Finally finished chopping out the above log, I'll show the whole progression here.
The log is a big blow down that's across the trail I maintain.
The original plan was to wait until I got crosscut certified (certification was cancelled last year due to covid) and then go saw the log out. But then one day towards the end of summer I was up there with the axe (always have an axe!) and though we'll, I'm here, maybe I can take some out of it.
Then hunting season happened and I didn't get back up there again until January, but by then all the water in the middle of the log was frozen solid so I could only chop down a ways before I got into the icy wood so I just widened the notch a little This picture is taken from the opposite of the log as the first picture
Next time I went up I made a new notch to establish the total width of the area I wanted to remove - but again, could only go down so far as the middle was still frozen. I think this was march.
Then I went back in April and the log had finally thawed. I started out widening and deepening the original notch and then took some out of the middle
Finally last week I went up and finished it up with a double bit. I decided not to chop it all the way through. I thought it made kind of a neat step over, and has some character. It is in a wilderness area so leaving some step overs is encouraged - not supposed to be perfectly manicured.
So, all in all, I worked on it over 5 different trips and used 4 different axes on it. First one was 4lb Jersey with 31" bent handle, second was 4lb Jersey with 27" straight handle, third was 4lb dayton with 27" straight handle, and then a 4lb michigan double bit with a 29" handle. The notch is at least 36" wide and the log is almost 24" across. I tried to count the rings and I got close to 200 but I'm not sure how accurate I was as I was. The wood is some kind of oak - likely northern red, as that's the dominant oak up there, and at least the outside was VERY hard, but all my axes bit right into it and knocked out some nice big chips. you should see the ground all around it - its like mulched with big oak chips. A lot of wood came out of that log. I stood up and jumped on that little strap I left though and it didn't creak or crack at all, so I think it will hold for a while yet.
Oh, and I'm now crosscut certified also, but chopping is more fun
I was hiking up a trail yesterday and found this hemlock tree across it. It had recently fallen and the tree was still alive (most have died around here and the rest are pretty sick right now from the wooly adelgid).
Luckily I had my axe with me (of course), so I went to work on it.
I made an initial notch and then kept widening and deepening the notch one layer at a time
although I started one layer that I didnt end up needing as I was able to get all the way through with the previous layer
The axe was my 4lb Flint edge Jersey on a 27" straight link handle. It's the axe I always take with me on the trail as it fits good in my pack
The log was about 13 inches across - Buck 120 is 12" long for scale.
one more for good measure
Nope, I'm in the mountains of northwestern virginia at the west virginia border - so I guess that's the central appalachian mountain region. Ecologically more like the north east US. The hemlock species is eastern or canadian hemlock.
Once I saw the heading "TikTok" I knew there wouldn't be, and the poor form convinced me.
Are you a member of a trail club?Finally finished chopping out the above log, I'll show the whole progression here.
The log is a big blow down that's across the trail I maintain.
The original plan was to wait until I got crosscut certified (certification was cancelled last year due to covid) and then go saw the log out. But then one day towards the end of summer I was up there with the axe (always have an axe!) and though we'll, I'm here, maybe I can take some out of it.
Then hunting season happened and I didn't get back up there again until January, but by then all the water in the middle of the log was frozen solid so I could only chop down a ways before I got into the icy wood so I just widened the notch a little This picture is taken from the opposite of the log as the first picture
Next time I went up I made a new notch to establish the total width of the area I wanted to remove - but again, could only go down so far as the middle was still frozen. I think this was march.
Then I went back in April and the log had finally thawed. I started out widening and deepening the original notch and then took some out of the middle
Finally last week I went up and finished it up with a double bit. I decided not to chop it all the way through. I thought it made kind of a neat step over, and has some character. It is in a wilderness area so leaving some step overs is encouraged - not supposed to be perfectly manicured.
So, all in all, I worked on it over 5 different trips and used 4 different axes on it. First one was 4lb Jersey with 31" bent handle, second was 4lb Jersey with 27" straight handle, third was 4lb dayton with 27" straight handle, and then a 4lb michigan double bit with a 29" handle. The notch is at least 36" wide and the log is almost 24" across. I tried to count the rings and I got close to 200 but I'm not sure how accurate I was as I was. The wood is some kind of oak - likely northern red, as that's the dominant oak up there, and at least the outside was VERY hard, but all my axes bit right into it and knocked out some nice big chips. you should see the ground all around it - its like mulched with big oak chips. A lot of wood came out of that log. I stood up and jumped on that little strap I left though and it didn't creak or crack at all, so I think it will hold for a while yet.
Oh, and I'm now crosscut certified also, but chopping is more fun