# Snow and woodcutting



## Firewood Bandit (Jan 17, 2014)

The cold and snow this Winter has been relentless.  Normally we get some snow, but there will periods of melting/thawing where the snow pack goes down substantially.  Well not this year. 
Today I am down to the last of 4 places I have access to.  The others are just to steep to navigate with the truck.  This log landing is slightly uphill but level and has a lot of culls and cut offs left.  I got a load out but man you don't want to hesitate when driving as the snow is a good 10-12" deep.
How is everybody else doing regarding snow and wood cutting?


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 17, 2014)

Today I was hauling rounds out. 

Here is a picture from last year and my 96 Suburban turned wood hauler.


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## Hogwildz (Jan 17, 2014)

Not bothering cutting in the snow. I am ahead a few years, but do like to process when it is colder out.
No rush though, waiting for the snow to melt.


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## NH_Wood (Jan 17, 2014)

I try to stop when it gets deep - even if I've already dropped the trees. Never sure what you are cutting into near the bottom of the log (rocks, etc.) and I've had a few bad hits into rocks and ruined a chain in the past - I wait for a melt and then buck. Cheers!


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## infinitymike (Jan 17, 2014)

No snow here. So I'm still splitting away,

I almost had a logger truck with the boom in the back come to my house to drop his load and then reality kicked in and I said thanks but maybe next time. I still have about 2 cord to split laying in the way.


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## JP11 (Jan 17, 2014)

I enjoy snowmobile logging.  have a small sled.  only about 15 cubic feet at a time.  I cut right to length in the woods.  Not as fast as logging with the tractor, but a good winter hobby.


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## red oak (Jan 17, 2014)

Hogwildz said:


> Not bothering cutting in the snow. I am ahead a few years, but do like to process when it is colder out.
> No rush though, waiting for the snow to melt.



My thoughts exactly.  I'm going to try to cut a pretty big tree this weekend (already down) but only if we don't get much snow.  If not it will wait.  It's not going anywhere.


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## paul bunion (Jan 17, 2014)

infinitymike said:


> No snow here. So I'm still splitting away,
> 
> I almost had a logger truck with the boom in the back come to my house to drop his load and then reality kicked in and I said thanks but maybe next time. I still have about 2 cord to split laying in the way.


The devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other must have had a big discussion about that one.


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## lindnova (Jan 17, 2014)

I heard Wisconsin has a lot of snow this year.  Kind of like December 2010 shut things down.

We haven't had much snow in SE MN until the high winds drifted in this week.  Kind of hard to get through the tall hard drifts.  I got the 4 wheeler stuck towing the splitter and had to dig it out with the tractor today.  I have been splitting if it is in the single digits or above.  Cutting if it is over 15 degrees.  The cold has been tough this year, but at least that means more saving on gas.

I am still splitting and might tip a few trees, but no transporting anymore now.  I am 3 years ahead, so no big problem.  I work a lot in the summer, so I try to get as much as I can done in the winter when I have more time.  I have been toughing out the cold.


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## infinitymike (Jan 17, 2014)

paul bunion said:


> The devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other must have had a big discussion about that one.



It wasn't easy that's for sure. 

But I have done that twice before.


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## Seanm (Jan 18, 2014)

Snow is to deep locally most of the winter here unless you are willing to drive a fair ways or keep to the main back roads that might be plowed. We sure get spoiled during the no snow period but once the snow hits we are done until April and then only in the lower elevations. Don't mind though, I have enough wood ;-)


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## Woody Stover (Jan 18, 2014)

Luckily, it usually melts off pretty quick here when it does snow. If not for that, I would be even further behind. 
I need to get some wood stacked, though. The wind is blowing like crazy here....seems like the wood will dry some even though it's cold out, the easy initial moisture anyway....


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## ClintonH (Jan 18, 2014)

Dad, 2 brothers and I worked up a couple big ash 2 weeks ago:  3 cord.  If we drop it, we get it cut, split, and on trucks before the next snow:  nothing worse than losing pieces.  That being said, if we're cutting something that's come down during the summer/fall, we always bring a broom along:  snow is more abrasive than you realize and really dulls a chain quickly.  Sweep, sweep, little brother, then we're in business!  With MLK Day Monday, we might be out again:  more ash trees and a couple of hard maple nearby.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 18, 2014)

I normally haul with a 6 x 10' trailer but it is impossible with the snow to pull.  My ATV still can go through the snow but when I put a small trailer behind it, forgetaboutit.


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## tfdchief (Jan 18, 2014)

I only cut in the winter..  Snow doesn't bother me as long as it isn't to deep.  Cutting in the winter is my winter therapy.  My son, grandson, and I spend the day, coffee, good friends, good times and wood for the fire.


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## msherer (Jan 19, 2014)

I like to cut between October and April.  I have several places to cut, farthest being about 30 miles away.  When there's snow I go to my spot that's less than a 1/2 mile from home.  I can carry what I need at that short distance.

Matt


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## velvetfoot (Jan 19, 2014)

I had a tri-axle load of logs dropped off at the end of the driveway.  Split and stacked on the side of the driveway about 1.5 cords so far, as time and weather permits.  Sad part is that I'll have to move it again in the Spring.


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## CenterTree (Jan 20, 2014)

Why let a little snowfall stop the "processing"??





This is me, last week.


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## Hills Hoard (Jan 20, 2014)

Doing the opposite down here.   Just waiting for the weather to cool off a bit then I will resume wood processing!


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## Backwoods Savage (Jan 20, 2014)

We are not against using the snow plow to plow a path into a tree we want to cut. It really isn't so much the snow that stops us as it is the cold. Once it gets down lower than around 15, we stop cutting and do some of those indoor chores that we've put off too long.


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## lindnova (Jan 21, 2014)

0 degrees this afternoon with no wind.  Made quick time and plowed thru the drifts with the tractor Sunday.  Made use of the time I had.  I had to put my facemask on for a while as my cheeks got a little cold.  Other than that plenty of hustling and no sweating.  Almost got this pile of bur oak done.  Not sure what we are going to do with the box elder yet.  I think my brother is going to try and sell some campfire wood.  As far as cutting trees, not sure if I am going to do much more this winter as the drifts are getting tough in spots.  It would help if we get more days above zero also.  I have a good surplus of wood anyway.  I have five times this already stacked in other locations.


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## Firewood Bandit (Jan 22, 2014)

lindnova said:


> 0 degrees this afternoon with no wind.  Made quick time and plowed thru the drifts with the tractor Sunday.  Made use of the time I had.  I had to put my facemask on for a while as my cheeks got a little cold.  Other than that plenty of hustling and no sweating.  Almost got this pile of bur oak done.  Not sure what we are going to do with the box elder yet.  I think my brother is going to try and sell some campfire wood.  As far as cutting trees, not sure if I am going to do much more this winter as the drifts are getting tough in spots.  It would help if we get more days above zero also.  I have a good surplus of wood anyway.  I have five times this already stacked in other locations.


 

Boy we have got a LOT more snow in Western WI than you have.


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 13, 2014)

Well I had two saws to try out so I thought I'd tempt fate and drive out to the log landing a half mile from my house.  Promptly got the truck stuck and was still 200 yards short of where I needed to go.  I had a scoop shovel and got out within 5 minutes although I had to back 250 yards  to get back to pavement.
There is a lot of wood if I can get to it.  On the hillsides are obviously and enormous amount of tops.


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## Paulywalnut (Feb 13, 2014)

I have a cord of Ash in rounds stacked and ready to process. I think I know where they are, but they're covered
Up completely and probably frozen in one big wall. I "ll wait.


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 13, 2014)

Paulywalnut said:


> I have a cord of Ash in rounds stacked and ready to process. I think I know where they are, but they're covered
> Up completely and probably frozen in one big wall. I "ll wait.



Yep, same here. My Ash rounds are frozen to the ground. Its kinda hard to split them when they wont move. 
I am tempted to down a few small trees around the farm though.


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## tfdchief (Feb 13, 2014)

Firewood Bandit,  Beautiful pictures.  I love the woods in the winter and that is mostly why I cut all my wood in the winter.  It has its challenges, but well worth it IMO.  The only problem is, I spend a lot of time drinking coffee, talking with my son and grandson, and just enjoying the day in the woods.  We really don't get in a hurry.  Last weekend we did push a little when we cut the big Shingle Oak because we were afraid to leave it in the woods for fear the rounds would be frozen down and covered with snow.  So we worked pretty hard to get it all out in one day.  Here is my son's victory photo.



Hope you can get in there and get some of that out.  It certainly looks like a great score!


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## billb3 (Feb 13, 2014)

last weekend cut in 12 inches of frozen crusty smush.
Got two and a half  cords.
Had a fire going all day to warm up.
Decent boots and winter clothes helps.
Was able to plow a spot for the splitter and that helps stay a little drier.
Didn't get it all stacked though - try to keep it dry so I don't have to beat on it with w sledge hammer just to stack it and get it out of the way.



Was hoping to get at a half dozen cherry trees this weekend but it rained all day, if that freezes and everything is coated in glazed ice , that's worse than snow.


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## WiscWoody (Feb 13, 2014)

This winter the snow is deep up here. When the snow goes past my knees just to get to the tree and the ATV bottoms out, cutting will have to wait until later when the ticks are waiting for ya!


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## ArsenalDon (Feb 14, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> my 96 Suburban turned wood hauler.


I love the fact that you felt the need to put a mat down in that beast.


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 14, 2014)

hermancm said:


> This winter the snow is deep up here. When the snow goes past my knees just to get to the tree and the ATV bottoms out, cutting will have to wait until later when the ticks are waiting for ya!


 
Hi Curt,
A week ago A buddy of mine bought a saw from that dealer in Holcombe.  I was  amazed how much more snow there was around you guys.


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 14, 2014)

ArsenalDon said:


> I love the fact that you felt the need to put a mat down in that beast.


 

I suppose that is kind of funny, but that truck hauls my dogs too.  Actually there is a rubber mat with a blue tarp on top of that.


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## Firewood Bandit (Feb 14, 2014)

tfdchief said:


> Firewood Bandit,  Beautiful pictures.  I love the woods in the winter and that is mostly why I cut all my wood in the winter.  It has its challenges, but well worth it IMO.  The only problem is, I spend a lot of time drinking coffee, talking with my son and grandson, and just enjoying the day in the woods.  We really don't get in a hurry.  Last weekend we did push a little when we cut the big Shingle Oak because we were afraid to leave it in the woods for fear the rounds would be frozen down and covered with snow.  So we worked pretty hard to get it all out in one day.  Here is my son's victory photo.
> View attachment 127474
> 
> Hope you can get in there and get some of that out.  It certainly looks like a great score!


 

That's good having your son out with you.

I have another spot that was logged that is 5 miles away but it is way to steep with the snow and I have to wait until the snow is gone for access now.


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## Woody Stover (Feb 14, 2014)

Pretty hard to pull a trailer full of wood up these slope with the quad, but we finally got a day that was warm enough for the SILs and I to split and stack some Red Maple rounds that I took over to their places a while back. It's going to warm up next week, but when the ground thaws it will be a sloppy, muddy mess so it was good to get this stacked yesterday. We put up about a cord.
We also came across several 8" Pignut rounds with the bark fallen off that I forgot was over there. I didn't look too close, and thought it was Maple....until I tried to split it by hand.  After taking the hydraulics to it, I tossed a split in her stove, and it burned well. Great, less wood I'll have to take over there to finish the heating season.


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## BEConklin (Feb 14, 2014)

hermancm said:


> This winter the snow is deep up here. When the snow goes past my knees just to get to the tree and the ATV bottoms out, cutting will have to wait until later when the ticks are waiting for ya!



and around here - the deer ticks are the first crawly things out and about. I've gotten them stuck in my hide when there's still snow on the ground in the shady spots.


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## TimJ (Feb 14, 2014)

very good Woody...............stay at it


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## Coach B (Feb 14, 2014)

This is what my wood area looked like yesterday:




Snow cover for more than a few days at a time does not happen very often here, so we use it as time to put our feet up by the fire.  Oldtimers claim it used to stay on the ground a month at a time on occasion. Longest I've ever seen a snow lay on the ground here is about two weeks.  The wood pile can wait til the ground is bare.


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## WiscWoody (Feb 15, 2014)

Firewood Bandit said:


> Hi Curt,
> A week ago A buddy of mine bought a saw from that dealer in Holcombe.  I was  amazed how much more snow there was around you guys.


Yep, this year I'm missing my snowmobile... I foolishly took the dogs for a run on the lake with the ATV the other day and I was fine riding on  packed snow from sleds riding on the lake but I figured I'd be ok when I rode off of it to catch up with the dogs but not! I really got buried in snow good! It took awhile to get a shovel and get going again and I could only go forward... For about 100' then I was buried again. I had to leave the ATV on the lake overnight and a neighbor pulled me out the next day with his sled. Of course if I buy another snowmobile it's sure to not snow up here for years! Lol


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## WiscWoody (Feb 15, 2014)

Just looking at those nice new splits that Woody has there makes me want to start refilling my racks but for now I'll just have to keep it in my dreams. Ho hum...


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## Adabiviak (Feb 15, 2014)

No snow here this year (in my neck of California - apparently everyone else got our snow pack this year, and we'd love to have it back) 

Still, I'm a few years ahead on the firewood, so I don't bother going out in the snow for wood anymore. When I first started getting into woodburning, I'd go get a poplar in several feet of snow at 1am just for the adventure, but now, unless I have an opportunity to get my hands on some tree that I've never burned before (wild apple, blue oak, tanoak, maybe madrone), snow is for playing.


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## Woody Stover (Feb 15, 2014)

TimJ said:


> very good Woody...............stay at it


I _gotta_ stay at it...working on next year's wood for the girls.  I've got another half cord soft Maple still on my trailer, and another trailer load to pick up. Those two houses use two cords each, so I'll be half way done on them. Then I'm gonna hit the woods heavy for small Mulberry, Dogwood and Red Elm with the bark off....should be ready to go. Need to get that done before the overgrowth comes in. _Then_ I can work up some dead Red Oak and Ash where the top branches should be close, and stack the trunk splits for the following year. That's my plan to finally get a couple years ahead on those two. Right now I've got enough banked for another two seasons at least for my stove, and for the Buck. Gotta keep going, though. Then the third SIL/BIL is only set for next year..... Hey, Tim, you got anything going on next weekend? I could use some help! 

I was going to use those concrete half-blocks in the background to put under the pallets but the ground never thawed to where I could get the old pallets up! I ended up throwing the new pallets on top of the old for now. I really needed to get this batch stacked ASAP. There are another three rows of old pallets in this stacking area....maybe I can get those out and use the blocks in the spring.
I'm gonna start another pallet row along the side of the drive that you can see in the background, but will stack single-row there this year for quick drying. Those White Ash rounds will go there soon. I figure the soft Maple will be OK in that double row.



Coach B said:


> This is what my wood area looked like yesterday: The wood pile can wait til the ground is bare.





Adabiviak said:


> Still, I'm a few years ahead on the firewood, so I don't bother going out in the snow for wood anymore.


I needed to get that stacked while the ground was still hard in the processing area. The woods isn't as bad with mushy ground, so that can wait.


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## BoiledOver (Feb 17, 2014)

Sinngetreu said:


> Yep, same here. My Ash rounds are frozen to the ground. Its kinda hard to split them when they wont move.
> I am tempted to down a few small trees around the farm though.


 Frozen to the ground is awesome. Get your maul or fiskers and go to town. All of my splitting is done by hand without a splitting block while the wood is froze. Frozen wood explodes easily through even the narliest stuff. I have raced hydraulic splitters and smoked em bad in single digit temps at the age of 57. Lucky me just finished bucking bout 9 cords of red oak and will commence splitting when the temps drop this weekend.


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## tfdchief (Feb 17, 2014)

BoiledOver said:


> I have raced hydraulic splitters and smoked em bad


I used to do that to boiled over. I won 20 bucks racing hydraulics once. Enjoy, the day came when I had to buy hydraulics


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## Sinngetreu (Feb 17, 2014)

BoiledOver said:


> Frozen to the ground is awesome. Get your maul or fiskers and go to town. All of my splitting is done by hand without a splitting block while the wood is froze. Frozen wood explodes easily through even the narliest stuff. I have raced hydraulic splitters and smoked em bad in single digit temps at the age of 57. Lucky me just finished bucking bout 9 cords of red oak and will commence splitting when the temps drop this weekend.



Good point. I will have to brush the snow off and have at it when I get a chance.


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## WiscWoody (Feb 17, 2014)

There is so much snow on the 696 acre lake here that the 2' thick ice use sinking and water is forced to the top of the ice under the snow. That kills the ice fishing season!


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## Craig S. (Feb 18, 2014)

I have a mountain of Maple under about 18" of ice & snow waiting to process.   My processing area is buried by a higher drift.   Probably will be a month before its reasonable to start on it.


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## mstoelton (Feb 18, 2014)

2 feet of snow on the ground, can't access my woodlot - it will wait.


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## jillybeansisme (Feb 21, 2014)

I have 14 trees on my lot that need to be felled.  The excavation guy was going to give me a discount in trade for the trees for his sawmill.  I'm thinking maybe I should ask my nephew to come down and cut them up for me and give him a truck load to take home and store the rest at the back of the lot.


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## Flatbedford (Feb 22, 2014)

With over a foot on the ground, I am shut down for a while. I can't get to my scrounge spots in this much snow. Looks like I may be working into the warm weather this year.


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## Seanm (Feb 23, 2014)

I think it will be months before I can access the back country and the wood in my back yard is getting to be a pain in the _ss to access.


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## JrCRXHF (Feb 24, 2014)

I don't process in the winter because i use the wood as a work out. Plus this winter the snow is deep enough i would have to plow my way back to the wood pile with the kubota. Plus i have been on the road so much for work i have not been able to burn much wood.


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