If I had a trailer I could just roll the rounds up on to it wouldn't have been an issue. Instead I put rounds on the ground near the tailgate as "steps" and just roll the rounds onto them. That way I'm only lifting the round about a foot or so up into the truck, and from a more standing position. I wouldn't mind a set of ramps though.
Some rounds were stringier than others. I wouldn't say this was standing dead at all though there were some areas of the pith rotting toward the lower part of the trunk. What would be your guess if not hickory?
The splits with the light sapwood and center pith look like Kentucky Coffeetree. Their native range includes some of NY. The bark in some pics closely matches too. Also splits clean like that.
You know what's interesting about that.....as I was splitting this stuff I almost described it as a locusty scent. That sweet ish smell. Now you got me wondering!!! Coffee tree and honey locust are related correct? Either way, whether hickory or Kentucky coffee it's a good BTU wood. If I get back there I can snap more pics of the upper branches if that will help ID at all. I did not see any evidence of the pods around the yard though. Lots of other leaves - beech, oak, etc...but no pods. That doesn't mean a lot though considering my big honey locust didn't grow pods this year either.
My neighbor has a small equipment trailer he always offers to let me borrow but knowing how easy it is to beat up trailers with big rounds I'd rather just not be "that" guy to ding it up on him.
I have a small pile of firewood that appears identical in appearance to what you posted, and it's for sure pignut hickory. Mine came over in a storm last summer and it still had little baby hickory nuts all over it.
Yeah, but it also make some of the best firewood there is...like I said before, get a mill and then its always "lumber, or firewood, lumber, or firewood?!"
