A couple weeks ago, about a mile from the house, I saw some Black Cherry next to a guy's driveway near the road. I didn't ask him about it until last weekend; He gave me the go-ahead to take it and told me the county had cut it. When I got there to pick it up, I saw the rest of the tree across the road on another guy's property, who I got a few White Oak chunks from a couple years ago (talked myself out of the main score because the trunk was big, but ended up taking those big chunks in the end, when I had second thoughts about passing on the rest. Still kicking myself for passing on the mighty White, the King of Firewoods. A good cord there I missed out on, by waffling.) Anyway, I asked him about the Cherry and he said "Have at it," so I went and got the rest of the trunk yesterday. The bottom was snapped about 6' up and the top rested on a steep rip-rap slope, so I had to buck if from the top down, trying to not lose my footing and hoping the cracked wood that was holding the base wouldn't break and drop the log. I was able to stay above the log on the slope, just in case it cut loose, and cut the rounds off, and the broken section stayed intact. Here's the slope I had to tote the rounds up, trying to keep my balance on the rocks. I got the rounds that were close to the top, but I forgot the maul to split the bigger rounds at the bottom of the slope and there was no way I was gonna try to pack them up. Didn't want to walk further to take a gentler slope, either. I happened to catch my SIL at home and had her bring my maul. As I waited for her, my car radio started sounding like it was losing the station, and I discovered my battery was low. That shouldn't happen just running the flashers and radio for 2 hrs, should it?? Guess I may need a new batt-tree. Sure, it's not a high-output wood, but there's a lot to like about Cherry. It's one of my favorites, along with Red Elm, Dogwood, River Birch, White Oak of course, and....well, I guess I have more favorite woods than I thought. There was also a bonus dead White Oak down there, about 10" I guess. Part 1, by the guy's drive, is already stacked. Forgot to take a pic but it was a loose trailer load, several 4-6' sections with a lot of air space between...coupla quad trailer loads, anyway. Here's the load, with a stick of Red Elm on top for good measure. Check out the dent where the tree fell on the guard rail. After haulin' this load up the slope, my legs, back and arms are toasted today....roasted I am tellin' ya! And some White Oak air freshener in the car. Sorry about the blurry pic.
Nice haul Woody. Lotsa extra work packin' it out w/o mechanical assistance. I keep driving by some stuff the county cut down last year, but I have absolutely no idea who the land belongs to. Oak.
Wood is wood, get it down, drag it out, and burn it up for BTUs no worries about a little dent in the guardrail it will buff right out
I coulda took my quad and trailer over there and took a longer route to the top, but that seemed like it would be a lot of messin' around for just one load. They have an interactive map on the assessor's site here, which makes it easy to find owners. Last time I visited the site, though, the map wouldn't work for me. I hope they didn't change it. Maybe privacy concerns? I could always go downtown and look at plats, if it comes to that.
I got a dead ash that is probably going to make a big dent into the guardrail but I don't care I'm getting my BTU's outta there
Man Woody Stover thats some determination and dedication to our "craft" (see also addiction/obsession) I applaud you sir, for a job well done
It amazes me how we see potential firewood as we drive. Like it has a neon flashing sign on it & now my wife even starts telling me about wood she sees. That on is barely visible, You have a "keen eye for firewood" Good work You earned that load, difficult cutting in a tight location & hauling it up hill, the extra work amplifies the BTU Luv the smell of white oak !!! Cherry not bad either .
Good job Woody. I'd probably have gone for the atv with wood that size. I hate climbing even when I don't have wood in my hands.
Now, if you climb up there and make a notch in just the right height, the trunk will break when it hits the rail. If the entire tree had fallen on the slope, I never would have seen it but the part that fell across the road got cut and stacked near the road by the county, so it caught my eye. And I agree, White Oak may well be the best smell in the wood game.
Yeah, my sense of balance is not what it once was, and I had to bust the bigger rounds in half to get 'em without killin' myself; Cherry isn't as heavy as some, but those 17" rounds in the lower trunk got pretty hefty. Once they were split, I could stop a few steps short of the top of the slope and heave 'em up to the flat area at the top. When I was done, I had to replace a few pieces of rock that had spun out from under my feet and rolled down the slope.
Cherry can be heavy when fresh cut....especially when carrying it by hand. Sometimes when doing that I'll cut into 4' to 6' lengths and lift them onto my shoulder. However, as I've aged, that is not done very often any more. But it is amazing how much more one can carry if you can get it onto the shoulder.
Cherry isn't the best but it burns nice and it is plentiful around here, always have a good amount every year. I've had a few winters where that was all I burnt all winter and I did just fine.
Looks like you maxed that single axle trailer out.; and I am digging the wood in the back seat. Nice score.
Yep, coals nice, smells good out the stack, splits easy, and is rot-resistant (heartwood, anyway.) That balances out the middling BTU value, in my book. Thanks. Yeah, I stooged loading the trailer, should have had the big rounds in the back to balance the load and put less weight on the tongue. Car has self-leveling suspension, but the arse-end was still low with that wood in the back seat.
