Rottonwood stinks. Compared to Tamarix, it hinges better, more fibrous, softer, lighter (when dry), wetter. Not as strong or hard dry. Groovy bark holds dirt and dulls chains, but not as bad. Not as dusty. This one had a dog drinker at the base, think the constant wet got it. The neighboring river red gum I’m going to deadwood later and set her up to deep water soak thru the edge of the driveway.
Dropped the first, smaller RH stem off, very nice. Not too aggressive on the redirect and got several degrees/feet of swing. Humboldt closed on the compression side and gapped on the tension side. Gunning cut angled high on the tension side and the back cut higher yet.
On the second larger stem, the breeze was changing direction and I found hollow stuff sounding the tree so I hooked the truck up opposite the lean to be sure.
Then things went south.
I couldn’t move the last round off the stump. Not knowing that green cottonwood is unsplittable, I split it…with much difficulty. It absorbed a few wedges, then an axe and a maul. Took them back out and plunge noodled it with the 346. Took all the rest of my wedges in the un cut part to get it apart, then had chop the fibers. The crack curved on some of the wedges and broke them lengthwise. Cut all up into firewood and drug off the brush. I was pretty beat by the end of the day.
Axe handle broke driving a plastic wedge. Maul broke trying to wiggle it out with a half hearted one handed effort.
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