Down here in TX live oak will dull a chainsaw cutting about six rounds ,ya need two spare chains and a file to cut up a decent sized tree , then let it dry for a year and split down the cracks , ya usually need a sledge hammer to drive the maul through . ANY chainsaw no matter how worn or ornary is better than a whip saw ! .

The growth rings in the top picture, and the way the bark looks like it falls off, leaving an extra-smooth log underneath makes me think elm, maybe American elm (scroll down for picture of growth rings). If it is an elm, you might also be able to see some bark beetle feeding galleries after the bark comes off.

What does the fresh-cut wood smell like? Elm has more of a pungent-sweet scent than most other hardwoods (in my mind, anyway), although sycamore is similar, and also hard to split.

Looks like elm to me. The bark looks like elm, but it is the look of the growth rings that really make me think elm. We have lots of dead elm on our farm (due to the dutch elm disease) so I know the wood quite well, as it is one of the main standing dead trees we cut down for our wood stove.

As for splitting, it is brutal. Rounds with a branch in them may be impossible to split. From personal observation I've come to the conclusion that elm wood seems to have a twisted or spiral grain and this is the reason it is often so difficult to split. For best results try chipping off bite sized pieces off of the edge of the logs. After splitting a lot of elm you should start to learn to read the grain a little better which really helps in splitting it.

Cheers from Canada! We're just starting to feel the effects of spring. This winter has been a long and cold!