I look at it one stroke, one split, one round at a time. I started 3 years ago at age 43 and wish I had started at 23. But I take my time and enjoy the journey. I love the learning, I love the excercise, and I love talking about it with others who are into it too. If someone had told me when I started I'd have 40 cord on hand stacked and ahead 2+ years and that I'd process over 100 cord in 3 years I'd have thought they were crazy. But it doesn't matter how much or how little or whatever.....I just enjoy the journey and we all know it ain't all straight grained and easy.
Yes, getting older does make it a little more difficult but I am still keeping my 3-year plan in place and do not plan on stopping any time soon. Sometimes you do figure out ways to work smarter not harder. 71 years.
I turn 59 around Labor Day. I noticed after seeing this thread. I’ve did a few things in this past year. 1. Built a log lift on the splitter. 2. Just got a receiver hitch lift gizmo to pick scrounges up from ground to truck bed. We will see…. 3. I work more one stick at a time now. Buck up a 16 ft log, split it, stack it, pick up scraps for kindling. Scrounges are smaller in volume. No more big loads at one time. 4. Got a capstan winch to pull stuff out to the truck/tractor. Still to be tested though. Been busy. 5. Vitamin I (ibuprofen) is part of my near daily diet. 6. My maul and splitting axe are somewhat dusty. 7. I tend to use the 20” bar to avoid bending over as much. Now that the stack is there, I find myself playing “slow and steady” rather than “gitter dun”. It’s more of the fun of a little at a time and improving my process.
I have sure noticed a difference. Grew up heating with wood. Hand split everything, didn't know about noodling. We finally got a hydraulic splitter in '99, I think. And a tractor with FEL in '06. Sure couldn't cut what we do now without them. Added ramps to the splitter too.
