I am a little late in posting this, but I figure it's a good story anyway. It was the end of February, I found an ad on Facebook marketplace for 3 plus loads of firewood that looked pretty good price of 300 bucks. I messaged the seller and got her down to 200 bucks. Her ex boyfriend had bought a log truck worth last fall, he cut 3/4 of the load, and had about a cord split stored away in the basement. She only rented the house and was moving out by March 1. All firewood was to be removed by then. The hauling race was on. Tuesday Febuary 27 I started at 8am, after a full shift at work. It was about a 45 minute country drive. Upon arrival I was scared of the amount I had gotten myself into, and the condition of the land I had to drive over. Needless to say I got right in there with my Trailblazer and 12 foot trailer. 2 loads down by 1pm. I wanted to push through one more. so I asked the wife to join me. She did. Her first firewood hauling job. I had some poles to cut, she loaded almost the whole trailer with rounds herself while I cut. Last load done and home by 4. Wednesday morning got out of work and got back to hauling. I pulled up the wood pile as I did the past 3 times and drove forward about 15 feet too far. I felt my truck drop down instantly. I buried my truck in 12 inches of mud. I removed my trailer thinking that would help to no avail. Now at this point the tenant, seller of the wood, is looking out the door, not too happy. She tells me the landlord doesn't want the grass tore up. A little late for that. I sincerely apologize, and continue on with trying to unstick my truck to no avail. Time to call in the tow truck. He is an hour away.... Now for the fun part.... The wood in the basement has to be removed. I figured with my log carry sling I can move it all in an hour or 2. Ya, right. So while I waited for the tow truck, I started hauling. 1 slingful going up 13 steps and a 50 yard walk to the road where I would load my trailer had me thinking of another plan. She had a lawn tractor with a cart out back. No key, and I wasn't asking to hotwire it. She offers up a wheelbarrow. Awesome. The new plan is to toss splits to the top of the steps that led outside, fill wheelbarrow and roll to road. After 3 loads that way, tow truck arrives, gets my truck out. I continue to toss splits that were cut into boilerwood size, about 22 inches long and no less than 6 inches in diameter up the steps, loading into wheelbarrow, rolling to trailer. 3pm I was finally done and on my way home with an overloaded trailer and truckload. There is a pretty good chance I will not buy wood ever again that has to be removed from a basement with stairs. I really feel sorry for the poor guy that spent all that time and energy cutting, splitting and stacking all that. I figure I got almost 4 cords worth. I should have offered her 100 bucks considering all that it took to remove.
I've taken wood out of a basement only one time. Lots and lots of work to be sure so I do not think it would have warranted paying more for that wood. After all, you still had a wrecker bill to pay.
I got my wife's Trailblazer stuck at the garden center one year on mother's day. Got it free without the aid of a wrecker thankfully, but the looks I got... it looked like we had gone mudding for hours. Needless to say Mrs Papi and mother Papi were none too pleased, and I had to go to the car wash (and hand wash - they wouldn't run it through the machine!) before going to lunch. Looks like you put in some work to get your score.. it'll feel great when it hits the stove! Were you able to fill your divots before leaving?
The same thing happened to me about 30 yrs. ago with a borrowed truck full of wood coming up from down back. Not only did I have to unload the wood to get the truck pulled 60 feet up out of the mud, I was late getting the truck back to my friend who needed it. What a disaster filling in the ruts, my brother in law made more ruts pulling me out than I made getting stuck.
