The Year of Falling Trees

[Cluttermagnet]

This year my area (Mid Atlantic/DelMarVa) took its share of storms. I remember when New England got worked over a couple of years ago- and looks like they are going to get it yet again. Well, once again, so are we. This will be major event #3 for my area this year.

We had that unusual "Derecheo" storm with heavy straight line winds back on June 29th. That one snapped a big Tulip Poplar in my neighbor's yard. The top of it fell into my back yard and gave me quite a lengthy workout sorting it all out and stacking the rounds for later splitting.

Then we got walloped again some time in September. I don't remember the exact date, probably 4-6 weeks ago. This time one of my own big trees came down in the middle of my back yard. It was another huge Poplar, 30in+ size. Fortunately none of these has hit our house.

I just finally finished getting that 2nd tree all cut up last week, ended up with several piles of rounds and a big collection of over 30 Poplar rounds about 14in thick and 26-32in+ diameter. I managed to do all this with an 18in 'Harry Homeowner' type saw. I've learned a lot on this forum. Proud to say that I had that huge tree shimmed up good enough that I never once got my bar jammed as I cut. I used plastic felling wedges and some steel wedges all along, during the cutting of those big disks.

Now we have that super storm brewing and it's headed right our way. Will probably make landfall a little to the north of us, but still we are going to get hammered for two days. Sure glad I live a little more inland.

Thats the 'stump' where the tree snapped off at about 25ft up.

A foreshortened view- that's about 40ft of trunk in the photo. A little tricky when cutting into the 'arms' to let it fall down to the ground safely. I took no chances, did it very slowly and methodically, and at the very end, actually gave it that final shove by hand to make it break and fall.

I took a sledge hammer and drove a lot of rounds under the trunk for shims- more than are seen in this photo.

Carpenter ants had this tree all hollowed out. Broke off about 25ft up. A wonder it stayed up as long as it did.

A view of the first 9 disks cut from the main trunk. It ended up 30+ disks when the job was done. About the bottom 10ft of the trunk was hollowed out by ants. I'm sure there's more of that still aloft. I'll post one more shot later showing the hollow rounds. I'm in no hurry to take down that stub. Maybe next spring. I'm busy processing all the Poplar and Oak I got in this year's storms.

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Here's a shot of the tree completely cut up. The first 10ft of trunk, from about 25ft up to 35ft up was hollowed out by Carpenter Ants.

I've been lucky- and very grateful- to have a neighbor let me use his rental vertical gas splitter each year for the past several years. But I always seemed to have more rounds than I had splitter time. So this Fall I bought myself one of those little 5 ton electric splitters from Homelite. So far, for only 299. I am liking it a lot. I've still got tons and tons of rounds to go through here- some Oak and mostly Tulip Poplar.

I'll still be doing plenty of hand splitting. Both to reduce oversize rounds for the splitter and just because I like the exercise.

 

[bogydave]

Big tree!
At least you got some wood from it.

Hope less damage for this storm.
Be safe!

 

[tcassavaugh]

yup, hunkering down in expectation of the storm picking up. i had a twin come down during the Derecheo too. still picking at it.

 

[CageMaster]

those are some very nice rounds

 

[Cluttermagnet]

Thanks, guys. It may not be Oak, but Tulip Poplar is a surprisingly good wood. Just give it a good year to season and it really adds to a nice hardwood fire. I throw in the occasional stick or two of Poplar with a load of mostly Oak, Locust, or Cherry, and get nice long burns with good coaling. Tulip will perk up a fire that has burned down some. Good help when you add fuel to get things going faster.

7:40PM here on Monday night and Hurricane Sandy hit land just this evening. So far so good. Power dropped briefly, but so far we have it. The worst will be around midnight here. Probably 7+ total inches of rain expected locally, more nearer the eye. Fingers crossed...

There will be beaucoup wood harvest opportunities this next week.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sounds like you are doing fine Clutter.