Free Firewood -- Yeah Baby!!!!

[user 122190]

A vacation/resort ranch is being built about 40 miles from me. This morning they put out an advertisement of free firewood. A crew is working to drop and remove miles of pine to clear the way for Municipal Power to be run to the ranch. Felled, delimbed, cut to 16' lengths (20"+ rounds) and will be loaded with a skid streer onto my trailer. I've got 2 neighbors on board to share the windfall. I'm hoping to haul back at least a cord and a half on my small trailer (5x10), and maybe make more then 1 trip.

How great is this???

 

[sean donato]

Good score mate!

 

[Ronaldo]

Thats crazy GOOD!!

 

[The Shooters Apprentice]

I'd be buying a dump truck lol

 

[mogulmasher]

Nice! Nothing beats dump trailers full of free wood. I've never paid for cordwood. This load was from a guy that had to drop this oak for his helipad!?

 

[grizz55chev]

Nice! Nothing beats dump trailers full of free wood. I've never paid for cordwood. This load was from a guy that had to drop this oak for his helipad!?View attachment 910823View attachment 910824

Mill that sh!t!

 

[Canyon Angler]

Woah...you'll drive 40 miles each way for some pine? Apparently Montana isn't as "woodsy" as I once thought.

I'll drive up to let's say 10 or 15 miles each way here, but it had better be hardwood, and I'd better be able to get the truck and trailer dam close to the tree! I guess I'm spoilt: A few years back a neighbor lost dozens of trees in a microburst, and I got 10 or 12 cords of oak, cherry and beech, free, cut to 34" lengths, less than a mile from the house...

Anyway, enjoy and be careful....

 

[user 122190]

Here's the ranch where the woods coming from. Never knew anything about it.

https://www.riverviewranch.com

 

[user 122190]

Nice! Nothing beats dump trailers full of free wood. I've never paid for cordwood. This load was from a guy that had to drop this oak for his helipad!?

I'm wishing I had a bigger trailer. Normally I fill it, and feel done for the day. With someone else doing all the work, there isn't a trailer to big.

 

[Ronaldo]

Woah...you'll drive 40 miles each way for some pine? Apparently Montana isn't as "woodsy" as I once thought.

I'll drive up to let's say 10 or 15 miles each way here, but it had better be hardwood, and I'd better be able to get the truck and trailer dam close to the tree! I guess I'm spoilt: A few years back a neighbor lost dozens of trees in a microburst, and I got 10 or 12 cords of oak, cherry and beech, free, cut to 34" lengths, less than a mile from the house...

Anyway, enjoy and be careful....

40 miles in Montana is like 5 in the Eastern part of the US. Seems everything out west is a distance....

 

[mogulmasher]

I'm wishing I had a bigger trailer. Normally I fill it, and feel done for the day. With someone else doing all the work, there isn't a trailer to big.

Yes never big enough. Mine is only 6x10, but it has an 11k lbs gvw, so can load it right up.

 

[user 122190]

40 miles in Montana is like 5 in the Eastern part of the US. Seems everything out west is a distance....

And its all scenery. Once upon a time I lived in Los Angeles. Every damn day, gridlock traffic. Here driving is a pleasure, a chance to see deer, bald eagles, changing weather, colors,,, it is paradise.

 

[Huskybill]

I went heating for four years I had so much in seasoned wood, I have one heating season left and the twin just dropped two giant ash trees. And I have about eight more to go. More free wood for the cutting.
I’m thinking about planting pin oak in its place it grows very fast. Not in my lifetime but for the future.

 

[user 122190]

Yes, tis a beautiful ranch and property.

Custodian are very pleasant and eager to please. Unfortunately the skid steer broke down before we got there. That caused an hour delay, and most of the wood wasn’t precut and positioned. All in all 3 hours there, plus 2 hours travel. AND the wood is way way heavy. I was able to haul away far less then I wanted and the Toyota struggled, and was fishtailing on the highway. Not doing it again, but enjoyed it all the same.

Before the pictures, a little about the ranch that isn’t in the website. Own by a family for >35 years. 7 years ago a new employee said this property needs to be developed and marketed. 3 years later it opened as one of the premiere resort ranches. The $2500 cost per day per guest is actually 1/2 of what others charge and offer less amenities. Wow! They employ about 18 regularly and swell to almost 30 during the busy season. They are booked solid. I’d like to stay there, but can only afford about an hours worth of time. I did get to spend 3 hours there, no amenities, but it was free, or I was paid for my cheery company in heavy wood. I didn’t know such places really existed outside of a Hallmark Movie, or the TV Show Yellowstone. Well it does, and I got to experience it, albeit lightly and briefly.

 

[Jeffkrib]

Most likely cause of fishtailing would be due to not enough weight on the tow ball. Need to load more weight in the front of the trailer.

 

[user 122190]

Most likely cause of fishtailing would be due to not enough weight on the tow ball. Need to load more weight in the front of the trailer.

I did have 2 feet of wood extended out back of the trailer, so that is likely the case. The trailer was loaded. Much more and the wheels were going to rub on the fenders.

 

[Stihl99]

MR beautiful scenery and thanks for the photos.
I would say too much wood sticking off the back end and with a single axle trailer the load must be perfectly placed to avoid fishtailing, you will never stop a single axle trailer from fishtailing with the road grooves, but near perfect balanced load helps reduce to greatly.