The last few days’ warm temps (50s) erased almost all of last Friday’s snow. There’s only the odd patch here and there on The Mountain, mostly in shady cedar groves and on the north slope.
I finally made it outside today around 10:30am — Deb and I really dragged ass this morning — and walked down to the shed. I threw my woodcutting gear into the Ranger and drove down to where the trunk of that roadside oak was waiting for me.
Now that it was free of snow, and with light snow predicted for tonight, it was time to finish it. To put it bluntly, I wanted the damned thing off my to-do list.
My chainsaw-of-choice today was the Husqvarna — fresh tuneup, sharp chain, and my longest bar (18-inch). I also brought along a pair of large wheel chocks, leftovers from our motorhome days, and wedged them under the trunk before I started cutting, to keep it from rolling away.
When I sawed through the first buttress and the big log stayed put, I had a feeling it’d be a good day. And it was, overall, but it wasn’t totally smooth sailing.
About five cuts in, I felt the saw beginning to bind and quickly pulled it free. Unfortunately, the tip of the bar got pinched hard enough to seize the sprocket. It wouldn’t budge, and the chain wouldn’t move.
A little rough therapy on the tailgate of the Ranger and I was back in business.
The Husky ran well. The farther I went, however, and the closer I got to the base of the trunk, the more obvious it was that this is a “homeowners chainsaw.” With only modest torque on-tap, it struggled, especially through wood that demanded I use the bar’s entire length.
The oak itself was savage and exacted a toll on the equipment. The saw threw satisfying chips for most of the session, but toward the end it was spitting dust. And it was pulling hard to the right.
The Husqvarna can look forward to a date soon with me and a couple of files.
But I got what I came for, as much as I could harvest with the tools I have. I left only about four feet of the trunk for bugs and birds.
Swapping the handy Ranger for the Silverado and its large bed, I loaded what I’d bucked and brought it back to the wood yard — 20 rounds in all, ranging from 16 inches to 22 inches in diameter. That’ll heat the cabin efficiently and well for many days.
I stacked it on a pallet with the rest of what I’d claimed from that wind-downed tree (along with a small stack bucked from a fallen limb), stepped back and admired what I’d accomplished.
I’m still learning. I’m still making mistakes. But yeah, I was made for this.
From pitching those rounds down the slope toward the truck, to unloading it all from the bed onto the ground, my Fiskars hookaroon earned its keep today. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
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