While the days are longer and we are getting more bright, sunny days, we continue to have lots of cold (today it was 5 degrees when we got up!!) and the snow is melting excruciatingly slowly. As of today, April 20th, we still have over two feet here on the level. And so, one of the single biggest chores of winter continues to take up a significant amount of time in Jeff’s day ~ cutting wood.
As we use firewood in all the cabins during the guest season, as well as in the lodge great room and dining room, AND in both homes during the winter, we go through huge amounts of wood. It is likely that we burn over 10 cord just during the winter in the two homes. While a lot is cut and stacked in the fall, it is still a necessary activity in the winter to keep replenishing the pile. So, on a nearly weekly basis, Jeff heads up the hill on the snowmobile and fells a tree, cuts it to length, and ferries the logs back on the sled behind the snowmobile. A very slow and tedious process! A picture below shows Bendigo assisting Jeff with this chore.
The other “logging” that takes place during the winter, is the acquisition of rails for repair and maintenance of our many Montana rail fences. Between the posts and rails, each ten-foot section requires approximately 7 rails of between 10 and 25’ lengths. Recently, Jeff spent several days locating suitable dead timber on the ranch property, cutting and falling them, and ferrying them back to the barn. Here are several pictures of him engaged in this task.
