Property Update

[Stoneman]

Figured we'd start a new thread, the other one(s) are a pain to follow:

The new clearing/parking area is almost cleaned up. This weekend's gonna be a wash for us, we're not gonna be around much. But most of what was dropped & cut is now sitting in my backyard waiting for me to split & stack. I've got some more cutting to do, but not much more - maybe a bit more than a coupla cord worth, which means about 5 or 6 more loads in my extra-short bed Silvo...

Still have some brush to move around, but that's really small taters. I'm waiting to cut up that big ol' oak that Randy dropped until everything else is outta there - I won't be burning that 'til next year and I wanna be sure to keep it separate from this year's take...

Big thanks to our very own RandyO, elissama & Awesome for their help trying to get it cleared up in time for the excavator! Hopefully, a coupla more weeks and we'll get him out there to grade it all! Then - TRAILS, TRAILS, TRAILS!!!

[Awesome]

I'm pretty booked up this weekend and away next weekend, the one after I can do some labor, and I think I'll have my saw.

[Stoneman]

Hopin' to have everything that's coming out, out this weekend. Should be a good weekend for it, so I'm gonna try to get it all out. Move some more brush around and get that excavator scheduled! If that shit goes quickly enough, I'm hoping to start marking the trails FINALLY. Not sure what we have planned for the weekend, so the trail marking may hafta wait 'til next week...

[Stoneman]

As is usually the case, turns out I had more plans than I knew about. I managed to get about half the wood at my house split & stacked, finishin' that up during the week - I HOPE. I GOTTA get it all cleaned up out there by the end of this coming weekend. The excavator schedule is up in the air, but I want it open so I'm ready at any given notice...

[tonup]

I've got a 12' x 6' landscape trailer you can use to move things quicker and not have to kill your quad trailer. Come and grab it if you want it.

[Stoneman]

I've got a 12' x 6' landscape trailer you can use to move things quicker and not have to kill your quad trailer. Come and grab it if you want it.

Still haulin' stuff out with the truck. It's damned near impossible to get a trailer turned around there just yet. Which is why I wanna get it cleaned up and get an excavator down there - to open it up more and grade it so we can get trailers in & outta there...

Thanks anyway though!

[Stoneman]

Few more trips to cut & haul and I'm done. It'll be all cleaned up and eagerly awaiting the excavator and trail cutting! Everything I've taken out so far is split & stacked. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that I'll be marking & cutting trails within the next coupla weeks!

[Paul_E_D]

Add a few MX features as you go. With a limited number of miles, trails get boring quick. A few jumps, a whoop section, etc. can make all the difference.

[Stoneman]

Add a few MX features as you go. With a limited number of miles, trails get boring quick. A few jumps, a whoop section, etc. can make all the difference.

You're not the boss of me!

[Paul_E_D]

Jay, you're on a fucking roll!

[Stoneman]

The initial (main) trails needs to comfortably accommodate horse riders of ALL skill sets too. Actually, I have to keep THAT in mind while cutting most of the trails out there...

[breakdirt916]

hmm...I doubt horses can rock whoops

but berms just affect the corners, can you make those?

[Stoneman]

hmm...I doubt horses can rock whoops

but berms just affect the corners, can you make those?

Depending on what I can get for help/what I can get for equipment, probably. And anyone that helps will have ample opportunities to ride out there...

[breakdirt916]

what does man power afford in the trail building world? I'm not sure what a 6' 130lb kid without a truck can offer, but I'll help! With riding opportunities just getting worse for us ORV riders, it's nice of you to offer up.

being in school and over 2 hours away makes the opportunities slim, but I'll see what I can do...

but I'll echo Paul's comment: the local riding spot for me is 100 steps from end to end, but it's still fun because it's turn, after turn, filled in between with small whoops and jumps

[Stoneman]

what does man power afford in the trail building world? I'm not sure what a 6' 130lb kid without a truck can offer, but I'll help! With riding opportunities just getting worse for us ORV riders, it's nice of you to offer up.

being in school and over 2 hours away makes the opportunities slim, but I'll see what I can do...

but I'll echo Paul's comment: the local riding spot for me is 100 steps from end to end, but it's still fun because it's turn, after turn, filled in between with small whoops and jumps

You'd be amazed at what extra bodies regardless of size can accomplish. For example: on any given day, a normal take for me in regards to hauling trees outta the parking area I'm working on is two trips back & forth. That's lugging the cut pieces to the truck & loading 'em, getting back to my place & dumping 'em. It's hard work. Add just one extra able body, that doubles. Take my wife one trip, take Melissa for 3 trips, then take Melissa & Jay for yet another - that turned into FIVE trips back & forth. And I've still got about FIVE more trips like that to get the remainder of the trees outta there. That's JUST the parking area and that's to make way for an excavator to get in there and grade it all...

THEN and ONLY then it'll be time for trails. Cutting trails is far less grueling than pulling firewood out though! If you can handle loppers & deal with tossing brush, you're fully able. Cut & clear, it's easy as shit just tedious as hell. Just LOTS of bug spray with the highest concentration of DEET you can find, LOTS of water and you MUST have a strong ability to deal with the fact that there's LOTS of game out there - black bear included. And if you MUST take a shower the morning of, do NOT use soap or shampoo - you're just inviting biting insects...

I've been saying for years that anyone that helps will be privy to riding out there whenever I'm available, sometimes if I'm not. Call me old fashion, but that's the way I run: wanna ride out there? Then help. I'm the same way when I do the ice track. Don't tell me how badly you can't wait to ride 'it' the whole time I'm working it. And don't tell me you'll help and toss every excuse out in the book to NOT. Of course, I'm not saying 'you' as in you. Just a general statement. And naturally, there ARE exceptions...

Then again, don't show up for a coupla hours one day and just sit there leaning on a shovel and call that help...

And of course, good times WILL be had when the hard work's done at the end of the day too...

[breakdirt916]

perfect...that fits right into my once monthly shower schedule

I'll watch the threads and if it's not around exam time I'll lend some arms and legs

all the guys on thumpertalk use dozers...why the big machinery? tugging trees and moving big rocks?

[RandyO]

The initial (main) trails needs to comfortably accommodate horse riders of ALL skill sets too. Actually, I have to keep THAT in mind while cutting most of the trails out there...

thoughts on stream crossing yet? or are initial plans to develop trails without crossing first ?

[Stoneman]

...why the big machinery? tugging trees and moving big rocks?

Pulling stumps, removing large boulders, grading, drainage, building obstacles/removing obstacles, etc...

[Stoneman]

thoughts on stream crossing yet? or are initial plans to develop trails without crossing first ?

The initial trail isn't crossing it yet. Key word, 'yet'. But I'll probably just use some big hemlock to build something. Correct me if I'm wrong - but if I can get across it without using supports that touch the water and extend the 'bridge' 10' beyond the bank, I'm all set right? As in no permitting?

[RandyO]

The initial trail isn't crossing it yet. Key word, 'yet'. But I'll probably just use some big hemlock to build something. Correct me if I'm wrong - but if I can get across it without using supports that touch the water and extend the 'bridge' 10' beyond the bank, I'm all set right? As in no permitting?

doesn't even have to be 10' beyond, just beyond the banks period

that's what I was thinking, couple or 3 big hemlocks as stringers & chainsaw milled planks or a corduroy deck

or even a rock ford, isn't there one that's always been there ? I think I remember one when I was out there surveying in 1980

[Stoneman]

doesn't even have to be 10' beyond, just beyond the banks period

No, it's gotta be at least 8'. I know this as fact, which is why I'll go 10'

that's what I was thinking, couple or 3 big hemlocks as stringers & chainsaw milled planks or a corduroy deck

I think I was thinking corduroy. My plan was to basically use a handful of medium to large and drag 'em across & lay 'em side-by-side. String 'em together somehow, most likely with cross bracing from the underside. I'll use smaller hemlock for the braces...

or even a rock ford, isn't there one that's always been there ? I think I remember one when I was out there surveying in 1980

That I don't remember. Any chance you remember which lot? I'll be out there Friday if you care to go for a walk...

[RandyO]

No, it's gotta be at least 8'. I know this as fact, which is why I'll go 10'

don't want to get into an internet agruement, but please point me to what you refer too, I'm working on a stream crossing at the moment, and infact walked a site last week with wetlands bureau staff, where we propose to put abutments right at the top of bank

[Stoneman]

don't want to get into an internet agruement, but please point me to what you refer too, I'm working on a stream crossing at the moment, and infact walked a site last week with wetlands bureau staff, where we propose to put abutments right at the top of bank

I can't remember off the top of my head. But I'm pretty sure it was on the Trail Bureau's site...

[Stoneman]

Scratch that, Randy. It was DES's Wetlands site: I THINK it's HERE SOMEWHERE - Like river & stream crossings or some shit...

[RandyO]

Scratch that, Randy. It was DES's Wetlands site: I THINK it's HERE SOMEWHERE - Like river & stream crossings or some shit...

I think you may have mis-interpreted something (or seen an old web page that has been deleted, a few months ago, the wetlands bureau had to change some misinformation they had on line, I thought most of it had to do with shoerland though) there are new stream crossing rules just now going into effect, I've been reading them most of the day.

fact of the matter is, wetlands bureau has no jurisdiction outside wetlands or beyond top of bank (even though they have tried several times to usurp jurisdiction)