Post storm scrounging

[Flatbedford]

Last weeks big storm made a mess of things around me. some people were without power for 4 days or more. I did a little road side scrounging yesterday. Before you all get started on me, this was all on NYC watershed property, none belonged to any private landowners.
I found this Red Oak on a nice quiet road with plenty of room to park off the road.

I got about 1/2 a pickup load here.
On the way home along a state highway I came across this nice little pile of Red Oak.

There is tons more a little further into the woods, but I would have to climb over downed phone or cable TV wires to get at it.

I'll check back in a few weeks. Over the years, I have pulled tons of Red Oak of this 1/4 mile stretch of the state highway.
I took the little truck because it is too muddy and snowy to take the old flatbed off pavement right now. The pickup sure does load up fast.

Most of my scrounges over the last year or so have been Ash, Cherry, Soft Maple, and Black Locust. I forgot just how heavy Red Oak can be! But it sure does split easy! This Oak will be my '11/'12 fuel. Nice to be ahead now.
On the way home with this stuff, my friend at the tree company called to tell me I could pick up a whole tree's worth of Red Oak on a job of his about 1/2 hour from me. I had to turn it down because I just didn't have the time. He assured me that there will be more and said that he would try and work it out so that I could meet his log loader at jobs so they could load me up! I might even give up roadside scrounging if this connection works out.

 

[thewoodlands]

Flatbedford nice!

Zap

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Sa-weet.

I pass a lot of downed wood that I don't have time to scrounge right now, after our storm last week. Even white oak- more dense dry, but less dense when wet than red oak in my experience.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

That's pretty good Steve. Congratulations.

 

[Gunks]

You are lucky. Plenty of down trees here but I have to climb over a 5 feet snow bank to get to it. Have to drive around some more to find something easier to get to.

 

[Flatbedford]

The snow should melt by July.

 

[wood spliter]

That's a real nice score. Close to the road!

 

[iskiatomic]

Ilove oak, free oak is even better!

Nice score.

KC

 

[Flatbedford]

I like Oak too! I only had about 1/3 cord of it on hand this winter, that was from about 300' down the road from this. It had been on the ground for 4+ years when I split it. I was saving it for the real cold. I was so concerned about saving it that I still have 3/4 of it. :lol: It will be even better next year. There is some more on the ground right next to what I got yesterday that has been there for 4 years. I hope to get that and split it soon, so that I can burn it next year.

 

[rdust]

You can just cut on the road side if it's state owned land? I don't think that's legal around here. I asked my local county and they said if it's in the roadway it's fair game, we can't just wander off the road and start cutting though. On our state land to the north we can get a fuel wood permit to cut 5 cords per year of downed wood for 25 bucks. It's a far drive though and really not worth it for me.

 

[Flatbedford]

It's not state forest or park land. It is New York City Department of Environmental Protection watershed. There are acres of NYC reservoirs down here and the city has bought up a lot of the watershed land to protect it from development to keep the water cleaner to avoid having to build filtration plants. I'm not sure what government agency owns this exact piece of land, but it is not privately owned, that I know for sure. I have been harvesting along this road for years and have ever had a problem. State, county, local and NYC DEP law enforcement vehicles have passed by many times with no questions asked. I just make sure not to block the road.

 

[bogydave]

Great score.
Many BTUs there!
Split already, you're doing great

 

[Flatbedford]

I only quartered them so I could lift them into the truck. Red Oak and Fiskars is a heck of a combination. 2 or 3 wacks and 20" rounds are in halves. One more whack each for quarters.

 

[bboulier]

Great find! I think I need a pick-up truck. Still need get my wife to agree, however. Another winter like this one in Northern VA might be convincing.

Bryan

 

[f3cbboy]

nice score. there is still lots of wood on the ground around me also. need to get some time off to go and get it!