Intermountain West Guys what keeps you warm??

[E&R_firewood]

Just curious about what folks in this general area (the intermountain west) cut and burn. i am eclectic, if it is dead, down or needs to be removed i'll try it. my stacks consist of mainly Lodgepole Pine, Doug Fir, Quaking Aspen, Engelmann Spruce and Chokecherry . . . but i've been known to mix in some Cottonwood, Hawthorne, Mountain Mahogany and Juniper.

 

[forestryworks]

when i lived in colorado for the summer workin' as a faller in grand lake, most everyone burned lodgepole pine... lodgepole is the dominant species in that area

 

[MR4WD]

How do you feel about that poplar? (quaking aspen)

I managed 6 or so cords of lodepole from my land, so I'll burn mostly that. Not much ash, enough heat, but gotta restock it fairly often. CAN leave lots of creosote, but I clean twice a year so what the heck. I got a big doug fir (2 cords) it burns HOT but leaves no coals to help with the restocking, no ash either, which is nice. I scrounged up another 2 cords of birch which is the best, but leaves a lot of ash/coles (so I mix in some fir to clear it out)

I'm an equal opportunity burner as well. I just hear everybody say they'll pass on poplar and spruce (I gave away about 2 cord of engelmann a week or two ago)

Never tried cotton or poplar, but there's some big ones around here that are worth a shot if it's worth the burning.

What do you prefer out of what you burn? I generally have enough time off each year to be very selective about what size and species I cut.

 

[Mogollon]

Here in Ariz I burn whatever I can get. Mostly Ponderosa pine, Pinon and Oak.
Have been using alot of pitch pine and knots as well. All this goes into a Central OWB.

 

[E&R_firewood]

How do you feel about that poplar? (quaking aspen)

Never tried cotton or poplar, but there's some big ones around here that are worth a shot if it's worth the burning.

What do you prefer out of what you burn? I generally have enough time off each year to be very selective about what size and species I cut.

the quaking aspen burns fast, leaves a ton of ash and will not hold a fire at all . . . but it is so plentiful here i mix a lot of it in. it is a "filler wood" for me. it also has a distinct odor to it (a lot of people think it stinks) but to me the smell is a pleasant olfactory connection to my youth . . . cutting apsen with my grandpa on his ranch. and the smell of the chimney smoke from his old house in the winter. i prefer to burn as much doug fir and chokecherry as possible, as they are dense and have better burning characteristics than the other species growing here . . . i end up with a lot of aspen and lodgepole too, just due to the sheer abundance of it in this area.

 

[StihltheOne]

We are in about the same boat as you here. Lots of pine from the beetle kill, a little doug fir, tons of cottonwood, russian olive is extremely plentiful, it burns really good, but .....stiiiiinnnkksss.... Every now and then I can snag a "town tree", meaning some kind of ash, elm and there are even a few maple of some kind. I would have to say that cottonwood is the "go to" wood here, as far as what is available without a trip to the mtn.

 

[Austin1]

Lodge poll is #1 for me better than Poplar as it leaves way less ash, better to split than Spruce but now that I have a splitter I might have to change my mind. Fir is the best I have burnt, better than Birch. I put Birch right with Lodge Poll, in my experience Birch is over rated.
Fir for me is a long drive so I will stick to my Pine.

 

[R Walter]

Lots of Pinon, Juniper, Cedar, Red Cedar. Some Cottonwood, but it's very hard to split.

 

[Austin1]

the quaking aspen burns fast, leaves a ton of ash and will not hold a fire at all . . . but it is so plentiful here i mix a lot of it in. it is a "filler wood" for me. it also has a distinct odor to it (a lot of people think it stinks) but to me the smell is a pleasant olfactory connection to my youth . . . cutting apsen with my grandpa on his ranch. and the smell of the chimney smoke from his old house in the winter. i prefer to burn as much doug fir and chokecherry as possible, as they are dense and have better burning characteristics than the other species growing here . . . i end up with a lot of aspen and lodgepole too, just due to the sheer abundance of it in this area.

I do like the smell of Aspen/ Poplar reminds me of campfires when I was a kid. I have read that smell triggers the most memory's?