I figured Beetlekill would enlighten us on lodge pole pine But , don't know abut most , but I've been enlightened already LOL Never guessed a "lodge pole pine " thread could morph like this one .
I just had to come over here and read this after Bogy commented in another thread. I think it has stayed right on topic....started out as poles at the lodge, went to hoard on, then a lady blaming her husband for saying the wrong thing about wood. Old Men rock
UsesMany First Nations peoples in British Columbia used the wood from lodgepole pine for a variety of purposes, including poles for lodges, homes or buildings. In the spring, they stripped off long ribbons or "noodles" of the sweet succulent inner bark (cambium layer). It was eaten fresh in the spring, sometimes with sugar, or stored. The pitch was used as a base for many medicines. It was boiled, mixed with animal fat, and used as a poultice for rheumatic pain and all kinds of aches and soreness in muscles and joints. Pitch was also chewed to relieve sore throats. Lodgepole pine is excellent for lumber, plywood, and paneling. It is used to make doors, windows and furniture, as well as railway ties, mine props and fence posts. Although eating it sounds like something Euell Gibbons would try.
I was so excited to finally have a thread on the only wood we burn. Started crying from laughing so hard. I'll never look at a lodge pole the same.
It sure is one of the highest BTU pines on the list, Is the Beetlekill going to be short lived or is lodge pole for wood going to come to an end. On the show, they were dropping some pretty big dead standing trees. The whole gove looked dead.
My personal take on it the lodge pole will come to its end. We have the north slope of the Uintas dead. You will see us in the news when not if a fire starts here. poof. It is pretty sad. Worst part forest service will only let hoarders have a 10 cord permit per season.
You get 10 in Dec, & 10 in Jan. Proxy cut for your: brother 10, sister 10, wife 10 , neighbor 10, other neighbor 10, cousin 1o after a while, it adds up
On Lake Michigan several years ago; some logging ships were discovered on the bottom of the lake with a full cargo holds of logs from the "Nort Woods" of Wisconsin. IIRC, the reason they were found was because of some shifting currents in the lake due to low lake levels at the time. Anyhow, the logs were salvaged and much of them were sold to guitar, violin, mandolin etc. makers. Old growth timber that'd been submerged in water and covered with lake sediment for 150 or so years evidently is primo for making these musical instruments.
Now you are talking. May really have to look into that. Sadness is mostly it just rots away. They have a few sales but i don't have the equipment, manpower or place to store or sell that many board feet.
I remember reading Pine Beetle epidemics are not new, but the last few decades have been so hospital for them. There was one epidemic early 1900's that should have turned out like the current one, an extended arctic snap killed most of them, (might have said -50*). I also heard the current epidemic is now subsiding. The trees will grow back. The gold/brass covered mountains with dead trees though is a fire waiting to happen, like WaddleRemodel mentioned. I was up in Grand County Colorado ~~2008. It was devistating to drive mile after mile and see the dead tinder dry trees...
