Felling axes

A new implement has been added to the Hardwood Hermitage toolkit. Felling axes borrowed from a neighbor have thinned several trees over the last few days. Most of the dropped trees were balsam fir, with their demise helping oaks, sugar maple, and birches get more sun. The axes make for a great workout! Soft balsam fir can be taken down quite rapidly with a very sharp axe head.

The trial with a neighbor's axes tested different handle lengths and weights. The work sessions have been a lot of fun, with great benefits for the forest.