Gratuitous photo of stacks (before starting today). I am not a neat stacker like some I see here. It is hard to tell from the photo, but about 10 cords CSS in the photo and off to the left. The stacks are about 5 feet high double stacked, several rows. A mix of lodgepole pine, quaking aspen, douglas fir, and tamarack (western larch). About 1/3 of that is from the pile shown in my avatar. I used to cut a little longer than most, usually 18-20 inches. The allnighter handles the longer wood fine. That is what is in the truck. Currently I am cutting a little shorter, as I have had a couple of opportunities to share wood with others in need, and am looking towards upgrading the stove one of these years. So I am now cutting 16-18 inches. I randomly cover about half the stacks, I am not sure it makes any difference here. Below some lodgepole pine, cut since the fall, finally splitting and stacking. This is probably 2016/17 wood. It is from a couple of trees which were dropped by the electric utility and left. The truck is a 73 Dodge, expired tags, never leaves the property. But it works hard for me. It has a snowplow for the winter plowing of the drive. So, I set my little 5-ton splitter on the tailgate and I am about half done as I write this, getting a cold drink. 86 degrees out. I think Summer has arrived. Greg
Wow, I feel silly, because you are of course correct, it is ponderosa pine, not lodgepole. I flaked out writing the posting. In the background you can see standing lodgepole, quite different. Greg
Phew, I thought we were at a disadvantage in Colorado I heard douglas fir was awesome and my father loved aspen, but I have only burned much smaller lodgepole. Dear husband could split by maul in 2-4 swings for our diameter.
Got it all split except for 9 of the smaller rounds. Then the skeeters came, and I quit. There is always another day. Greg
I wish I could tell you. I have burned wood for 2 winters in a drafty house. Winter 13/14, we moved into the house in December, and burned it about as fast as I could split it. I have no idea how much we burned, but would guess a cord/month. Winter 14/15 was mild in the NW (sorry to our friends East). We burned about 4 cords, with some moderate improvements on the house (mostly caulking and the like). Winter 15/16 we have covered. I am hoping that with some significant house improvements we are making, we will keep it below 5 cords even if the winter is cold. We have room for 7 cords in the woodshed. So I am hoping that I have 16/17 pretty much done now, we will see. Greg
I haven't burnt aspen yet, I wouldn't have cut it except a storm took it down. We'll see how it does this winter. I noted that it starts to go punk pretty quick on the ground, I wonder if I need to burn it all this winter, or if it will last better now that it is off the ground? I am thinking it will be a shoulder wood. I like lodgepole, it does split well, and burns pretty good. I think right now I like douglas fir about the best. Greg
Poplar and aspen is decent shoulder season wood. Just make sure you have the stove doors closed or a screen on it. One winter I burned probably 90% poplar in the FP. It kept us a lot warmer than no fire, even in an inefficient open FP.
It is good shoulder season wood Greg. So long as it is off the ground and covered, it will keep well. I've burned some that was 6 years in the stack. Of course it was really dry because that stuff will dry fast anyway but after 6 years, it really was super kindling wood!
Not sure how accurate or method used, in this chart, (resinous wood BTU is surprising) but Doug fir ranks up there pretty high & well above lodgepole (which is a staple in your area ) & lodgepole is higher BTU than ponderosa & way, way higher BTU than aspen. If lodgepole is relatively easy to get, I wouldn't put much time into aspen. (wood snobbery ) Are you at the point you can be a wood snob ?
We had a storm come through a few months ago. Lots of trees on the ground - douglas fir, ponderosa, lodgepole and aspen. Since they are on my property, there is no room for snobbery, I needed to deal with it. So, no I would not intentionally cut down an aspen or ponderosa for wood. But if they are on the ground on my property, I will get them before they rot. I would drop a lodgepole, douglas fir, or larch (tamarack). Not a lot of heat diffence between the lodgepole and the ponderosa, but I find the lodgepole is easier to process, so I will take them. Greg
That skeeter you recommended can't come soon enough! I just opened the door 10" to let the dog in, 3 that I know of came in during that split second,
