# Tree Hits Ground - Disappears



## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

It seemed strange, cutting a standing tree. I chose this one because it was close to the trail, not buried under the snow like the ones already on the ground, and no loose bark or holes that little birds might be using for shelter.







It fell just exactly where I wanted it to and didn't touch the little white pine on the left. It almost vanished in the snow. That's not a deer trail leading up to it. That's a ME trail! Knee-deep. It can get a lot deeper than this, but if it does I won't be out there cutting.






It sure was easier to cut than digging under two feet of snow to find one that is already on the ground. And am I happy to have my favorite old saw running again! It's been three years since I last used it and today was the test run after fixing it. Ran like a champ. Well, compared to all my other junk, it ran pretty good anyway!






I had no trouble standing the rounds up and splitting where they laid today! I couldn't have lugged those rounds out of there even if I wanted to. Split them and then toss the splits over by the sled. It was kind of funny, because when I would hit a round with good old maulie, it would be driven right under the snow, then hear a muffled craaaaack, and like reaching in and pulling a rabbit from the hat, out would come splits.






First load on the sled and ready to go home. Fingers crossed that I won't get stuck.






Boy, that sled is really dragging. Fingers still crossed.






Aw shoot, stuck! (that's not quite exactly what I said) Going up a little hill, sled riding real low, and the snow piles up in front of it. There I set with wheels spinnin'. So I got off and pushed it up the hill myself! And I got stuck in that same spot with every load and had to do the same thing every time.


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## mikepinto65 (Jan 10, 2010)

Great work quads


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## drewboy (Jan 10, 2010)

Quads - time for you to re-invest in a snowmobile. It looks like you could have a great time on your property...

Rob


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## Hurricane (Jan 10, 2010)

Great pictures. 
Getting stuck really stinks. 
Are you doing this for wood to burn now ?


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## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

Hurricane said:
			
		

> Great pictures.
> Getting stuck really stinks.
> Are you doing this for wood to burn now ?


Thanks!  

No, this wood is for sometime years in the future.  If I keep for myself everything that I have now, I would be at least 5 years ahead.  But because of what I sell or give away, I usually end up burning wood that has seasoned for 3+ years.  I really don't need to cut wood right now, but what else would I do!  Ha ha!


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 10, 2010)

quads, I take the atv with the snow blade on and make a trail. Sometimes I can get right to where I want to cut and sometimes I only get close, but it works good. 

Looking at the forecast, we might even be losing our snow before too long! Big January thaw coming. At first they were saying only a couple of days of it but now it looks prolonged! Hooray!


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## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire said:
			
		

> Quads - time for you to re-invest in a snowmobile. It looks like you could have a great time on your property...
> 
> Rob


Well, if nothing else that would be one way to get it to quit snowing!


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## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> quads, I take the atv with the snow blade on and make a trail. Sometimes I can get right to where I want to cut and sometimes I only get close, but it works good.
> 
> Looking at the forecast, we might even be losing our snow before too long! Big January thaw coming. At first they were saying only a couple of days of it but now it looks prolonged! Hooray!


I had a plow on my old Sportsman, but there were too many stumps and stuff along the edges.  I tore it up and broke all the welds, and then after welding it I gave up plowing out there.  I still have the plow, I took it all off the old Sportsman when I traded it in, but it's just laying out in the junkpile now.  It's in pretty tough shape, I used it for 10 years.

They're kind of backing off on our January thaw now.  They keep inching the forecast temps down and less days of it.  Probably end up just being a pipe dream!


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## ohio woodburner (Jan 10, 2010)

Quads i see you got rid of that round gas can.  Didn't wanna take a chance in losing it in that snow did ya?


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## SolarAndWood (Jan 10, 2010)

quads said:
			
		

> I had a plow on my old Sportsman, but there were too many stumps and stuff along the edges.  I tore it up and broke all the welds, and then after welding it I gave up plowing out there.



Have you tried a lawn roller?  Might even give you a nice packed surface to run the sled on.


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## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> quads said:
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Hmm, never thought of that.  I used to have one around here somewhere too.  Might have to try to remember where it is and give it a try.  If I could knock the center down with it, between the wheel tracks, it would help a lot.


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## quads (Jan 10, 2010)

ohio woodburner said:
			
		

> Quads i see you got rid of that round gas can.  Didn't wanna take a chance in losing it in that snow did ya?


Ha ha!  No, it's there, peeking in the left side of the picture and it still hasn't learned anything!


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## ohio woodburner (Jan 11, 2010)

quads said:
			
		

> ohio woodburner said:
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Dang it i missed it....now i know what my mom meant when she said i better pay more attention :smirk:


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## bogydave (Jan 11, 2010)

quads said:
			
		

> SolarAndWood said:
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Home made sleds everywhere in the bush communities up here, for behind snow machines. Basic, 2 X 12 sides with the front cut about 45 degree angle or  curved, 
a few of 2X4 cross member on the inside flush with the bottom. & top cross member on the ends & one in the middle to hold the top in 
Just a little wider than the skis, (your case, tires) 8 to 10 feet long. covered with 1/2" plywood on the bottom. 2 or 3  1-1/2" wide 1/2"thick strips on the bottom so it tracks & can replace them when they wear down. All the weight is down on the plywood which is on the snow so the bottom holds up to weight well & disperses the weight so it pulls easy.  
Last along time if just used on snow. Loaded with wood, it would pack the trail behind you every trip. Haul 1/4  cord + easy on a snow packed trail.
Double as a small john boat for fishing in the summer 
Lots of trails all over Alaska & they get packed smooth & hard from all the traffic, 4 wheeler rides on the packed snow trails easy.  (All the way to Nome)
Saw a guy hauling 4  -  55 gallon drums of diesel to his cabin in one sled.


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## quads (Jan 11, 2010)

bogydave said:
			
		

> Double as a small john boat for fishing in the summer


I like that!

Lots of guys here make their own sleds for ice fishing.  

I go ATV riding in the winter (haven't yet this year, but will soon) and the trails are groomed with a snowmobile trail/ski hill groomer.  Winter ATVing is my favorite.  No dust.  

I've got a large 4'x2' heavy iron grate that I used to use to drag the trails in the summer.  I don't use it now because the trails are planted for food plots for the wildlife.  The crops grow up between the ATV wheel tracks and off to the sides.  So I'm careful about tearing them up.  But, I was thinking that maybe I could hook the grate behind my ATV in the winter and it might cut that center ridge down that my sled gets hung up on.  If I can pull it without getting stuck.  Maybe I'll try it today.


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## quads (Jan 11, 2010)

I got the iron grate hooked up and tried it on that ridge in the center.






It worked really good, except for two things. The snow piles up on it and it gets hard to pull. But, my Polaris didn't get stuck, at first. Once I turned around to come back home, I realized that the grate was taking the snow off the ridge in the center, but of course it was dumping that loose snow into the wheel tracks. So I lost traction on the second time over it. Only got stuck twice though. The other problem was that I kept looking back to watch it working and I drove right off the trail a couple times! And can't back up with the grate behind me. But it sure made it easy to pull the old sled full of wood now. It doesn't bottom out anymore.


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## SolarAndWood (Jan 11, 2010)

I wonder how a piece of plywood screwed to the bottom of the grate rotated 90 degrees and a couple concrete blocks on the back edge would work?  It might get the lead edge out on top of the snow and get the tail to pack down kind of like backblading with a loader.


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## PapaDave (Jan 11, 2010)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> quads, I take the atv with the snow blade on and make a trail. Sometimes I can get right to where I want to cut and sometimes I only get close, but it works good.
> 
> Looking at the forecast, we might even be losing our snow before too long! *Big January thaw coming*. At first they were saying only a couple of days of it but now it looks prolonged! Hooray!



Sorry to jack, but,
Dennis, SAY WHAT? Where did you get that info?
Okay, continue.


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## quads (Jan 12, 2010)

SolarAndWood said:
			
		

> I wonder how a piece of plywood screwed to the bottom of the grate rotated 90 degrees and a couple concrete blocks on the back edge would work?  It might get the lead edge out on top of the snow and get the tail to pack down kind of like backblading with a loader.


Yes, that might just work!  When the middle ridge starts to build up again, maybe I'll experiment with it.


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## quads (Jan 12, 2010)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> Backwoods Savage said:
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They're backing off on the January thaw forecast around here.  At first it sounded promising, but now it looks like Thursday might be a couple degrees above freezing, but not much thawing going to happen otherwise.


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