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[woodman]

This post is mostly just me venting and for any guys out there having a hard time with this deep concrete snow conditions. This is my 8th season with my owb and for a number of reasons I am struggling like never before! I knew this fall I was going to have trouble, and I knew it would be worse if the snow was deep during the home stretch of the burning season. The last couple of years I have spent a great deal of time finishing the last stages of my house, which left me little time to stay ahead on my firewood. This wood I am burning now, is complete crap! For the life of me I can not get it to build up a coal bed, it acts just like pine but doesn't burn as hot. Combine the crap wood with the coldest February on record, 2 feet of snow in the woods, add in what is now my largest heat load ever placed on my system between added sq ft and even more dhw demand, and I am having a little trouble. I am going to get through this and the weather is suppose to break a little next week, and I am looking forward to it! I will do everything I can to not fall this far behind again.

[intensedrive]

Your not the only one struggling bro!  Its all part of the game.  Win some seasons fall short on some.  In the end builds character and strength.  I have noticed wood burning crowd are more humble and appreciate the simple things in life.  Thaw is coming and things will look up!  I think everyone can relate to the hardships that can happen with burning wood. 

[yotehunter66]

I'm considering buying a semi load so I can get ahead. I can usually keep up with what I'm burning during the season but I can't build up enough to ,eat it sit for a while. Going out to cut some today.

[tawilson1152]

Yeah, I had visions of using my first winter of retirement getting a big jump on logs. Instead, I've done the unthinkable and flipped the oil boiler on for these sub zero nights. I'm hoping this thaw we have coming will melt this snow down to a hard base I can drive on before things turn to mud.

[fireboss]

MY wife always complains that we have to much wood and it takes up the hole yard well this winter proves my point you can never have to much, what you don't use this year you will be ahead next year!

[wissel12]

Me too Yoder. Going to buy some logs. Six cords for $400. I want to get ahead.

[jamesbodeis]

This has been my first winter and I have learned a lot. Takes way, way more wood than I could have ever imagined. I have had to burn some junk and green wood to get through. Im hopeful to get enough this spring for next winter so next winter i can prepare for the following year.

[kommandokenny]

Had 6 cords, this is what's left .....not going to make it....
Coldest Feb in 80 years




Reserve is buried 50 yds away might as well be 50 miles





oooopps

[mlappin]

Between the snow, cold and a buggered up back this winter has been fun to say the least, thankfully I go the waste oil boiler up and running in the shop which practically cut my wood use during the day to zero. Also had a tree service give me those almost 5' chunks of rock maple, split those up wit the skid steer splitter and throw a few pieces on top of the dry wood.

Looks like the weather is finally going to break here so instead of snow and cold I'll have to fight slush and mud, was hoping to have the processor up and running for this weekend before "stuff" starts to thaw out but the wife had a new AICD implanted Thursday so been taking care of her.

[U.P. Doug]

Worked on my install last summer and planned to cut wood in Nov. and Dec. We got 67" of snow in November which pretty much ended that. I bought 19 cord of hard maple that was cut in the fall, and was lucky to find that as well as buy 7 face cord of seasoned ash. Between that and lots of heavy oak pallets from work and pine crates broken down, I am getting by. I have been cutting enough of the green maple on the weekend to get through the week. Weather is supposed to break next week.

[kommandokenny]

UP ,,where are you,, and what did you pay for a face cord???

Goes for about 100 bananas around here,,,, split and delivered
Neighbour sells /delivers logs of maple, for $50.

near north Ontario

[U.P. Doug]

kk I am between Rudyard and Trout Lake in Michigan's upper peninsula. I paid 55 per face cord for the seasoned wood that was cut at 22" and 120 per cord for the hard maple delivered. A lot of the mills here are buying anything they can get their hands on driving the price up and firewood is still hard to come by here due to last years hard winter and not being able to get in the woods to cut. Lots of firewood below the Mackinac bridge at cheaper prices, but we cannot transport it across the bridge due to the ash borer. The ash trees are dead or dying here already so not sure how this ban helps??

[kommandokenny]

Right on,, .prices are close,depending on species and how it's marketed,..

Spent some time at a buddies farm in Gladwin .
Did the Traverse City thing also,,, 1970's
Nice area!!!

[mlappin]

kk I am between Rudyard and Trout Lake in Michigan's upper peninsula. I paid 55 per face cord for the seasoned wood that was cut at 22" and 120 per cord for the hard maple delivered. A lot of the mills here are buying anything they can get their hands on driving the price up and firewood is still hard to come by here due to last years hard winter and not being able to get in the woods to cut. Lots of firewood below the Mackinac bridge at cheaper prices, but we cannot transport it across the bridge due to the ash borer. The ash trees are dead or dying here already so not sure how this ban helps??

The ban is ridiculous, the stupid beatles fly anyways, they will spread regardless, at best the ban might slow em down. The state park across the wood only allows "approved firewood" in the park, like that is going to keep em from flying from my side of the road into the park.

[U.P. Doug]

I agree that the ban is ridiculous. I had a small farm downstate in Lapeer MI. when the ash borer started. Had beetles flying everywhere and all the ash trees in my fencerows died. When I moved here 5 years ago from my 2 year job relocation in Costa Rica the ash trees in the upper peninsula were still doing fine, but not anymore. Of course the ban allowed them to raise the price of wood up here to about 80 a face cord... I hope to cut from my woods this spring before the mud and the black flies.
Traverse City is a nice area kk, changed a lot since the 70's, built up a lot and a very busy area in the summer.