Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[MustangMike]

The rail trail was originally sold (the Fish and Game club purchased the adjacent section), then Putnam County decided to do a bike path and purchased all the sections back and replaced some of the bridges that had been taken down.

The reason the trails are not yet connected (North + South) is because they have been negotiating for years with Metro North RR over the rehab of a bridge. Nothing involving government goes fast, some portions of the trail are paved for years before the trail is actually opened!

That said, the North section of the trail seems to be well done.

They say it goes up to Canada and West to Buffalo, but if you go further North than Albany, you are just riding on marked roads.

Going West, it follows the Erie Canal.

 

[MustangMike]

I "mis wrote", I meant to say I drool over the Black Locust I see along the trail, although there is also some Black Walnut.

There seems to be a lot of Locust in sections, just lying there!

 

[GrizG]

The rail trail was originally sold (the Fish and Game club purchased the adjacent section), then Putnam County decided to do a bike path and purchased all the sections back and replaced some of the bridges that had been taken down.

The reason the trails are not yet connected (North + South) is because they have been negotiating for years with Metro North RR over the rehab of a bridge. Nothing involving government goes fast, some portions of the trail are paved for years before the trail is actually opened!

That said, the North section of the trail seems to be well done.

They say it goes up to Canada and West to Buffalo, but if you go further North than Albany, you are just riding on marked roads.

Going West, it follows the Erie Canal.

I've ridden the Albany - Buffalo Erie Canalway trail... and may do it again this year as part of a longer trip. There are some gaps in it that require you to ride on the road but they aren't too bad and the EST project was supposed to fill as many of them as possible. The leg of the EST going north to Canada, as you say, is pretty much all on road.

Ah yes... there are projects that languish for decades... There is a 1.7 mile segment of the O&W near me that has gone through various stages of planning and has been fully funded for 25+ years... It is actually going to construction this year! ...assuming a few pieces of easement related paperwork makes it to NYSDOT in a timely fashion.

 

[farmer steve]

I just saw this. Fitting with the bike talk. You riders be careful.

 

[WoodAbuser]

I just saw this. Fitting with the bike talk. You riders be careful.
View attachment 969407

That poor tree!

 

[JAXJEREMY]

My weekly scrounge..I cruise through neighborhoods and typically find a home or two with piles of rounds out front..This is all I could get in the back of my Bronco and these were heavy..Birch, maple and some oak..it was enough that it topped off my seasoning wood pile and it all split pretty easily..Thank you to those who recommended splitting right after it was cut..

 

[mountainguyed67]

Do you get any snow in the area? Maybe make piles for when it snows next? Any brushpiles are also good habitat for small animals

Not much at all, and it disappears fast. It’s always been mostly gone by the time we go in. The trail is on the south facing slope, snow stays longer on the other side of the river. We’ll see it straight across from us sometimes.

It was 20°F the morning these pictures were taken.

 

[WoodAbuser]

My hat is off to all of you that work to clear those trails. That is an awesome way to serve the community.

 

[GrizG]

My hat is off to all of you that work to clear those trails. That is an awesome way to serve the community.

Sitting through sometimes mind-numbing County Legislature and Common Council meetings takes a toll too... which led me to wander off to here, while listening to a committee meeting, for a few minutes.

 

[JimR]

Had a great day in the woods. The whole family was out. The wife and kids made snowmen while I cut logs to 10' and used the tractor to skid logs to the old log landing. I was also a moving target for snowballs while I was driving through the woods! I scrounged a bunch of beech, some red oak and of course ash.View attachment 968889View attachment 968890View attachment 968891View attachment 968892View attachment 968893

Have you considered using a set of forks on the front to move a lot more at one time?

 

[Jimbo72]

All I could find are these small yellow ones, it only takes a log up to 20”.

https://sregear.com/products/skidding-cone-for-logs?currency=USD&variant=38111952896173

I've found that chainsaw-carving a point on the leading end of that uphill hauling log does the exact same thing as buying and using those expensive steel cones, at zero cost.

 

[H-Ranch]

A little firewood potpourri as the snow melts and uncovers stuff I split earlier - birch, cherry, honey locust, pine, and maybe a couple more. It's almost like found money!

 

[chipper1]

Few more buckets.
Trying to get as much done as possible before the next rain which they are calling for tomorrow, then possible snow for tomorrow evening.
I think I've done a couple cord now .

 

[CDElliott]

One of our people brings in a mountain bike sometimes, these are from last weekend. He’s experimenting with ways to get big rocks out of the way.

View attachment 969299

View attachment 969300

You might look into expansive demolition grout. It expands and breaks up concrete and rock.

 

[mountainguyed67]

You might look into expansive demolition grout.

Already have. I offered to purchase some, next thing I know he’s doing this. Dunno. I asked the Forest Service if they’d buy it, and got no answer. We have both grant and match money, plenty to get it.

 

[GrizG]

Already have. I offered to purchase some, next thing I know he’s doing this. Dunno. I asked the Forest Service if they’d buy it, and got no answer. We have both grant and match money, plenty to get it.

I'd check to see if you'd need a bigger hole for the grout than for the feathers and wedges. If so, that might put grout out of reach of battery powered hammer drills... and there is a lot more "stuff" to haul into the field and there is the big time difference before the fracture. Might be fun though!

 

[mountainguyed67]

I'd check to see if you'd need a bigger hole for the grout than for the feathers and wedges. If so, that might put grout out of reach of battery powered hammer drills... and there is a lot more "stuff" to haul into the field and there is the big time difference before the fracture. Might be fun though!

You do need a bigger hole, if I remember correctly.

Many don’t consider the “haul in” factor. We’re already carrying all our camping gear, food, etc on our backs. I can tell the guys at the chainsaw places what we’re doing, and they want to sell me a saw twice as big as what works, and one guy walked me over to a backpack weed wacker. Doh! They were really stunned when I said we carry fuel and oil in one liter bottles, we can disperse it that way. Otherwise we’re asking someone to carry more than 8 lbs. A backpacker will find room for a liter bottle.

 

[Philbert]

Handful of chips from a boulevard ash removal by the City. They clearly know how to sharpen a chain.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

They were really stunned when I said we carry fuel and oil in one liter bottles,

That’s why pack mules were used! Perhaps @H-Ranch can provide logistical support with his wheelbarrow?

Philbert

 

[GrizG]

You do need a bigger hole, if I remember correctly.

Many don’t consider the “haul in” factor. We’re already carrying all our camping gear, food, etc on our backs. I can tell the guys at the chainsaw places what we’re doing, and they want to sell me a saw twice as big as what works, and one guy walked me over to a backpack weed wacker. Doh! They were really stunned when I said we carry fuel and oil in one liter bottles, we can disperse it that way. Otherwise we’re asking someone to carry more than 8 lbs. A backpacker will find room for a liter bottle.

I definitely think about the haul-in factor when meat powered transportation is involved... Over the years I've spent nearly 8 months riding around the country on self-supported bicycle trips. I carry all my sleeping and cooking gear, cloths, tools, food, water, etc. with me. Over that time I've trimmed down the volume and weight of what I carry... apparently I have fewer fears now. When I do rail trail work I/we use a vehicle as we bring PPE, warning signs and cones, peavey, ropes, snatch blocks, multiple chainsaws, pole saws, rakes, and other tools. We work in forested areas and want to minimize damaging other trees and need to remove widow makers. Also, maintaining site control is critical as users usually fail to comprehend the dangers...