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"This wasn't based on food stores, but on the fact that they didn't pile enough firewood to last the winter. The experts said that it took a minimum of six hours a day to cut enough wood to survive the winter and they simply didn't do enough."

Stupid experts - you can cut wood all winter long.

Stupid experts - you can cut wood all winter long.

Apparently not because of the winter conditions (most everyone and the animals end up cabin bound because of the depth of the snow). Also, why are the experts stupid? They (there were four of them) made a career of documenting the conditions, they actually live in the area, and they came off as completely impartial.

I guess I must be an "Appalachian American" too, because folks from my part of the country (TN) all know that you cut wood in the summer to burn in the winter.

When wood is first cut, it is still considered "green" and will not burn as well as wood that has been cut and allowed to "cure" for a few months. So, if you procrastinate and don't cut in the summer, you will either freeze to death, or work yourself to death trying to find wood that is suitable to burn for any length of time.

I'd sure hate to be stuck in a cabin in Montana and have wade out in waist deep snow to scrounge up some "green" wood to try to burn. No, thanks. I'll sweat a little bit in July to save myself from that little fiasco.

If the "experts" were from that part of the country, I'd listen to their opinions.