moved stacks of wood.
I feel your pain. Kinda facing a similar situation here, except I have no wood to process, but will be bringing loads in once the snow is gone. Plus I have 2-3 loads to deliver and will need to cross "no mans land" of mud to get them loaded. Nothing wrong with changing the way its done even though we don't want to. Gotta get it processed. Unfortunately mother nature will always dictate it. PITA she is at times
Sounds like a good place for a poor mans mud mat...plywood cutoffs! I'm betting you could find some...
If that wood was standing dead a couple years and then cut, you have no problems CSS into the shed you have now. We have 2 sheds very similar to yours. This shed is 14' long, open on both ends, pallet walls. The white oak, blew down in Sept '24, we CSS Feb '25, loose stacked and ran a fan on it some. It went to friends a couple months ago, they said it burned fine... This shed is 15' deep with slat floor, sides and end. 8' walls. White stacked in Jan '24. We burned a bit of this as well, it burned great, never saw any water coming out of the ends. Stack loose like you have the other, and make it easy on yourself, especially if you're not going to use it for 2 years.
That's the key right there. I need to get as much processed as possible during late winter/early spring so it has to go somewhere. Thanks. When I first put the woodstove in and had to purchase firewood, I was putting the firewood right into the woodshed (once it was built in 2010). We all learn as we go but back then it's just what I did. The firewood burned fine (and we know pretty much none of the purchased firewood we were getting was never truly 'seasoned', even if it is advertised as such). While it goes against my nature now to split and stack right into the shed, as you said I think it will be fine. Much appreciated. Going on its 16th year now and has seen a lot of firewood over the years. While I would prefer to have had a saltbox-style roof (as many woodsheds have), I wanted the snow to shed off the sides instead of the back in order to be able to access the wood from both the front and the back. Appreciate the advice. While our climate is a lot different up here than you have, like you said I think I'll be okay considering everything that would be going in the shed has been dead for three+ years. I'll see how things go once I dig stuff out and start getting some of the wood processed and I'll be testing the splits with a moisture meter. Depending on how much I get done and what I can add to some existing stacks, maybe I won't have to put anything in the shed. But I need to have some kind of plan in place due the backlog of wood that needs to be processed and the lack of room due to the snow. Once some of the backlog is processed, everything else will be stacked outside. I've looked at a lot of your posts over the years where you use a fan to aid in drying and always thought that was a neat idea. We get so much wind here on a regular basis that I don't think a fan would help much in my situation.
Even better, free drying. You would be surprised at how much air will still go through the stacks. We've had 4 stacks deep in the shed, with fan on and walk past the back of the stack and feel cool air coming through.
I guess my point was c/s and do the best you can. If that means tossing them into the snow in a pile, well that's better than nothing. Digging it out a bit and throwing them onto a pallet would be even better. Then of course, I might be delirious. I've spent an immense amount of time shoveling snow over the last three days and I'm about ready to take a plane anywhere south for a few days. And, I meant to compliment your shed. I saved your pic to my computer as I will be building a couple "wood racks" (Woodsheds are a permanent structure requiring plans, permits, setbacks...yeah yeah yeah).
Yeah, the permit thing for even something as simple as a firewood shed can be a PITA. I wanted to move the firewood shed several years ago and the town wouldn't let me even though I'm on a private, unimproved dirt road. Politicians... Regarding the digging out portion, I do have a slight advantage here, and there won't be any shoveling going on...
Funny you mention it as I've recently thought of that. Being a regular at Lowe's I can probably find some type of sheet plywood/OSB on the cheap and cut into thirds. PITA, but it is what it is.
No need of paying big dollars for something that is easy to make for very little cost. I built my last one for less than $20 and probably less than $10 because I used stuff I had on hand. When I got into logging back in the 50's this is how we skidded logs (you can make one to the size you need).
An old set of skis which are free so the tips go up and over brush and sticks works great! Last set were screwed on with electric fence insulators
Come to think of it I have a couple sheets topping stacks there...1/2" plywood. Spose I could cut those up if I get desperate. I no longer work with that contractor so access to scrap wood is gone.
