Something I NEVER thought would excite me back home in IN :)

[SFC B]

I have always loved using a saw and cutting firewood. One of the house we had in IN before I went on Active Duty had a wood burner and both of our houses here in CO have had them. In IN I could go to a municipal lot in Indianapolis where they brought the trees cut down for easement and utility purposes and cut and haul to my hearts desire. If I would have been a lazy bugger I could ve had a heaping pickup load of cut and split hardwood delivered for under $100. CO has been a disappointment in the firewood arena. Hardly any hardwood and it is CRAZY expensive if you have to buy it. For a few years now I have bought a cutting permit for Ft Carson and have done alright in what I have gotten. Most of the cutting areas are burn over from grass fires, so it is standing dead and usually ready to burn. This year, like previously, i decided to do a little "scouting/driving" and came upon a nice little stand of standing dead oaks My new Stihl has shown itself to be quality so far between camp cutting and this and I think this was $10 well spent :hump::hump: Strange how little stuff like this can make your day.

 

[hank4elk]

Love my woodcutting too. I try & find oak,walnut,& alligator juniper with my FS permit when possible. I do burn pinion & juniper too but pinion really clogs the stovepipe,just to offset the great smell...lol
I look for control burn spots along FS roads where they cut trees down & set the burns,with wood cut to lengths 3-8'.Also I find thinning projects with wood down & already cut to handy lengths. Just needs limbing & loading.I cut to stove length at home & split by hand as this pine & such is ez.
Nothing like the oaks & madrone hardwoods in CA but ez to split.
Heading down into the Gila tomorrow for another day of wood collecting & enjoying the woods with my dog.

 

[dcopas78]

The hardwood definitely spoils us back east. I'm luck enough to have a father in law that hauls logs for a living so he has connections with all of the lumber mills in the area. The last few years, I've been collecting the cut offs from their railroad tie cuts (9×7). This year was all red oak, white oak, ash and American hickory. It cost me zilch other than time and gas money, and a spare for my trailer after running over a piece of rebar in the lumberyard. It splits up real nice too. I also got an oak down by my dad's to cut up that has been down for about 3 years. It's a huge tree. Probably darn near 2 cords in it. Going to start on it as soon as the ground hardens. I love cutting and splitting wood. And my wife loves to stack it all nice and neat.

 

[kenton]

Congrats on finding joy in firewood. Unfortunately, I can't. Cut and split a few dozen cords every year since I could carry a piece. Then I joined at fraternity at college that sold firewood for beer money. And I don't think I've had a job (including current) since college that didn't require cutting firewood in one way or another. Honestly, Im jealous of you guys but I feel like i've cut more than my fair share and I hate it.