Happy, happy dance SCORE!!

[turnkey4099]

I cut the last tree I had lined up over a month ago. Only have "prospects" to investigate for next year. I tried for this site several years ago and got turned down. I've only looked at it from the road but they look like perhaps 20"dbh, 1/2 cord/tree at most. But they tend to get a lot bigger when I get next to them. Today I tried again. YES! with a problem.

He had promised it to another guy back when but that guy didn't do anything _yet_. Owner says go ahead and take them. That turns it into a 'blitz' harvest to get them before the other guy shows up. I'll be heading out in hte morning for the bad leaner followed by cutting every day the weather permits and the ground doesn't get too soft or he works the field.

By pure fortune I diddled around in the shop the past two days cleaning saws and sharping chains. Got the 210, 310 and 361 and 6 chains all ready to go. Just need to mix some go-juice and get everything back in the truck, maul/sledge/wedges, chains, cables, etc. Don'texpect to use any of hte pulling equipment but best to have it and not need it...

Prediction says about 28 degrees when I get there in the morning. Perhaps dig out the long john top again .

Harry K

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

congrats! glad it worked out for ya. don't forget more pix!

 

[KiwiBro]

Onya.

 

[Rookie1]

Thats a pretty picture. Good for you and your score with a little drama to keep you on your toes. :msp_smile:

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

Persistence Pays

Harry -- glad to hear your persistence has finally paid off. If I recall correctly from another thread -- Locust? Hope the weather cooperates. Be safe and take some more pics to document your score.

BTW -- there is nothing like the anticipation of a day of cutting -- getting all of your gear and supplies staged and ready, a plan of where to start, how to get yourself in, how to get the wood out, preparing for any unknowns, etc. I am not a hunter, but would imagine the same emotions goes for hunting as well.

 

[bluestem]

It must be nice when the predominate "weed" tree species in your region is Black Locust!! If that old farm stead was here in Northern Illinois it would be surrounded by boxelder and cottonwood.

Sometimes persistence pays off!! Nice score.

 

[turnkey4099]

Oh yeah! Get every thing ready etc. So how come I arrive minus the camera, the toolbox, my sweat bands, no "mopping towel"...

Didn't go as planned. I knew my plans to take down that leaner was out the window before I crawled otu of the truck. Them thangs are big for locusts. 3 of the 4 will go 3' or better. A cord plus per tree except for the smallest on which will go around 3/4 cord.

I took off the two 'stems' on the leaner to start and had that all cleaned up an on the truck (1/4 load) by 10. I eyeballed the remainder but knew I couldn't finish that before running out of steam and quitting. Spent the next 1 1/2 hour cutting/clearing little sapling stuff saving any stems bigger than 3 1/2" in lengths up to 6' to run through my sawbuck at home.

Shades of last summer cutting in the junk pile/wire mine. This one isn't as bad but the ground is pretty well covered in a single layer of old farm machinery, low piles of rubble, smashed down portions of fences and, of course wire. All of it well bound together with that evil Oregon Grape vine. Pull a handful and you wind up baling up 1/4 acre of the crap.

It's all fun though.

I'll be out again tomorrow with a 24" bar on the 361 to take down the rest of that leaner.
The shed is going to take some hits. That leaner should wipe out the near corner and the next tree down will probably get the far wall.

Sure wish I could save this site for next year though.

Harry K

 

[KiwiBro]

Domino the triplets. Leave a big, biased hinge on 'em and let the first one go so as to drag on the non-shed side of the others. I learnt this technique from the collective wisdom of the ether during a dream. Your mileage may vary.

 

[TJ-Bill]

Nice score.. make sure to take lots of pictures!

 

[turnkey4099]

It must be nice when the predominate "weed" tree species in your region is Black Locust!! If that old farm stead was here in Northern Illinois it would be surrounded by boxelder and cottonwood.

Sometimes persistence pays off!! Nice score.

They aren't considered "weeds" out here. they are an imported species, most of them planted back in the settlement days. Alwasy around the farmstead. The locust borer is killing them off now. Those I am working on firstshowed the damageabout 15 years ago - takes along time for the borer to kill them. I hate to see them goand love the looks of them BUT NOT AROUND A HOUSE. Very messy year round.

Biggest BlackLocust i have seen is at 'Ron's' house (I took trees out of that place this summer and back twoyears ago. That treehas to be over 6' DBH. Dunno how tall it ws. It is now topped at around 75'.

Harry K

 

[toqua]

I have seen that place before but can't place it. Good for you that should be a nice score[now you should have enough wood for this winter lol] it's not all twisted up like some of them. Tom

 

[turnkey4099]

I have seen that place before but can't place it. Good for you that should be a nice score[now you should have enough wood for this winter lol] it's not all twisted up like some of them. Tom

Oh, you know it very well...at least you do if you are hauling west from twin bridges iwth a full load. About a mile up the hill from Twin Bridges on the left. I am enjoying listening to the 18 wheelers under load crawling up that steep long hill. Sometimes I think I hear swearing over the rapping of the engines straining.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Day 2 and that leaner is down but not fully gone. I managed to miss the shed by pulling it a bit toward the road. 4 hours in an I knew two things. 1. I was out of steam and 2. There was no way I could haul the whole thing.

Good picture of a nice log goes here - yes I had the camera, no I don't have a picture. Camera was out of battery. No problem, I carry reloads in the camera case. UHUH! One of the batteries was covered in that whitish battery corrosion.

Rethinking about working it this time of year. The fun goes out of it when you're bundled up in long johns, coat and wear the muffs to keep the ears from freezeing. May call Rick and tell him I'll finish it in the spring and hope the other guy doesn't show. I suspect Mr. Other Guy did the same thing I have seen in the past. Walk up to the trees carrying a Wally World special and realize that it would take real saw and decent equipment. This would be the third...no fourth time I have made a nice score because the original one didn't carry through with the job.

Harry K

 

[Steve NW WI]

Harry, some of us midwesterners WAIT for weather like that before we head for the woods. Life is nicer once the bugs retreat. Of course, to most of us, that's still t shirt weather. Longjohns are for subzero days, if you aren't working too hard.

We know you'll be back there shortly. You have one of the worst cases of FAD on this site.

 

[toqua]

Thanks Harry I knew I had seen that some where I only drive by it two or three times a week.Not only am I fat but now I am dumb lol. If your there when I drive I will stop an see you Tom

 

[unclemoustache]

Ahh, the lovely Palouse! How were the crops this year?
Looks like a good score you got there. Not much of that kind of wood out there. Congrats!

 

[turnkey4099]

Harry, some of us midwesterners WAIT for weather like that before we head for the woods. Life is nicer once the bugs retreat. Of course, to most of us, that's still t shirt weather. Longjohns are for subzero days, if you aren't working too hard.

We know you'll be back there shortly. You have one of the worst cases of FAD on this site.

True dat. I am trying to build a "rest of my life supply" I am up to 8 or more years ahead now and figure I need a few more. I looked around as I was unloading today and had to ask "Am I nuts? do I have a problem?". Decided I might as well join the majority and agree with all my neighbos. Yep, the answer is "Yes but it is a fun problem".

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Ahh, the lovely Palouse! How were the crops this year?
Looks like a good score you got there. Not much of that kind of wood out there. Congrats!

After much worry about the cool wet spring and fighting Leaf Stripe Rust thorugh the season the yeild set an all time record for both Winter and Spring Wheat. I didn't hear how the other crops they use in roation (barley, peas, beans) did.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks Harry I knew I had seen that some where I only drive by it two or three times a week.Not only am I fat but now I am dumb lol. If your there when I drive I will stop an see you Tom

My work days anymore start early but end around noon. Next time out will be Friday to finish up that log. May be my last trip till spring. Weather looks 'dampish' every day for the next 10. Entry down in is pretty steep and has a dried up mudhole in the middle of it. With nothing but a 2x I am leery of such accesses.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

Day 3. Poor picture, very foggy and dark this morning:

Split and loaded 7 rounds already cut up from my last trip then finished the butt log. Fourteen 16" rounds total, diameter 24" up to whatever that butt end was. Pickup didn't _look_ like a big load but the tires were pretty squashed. that makes 2 heavy loads out of that one tree (First two days I came home with small loads that together would make one heavy one).

That leaves 2 more big and one medium tree plus an isolated snag.

I finishe up by clearing away for falling the biggest tree. Had an old fence right against it - doesnt' seem to have been fastened to it tho: 3' hogwire, 4' chicken wire and 5 barbwire strands all sorta on top of each other. I cut the mess on one side of the tree, wrapped a chain around the mess on the near side and yanked ti all out with the truck. Baled it up and shoved it up against the shed.

I'll probably go back if we get spell of decent weather and the ground & road doesn't get too wet.

Harry K