Denise
Sep 29 2012, 12:58 PM
There are alot of things one must do to be safe when out cutting for firewood. One of the first things to do is to evaluate the area you will be cutting in.
This is a picture of CP showing our son a BIG HAZZARD someone left, that he spotted when looking around the property we are working on.
Click to view attachmentHere is a picture of what the guys are looking at
........Can you see the hazzard? It's really easy to miss! Exactly why it is such a hazzard and could
easily kill someone just wandering around not paying attention.
Click to view attachment
Caveman
Sep 29 2012, 09:00 PM
WOW!
That one took me awhile to find..... I wouldn't want to walk by there on a windy day! There'd be almost no warning!
russau
Sep 30 2012, 06:59 AM
"hangers", waiting to knock your block off!
Denise
Sep 30 2012, 08:21 PM
Here is a closer look at what I was refering to. This is a tree that a previous cutter left (not Dan and myself). It should have been pulled down with a truck and chain.
Never leave a cut tree hung up like this, very dangerous!! Natural hangers are bad enough to worry about.
Click to view attachment
Denise
Oct 6 2012, 07:21 AM
Pulling the tree down was a bit of a task, especially with only 2 wheel drive but it is done.
I took a video if anyone is interested in seeing.
Caveman
Oct 6 2012, 09:49 AM
QUOTE (Mrs.CP @ Oct 6 2012, 08:21 AM)
Pulling the tree down was a bit of a task, especially with only 2 wheel drive but it is done.
I took a video if anyone is interested in seeing.
I woud love to see it!
Caveman
Denise
Oct 7 2012, 07:17 AM
Here is a video of the first tree being pulled down.....
Click to view attachmentThis is a second tree that also hungup in the other trees and had to be pulled down.....
Click to view attachment
leonard
Oct 7 2012, 09:20 AM
Great looking firewood cutting area. If you lived closer I'd come out and join you for a day. I always enjoyed cutting wood. I took my kids a lot and they still remember it also.
Leonard
russau
Oct 8 2012, 06:36 AM
if Loenard would come down to help cutting of the fire wood, you better get a tractor trailer to haul all that gets cut! he is a cutting machine!:)
Denise
Jan 11 2013, 01:17 PM
This is a private land owner that is giving Dan access for wood cutting. Quite a bit of dead wood as far as the eye can see.....for deep in the woods.
Forcast is calling for -29 tonight but is always colder than they call for.
Felt like I was in the Frogger game dodging HUGE tumble weeds when I was outside earlier.
Ever get nailed by a tumble weed traveling around 40-50 mph?
Like having a Porcupine thrown at you.
Better get busy if we want to keep ahead of the weather.....
Denise
Sep 6 2013, 10:44 AM
Time to get busy again!
Warming up and making room for the "big" tree that will be coming down soon.
Rats! Tree landed right on a bee hive on the ground, making it more interesting!
swizz
Sep 6 2013, 11:23 AM
That's a big un!
Large enough to slab and make end tables.
Denise
Sep 6 2013, 11:46 AM
The big one that he is going to cut down soon dwarfs that one. Dan was going to rent a bigger saw for it but the only "one" they rent is the same size as his. Not helpful!
Guess he will have to saw at it like a beaver...
Will yield alot of firewood including it's limbs!
swizz
Sep 6 2013, 12:28 PM
The one in that pic would make a great tomahawk target... just the way it sits.
Denise
Sep 10 2013, 10:06 AM
That tree was definately a limby beast. The larger one we are going to get should sit the trunk much higher off the ground. Those things are scary to cut up after they are down but we are very safe when out cutting.
swizz
Sep 10 2013, 12:39 PM
Yeah, I noticed Dan has a nice pair of the Stihl chaps in that pic. I need a pair! They're not cheap though.
Denise
Sep 11 2013, 12:14 PM
They may not be cheap but they last a long time......therefore helping your legs last longer!
PRICELESS!!!
Denise
Sep 24 2013, 09:32 AM
Look out, it's coming down!!!!....
TIMMMBER!!
Denise
Sep 25 2013, 06:50 AM
Here is a picture of it still standing. It's the tall one in the middle.
Click to view attachmentThis is a picture of CP cutting it down. Notice it's mean lean?
Click to view attachmentYou could hear the cracking when it started to fall. The thing sounded like an explosion when it hit the ground! Left a huge mess as you can see. Branches still stood about 12-13 feet up with it down.
Click to view attachmentHere is a picture of Tim and Dan cleaning it up. Those trunk pieces were huge (not shown cut yet)! No chunk tossing for these, had to roll them back to the truck....uphill.
Arms and legs feel like wet noodles today.
Click to view attachmentOnly half cut up it filled the truck, so another day of cleaning it up. Couple cords in this one!
Denise
Sep 26 2013, 08:36 AM
Here is a picture of Dan flattening off the stump. Good thing this tree was taken down, the termites had the bottom center rotted out so it would have come down on it's own in a few years with that mean lean and weight.
Click to view attachmentWe prepped for falling this tree for several days, taking down the trees close that would hang it up. Good thing too! Here is a picture of where it fell. Right on top of a stump of one we cut. Can even see how close it was to another stump. Hit the stump so hard it drove it sideways and into the ground folding the bark.
A branch of the tree right next to the stump drove in about 3 feet. Wow!!
Click to view attachmentThis is a picture with just a few of the chunks. We relocated the truck and these were rolled downhill to load.....
Was enough just getting them into the truck!
Click to view attachmentTook no time to load!
Man was the truck loaded down with her nose in the air when we finished.
Click to view attachmentStay safe out there everyone!
russau
Sep 27 2013, 04:13 AM
yep i remeber getting 2 safes(2x2x2) and my brother and i loaded it into his 1/2 ton truck. BOY was that a mistake! but we got them and had the nose really pointed into the air and could only drive about 10/15 MPH. the tires were barely touching the street. the rest is a long story thats better shared by a campfire and a cold drink!:)
Caveman
Sep 27 2013, 10:06 AM
Gonna have to take you up on that!
russau
Sep 27 2013, 12:47 PM
look for me in Wyoming next June/July or on the Arkansa come Labor Day if my back is any better!
Caveman
Sep 27 2013, 10:44 PM
Depending on where on the Arkansas, we might have a place for you to rest yer weary bones!
Denise
Sep 28 2013, 09:02 AM
Winds were REALLY bad the other day and took down LOTS of live and dead trees.
Not a day to be out cutting! Lots were cleared from the roads but several are still there. Some were left as we call them "widow makers or hangers". Not safe and several were hanging over the roads.
Here are a few pictures of some hanging. First picture is of one being held up by another Aspen...but not for long, it will snap soon!
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachmentThis last picture is to show how high some of these trees snapped. Bet it was a loud scary day in these woods!
Click to view attachmentAfter dropping and buzzing up several trees, it started to rain and get windy again so we headed out.
Nature sure has a way of saying "Look at me!"
Caveman
Sep 30 2013, 02:45 AM
QUOTE (Mrs.CP @ Sep 28 2013, 10:02 AM)
Nature sure has a way of saying "Look at me!"
She also has a way of saying "Stop" and "Get the H*** OUT!"
russau
Sep 30 2013, 04:34 AM
the last time i fooled around with firewood, i used my ATV to drive out into the woods and wrap a chain around a downed dead tree and drag it back to camp where the young/strong guys with the chain saws would go to work on it.
Denise
Oct 1 2013, 07:13 AM
QUOTE (Caveman @ Sep 30 2013, 02:45 AM)
She also has a way of saying "Stop" and "Get the H*** OUT!"
True! As we did, but I am the type that likes to step back and watch and learn.
That is how we pulled the logs out we were cutting down for someone several years ago. He had a huge pile Russ! It was stacking the logs that was the hard part.
Denise
Oct 11 2013, 07:34 AM
While moving one of those huge chunks from the big tree, it rolled over and fell against my ankle.....ouch did that leave a mark! Steel toe shoes are good to have when out working but not helpful when it hits the side of your foot.
I'm going to feel that one for a while!!
Here is a picture of a tree (with the Raven on it) that has
Dwarf Mistletoe at the top of it. No, it's not the kind of Mistletoe that you kiss someone under at Christmas time.
This mistletoe is a big tree killer in Colorado's forests. Click the link and you can learn more about it through the Colorado Forest Service site.
Click to view attachmentStay safe out there everyone!!
Denise
Oct 16 2013, 09:51 AM
You need one of these Dan......but I can guarantee that you would be safer with yours though.
"
Big Stihl"
Tree is HUGE in this video!!!I could think of more usefull ways to do something like this also, but in ways that you wouldn't have to lift it....
"
V8 Chainsaw"
A girl can dream right?
A longer bar and chain sure would have been handy for the big one but we got it handled.
Don't think I'd want a V8 chainsaw.....that's crazy! Handheld even! Yikes!!
russau
Oct 19 2013, 04:47 AM
wow! thats all i can say!!
Denise
Oct 23 2013, 10:34 AM
Here is a picture of a tree that broke about 12' off the ground and hung up in another dead tree during that bad wind storm. Not safe to leave so it definately had to go! Good thing this was the last load for the year. With heavy sticky wet snow, we had to carry all the chunks back.....no chunk tossing for this load or they turn into snowballs when they rolled.
What a workout hauling wood through the snowy woods!!
Love it!! Was such a big heavy load by the time we were done, that CP had the old truck bucking her front end up and down in the snow when we were leaving.
Sure had my eyes wide open! He just laughed!
russau
Oct 24 2013, 03:59 AM
But it sire feels nice when the job is done!
Last load??!! Who said that?
Snow could melt off yet and we could probably get at least 1 or 2 more good loads out of there still....... Maybe.
Truck was only buckin' a little in front 6-8" trying to stop on that slick snow.
Does feel good to have what we think should be the minimum needed for winters heat already cut down and off the mountain, but now we need a caber for tossin' I guess? My wife is nuts!
Denise
Oct 26 2013, 10:54 AM
It's called adventurous CP!
Plus it doesn't have to be a large caber (tree). Just large enough for me to toss, we have plenty of room for me to practice.
Denise
Feb 26 2014, 07:07 AM
Still lots of firewood left yet. You can even see the throwing block set up on the left side.
Split piles are getting low so it's back to the chopping block.
Just need to clear some tumble weeds out of the way first!
swizz
Feb 26 2014, 08:50 AM
Why isn't there any snow there? I didn't know you guys were that dry.
There actually was some snow until a couple weeks ago and we started to melt....what a muddy mess! We're finally drying out and not "baja'ing" to town. Had a couple nights when it still froze hard enough to freeze up the starter with all the water splashin' the day before.....grrrr!
We still have some slight chances of moisture over the next few days and then there is March...........oh boy! We'll either really get a bunch next month or the ground hog was wrong.
swizz
Feb 27 2014, 07:20 AM
Denise
Feb 28 2014, 08:10 AM
Too funny! That's a beautiful wolf!!! We actually got some hail last night but it's already melted this morning. Smelled great!!
Denise
Apr 2 2014, 10:46 AM
Check out this sketch that a guy at an Indian reservation in Oklahoma drew. Turned out fantastic!! The picture you put up reminded me of it.
Thought you might like to see it. I need to get a frame for it still.
Click to view attachmentStill have at least a cord of wood left and winter is officially over!
Caveman
Apr 2 2014, 04:31 PM
QUOTE (Mrs.CP @ Apr 2 2014, 11:46 AM)
Still have at least a cord of wood left and winter is officially over!
After the first winter here, found that we need to stockpile at least 5 cords to get through a winter.... Damn expensive buying it. Got a wood splitter added to my wish list.
swizz
Apr 3 2014, 05:36 AM
I usually get by with three cords but have a small place. Gone through close to three now and glad it's about over.
Dayummmm Denise.... that sketch is incredible! I would most definitely have that one framed.
Denise
Aug 10 2014, 12:14 PM
Headed out yesterday to start cutting again for winter wood. Tim stepped out of the truck, wandered off a little then posed for this picture. She saw him but he didn't see her.
Click to view attachmentGreat way to start the day and ended it with a truck full of firewood.
swizz
Aug 15 2014, 05:41 AM
You got photo-bombed by a Deer!
Denise
Aug 15 2014, 09:07 AM
Deer was probably thinking who brought the giraffe in.
Child needs to stop growing upward and start growing outward. Only 14 and stands around 6'1"
Gets the tall part from both sides of the family but got my fast metabolism.
Denise
Aug 22 2014, 08:12 AM
Here is a picture of Dan working............
....No wonder he complains about his back hurting after doing wood.
swizz
Aug 22 2014, 09:09 AM
LEGS! Cripes his legs are about as big as the trees.... use them!
Denise
Aug 22 2014, 09:23 AM
Ha! He does, all day long! Amazing how many trees we can cut down in the same time as others cutting in the area.
They will be there when we get there and still there when we leave with more wood than they have loaded. Days cutting Aspen are a breeze to us compared to the Pines though and a lot less messy of a clean up. Was amazing to see how much growth there has been since we cut that big one down.
Yellow flowers and grass was so high that you could barely see the stump and the rest of the trunk left not cut up yet. Here is a picture of the area after we let the light in.
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