Winter operating conditions

[Ken]

The conditions for operating here in central NB have been optimal this winter.  This has been great for putting wood roadside but the downside is that the mills are starting to fill up early and many are getting quite fussy.   What are the conditions where you are operating? 

 


  

 

On another note adding pictures to posts now seems much easier than before.  Kudos to the administrators.

[snowstorm]

its the winter that wasnt. the ground is hard not much snow. havnt had much all winter. spring could come early or maybe not if the jet stream shifts. would much rather have 2' of snow on the ground

[dsgsr]

About the same weather conditions here too. The mills aren't taking any softwood pulp, and thats all I cut. Took me 3-weeks to get out 10-Cord and it's just setting there. I'm hopeful the mills will start taking before it warms up.


David

[Ed_K]

 I shut down 2 weeks ago,not enough snow to keep the logs clean,no frozen grnd.I cut afternoons and skid out next morning till skid road gave out.I was working a really steep cut area skidding up hill,could only pull 2 33' logs or it was winch drop move rewinch.twice I didn't drop quick enough and broke thru,wiggling side to side turned the road to soup.
I'm sitting here thinking of changing over to a forwarder-hand cut op.All the fowarder's I could afford are out in Mi. Wis. tho.
It's going to be an early sugarin season here,but that don't pay the skidder rebuild payments.

[rick f]

Same here in Columbia Falls. Finily got the groud frozen cut 5 tri-axel loads then they started slowing down at the mills. We shifted to firewood for a couple weeks now to get our own cut up and home. I put it on the yard last week while my buddy was in Florida. Nice stuff, should split good. We split it all by hand. we did 60 cord last year, 3 of us.

[timbuck2]

SW pulp dove $6/ton  effective Monday

[Bobus2003]

Grounds frozen, not much snow to speak of. (sale we just moved from had maybe a foot). Temps are all over from 0* to 50* so the roads go from frozen to muddy on a daily basis.

[doghunter]

not much winter till now only good frozen once before now. mills pretty full still taking wood. three sawmills within 50 miles bought by chinese investors waiting to see how that works out.the plywood plant is on tight quotas. firewood slow not enough cold weather. oh well we'll produce ourselves right into quotas by spring

[Corley5]

Not much snow here.  A foot in some places in the woods.  Lots of ice on the skid roads and landings.  Temps have been swinging from highs around forty for a few days to highs in the teens to mid twenties for few days.  Odd weather.  Good for logging.  Markets are there.  Prices aren't anything to brag about but the checks are good.  Firewood has been steady as usual and covers fuel costs for the rest of the operation  :-\

[Autocar]

Here in northwest Ohio the ground hasn't been frozzen at all till yesturday been in the low teens but suppose to warm up later in the week. Mills are still paying good for white oak and walnut as long as there big logs that can be quarter sawn.

[snowstorm]

I shut down 2 weeks ago,not enough snow to keep the logs clean,no frozen grnd.I cut afternoons and skid out next morning till skid road gave out.I was working a really steep cut area skidding up hill,could only pull 2 33' logs or it was winch drop move rewinch.twice I didn't drop quick enough and broke thru,wiggling side to side turned the road to soup.
I'm sitting here thinking of changing over to a forwarder-hand cut op.All the fowarder's I could afford are out in Mi. Wis. tho.
It's going to be an early sugarin season here,but that don't pay the skidder rebuild payments.

there are a lot of advandages to a fowarder. try kijiji its the canadian you want it we got it site. last week there were several fowarders in nb and ns. from what i have seen the ones in the lake states are pricy. look back a few days the guy on here that just bought the fabtec he looked at a valmet 546 here in maine

[Gary_C]

Logging conditions are great here in MN too. That is if you don't have to work in soft ground or swamps. Very little snow even in northern MN.

Good used forwarders are scarce here too. Got a friend looking for one and not much luck finding a reasonable priced one. Trade in to the dealers are usually gone before they hit the lot. New ones at $400K aren't a very good option. The used ones that are available are either well worn or busted up.