Between pine beetle infestations and raucous windstorms, many of the surrounding forests are filled with fallen trees. This includes the Forest Service property adjoining the parcel for my cabin. That particular forest is comprised primarily of lodgepole pine.
Nature
has not been kind.
The
forest looks more like a giant pile of pick-up sticks. The lodgepoles have
crashed down crosswise against each other, stacking high and making it nearly
impossible to walk through. For the last few years, I have been sawing much of
my firewood from this patch of timber. I have carved a clear swath through the
mess and gradually worked my way up a fairly gentle slope. But the rounds are
dry and easy to manage.
Honestly,
I enjoy my time cutting into the downfall. I’ve always enjoyed anything that
presses me harder against my mountains. I’m sharing a photograph of the forest
and my truck filled with rounds.
—Mitchell
Hegman
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