Trail Maintenance

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I did another two loads which did get me to the top, the next loads will go on the bottom where it's flat.
 

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Looks like you are making some headway Zap. We managed to get the pool party in today....only a few sprinkles. A good time was had by all.
 
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Looks like you are making some headway Zap. We managed to get the pool party in today....only a few sprinkles. A good time was had by all.
I'm glad you were able to get it in, sounds like this week will be a hit or miss with the rain for some of us.

I'm happy with that area so it's time to start back up on the part of the trail I use to enter the woods, when it rains hard it runs down the trail pretty good soiI it's washing away the dirt, I figure 12-14 loads will do it.

Today I'll either be splitting or hauling pine needles, I'll make my mind up when I come back from the store.
 
The area I worked on today has really taken a hit (erosion) this year from all the heavy rain, I had started at the top last year but never finished. I took 5 or 6 loads of pine needles to this part of the trail before the thunder moved in.

I'm thinking another 12 loads will get me to the top, there should be about 5 inches of pine needles sitting over the gravel, after a couple of years the pine needles should break down to a fine dirt.
 

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It looks like this weekend will be one of chipping & splitting. This Pine came down in the June storm, I started last night.

Most of these chips will go on the trail leading up top.

Pic 7749 was before I started,7750 is what's left.

The big mess is just west of this.
 
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This is one off the many areas that need cleaning up around the house, I'll run the smaller branches through the chipper today.
 
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I started chipping at 9:00 a.m., ended the day at around 6. I ended up chipping up 4 or 5 loads of smaller pine branches which went on the trail going up top.

When your going up that trail the right track was dug down six inches in spots, some from erosion but most from the rhino. I'll keep this up every so it will be less work. Part of the trail going up top was done by hauling the chips up in a pail.

Attached are some different pics from today, I even grabbed some branches from my neighbor who had two pine come down (I took care of those for him this past week) I still have a chit load of chipping left.
 
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This was the last load of chips for the day, the chips are packing down after a few runs up it, but another couple of inches of pine needles over top the chips should do the trick.
 
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Looks good zap, awesome weather to do it. Good smells too I'm sure
 
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Looks good zap, awesome weather to do it. Good smells too I'm sure
Thanks WS, it's much better but still needs more work. Here are some pics from the work today, most of the pine I chipped today had zip for needles so I only did two loads before I called it a day.

I limbed up a couple of white pine (pic 7769) then did some chipping, I added the first load towards the top of the trail and the second load went at the base of the trail.

Next week were switching gears, I want to be milling some white pine that mother nature put down right in the trail, it's from the May storm.
 
What will you use the boards for then?
I'm not sure yet, we might use them to make something to cover the small red oaks for the winter. I always plan things an never get them done, but a storage shed would be nice.

Just so many damn trees on this lot, when I think we have another spot for the shed there sits a big ole dead pine. Are main priority is getting the trails on the land I cut on nice & clean along with widen some in certain spots for the winter.
 
The woodshed would be a nice addition, and I remember you did have some plans to build one. When the time is right, it will be built. Do you plow your trails in the winter ever?
 
The woodshed would be a nice addition, and I remember you did have some plans to build one. When the time is right, it will be built. Do you plow your trails in the winter ever?
Just a few that go to the wood & the area we put it inside the house. I use the Moose Plow for plowing the top part of the driveway.
 
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Pic 7836 is what was left from limbing up part of a pine tree from the May storm, the smaller stuff I'll chip up for the trails, 7837 was loaded up with the same chit, I handled it the same way, 7838 will be a new trail to another downed pine (pic 7839, 7840 is all the smaller stuff I'll chip, 7841 is what's left of three loads of pine, 7842 is just a pic of what's left.

We had a chit load of pine left from some spring work that was in pic 7842 that we flamed up, we had rain the last two nights so it was a good time to burn.
 

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Looks like that pine will yield a good bit of splits. You defintely have your work cut out for you with those branches. I think this spring, or sooner I will lay chips on the trails. It will clean them up so much. How much rain you get? Did the brook fill up much?
 
Looks like that pine will yield a good bit of splits. You defintely have your work cut out for you with those branches. I think this spring, or sooner I will lay chips on the trails. It will clean them up so much. How much rain you get? Did the brook fill up much?
I think most of the pine will be milled, some will go for splits. The brook could use a hard rain or better yet a steady rain for a couple of days.
 
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I hauled another 6 loads of pine needles (2 down bottom, 4 on the topside) on the trail heading to the woods, another 10-12 loads should finish the job.
 

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It looks like the weather is heading in the chit hole real fast, we should be in the warning zone pretty quick.
 
It looks like the weather is heading in the chit hole real fast, we should be in the warning zone pretty quick.

Surprised to see that zap as we are to be in the 70's all week. Didn't quite get there today and it was sweet!!!
 
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Surprised to see that zap as we are to be in the 70's all week. Didn't quite get there today and it was sweet!!!
It was black out at 5:30 tonight, lots of rain, lightning and some heavy rains.

We never received the high winds but the watch remains in effect until 10 p.m.
 
We had heavy rain on and off all day. 2 day rain totals 6"+. How are your trails during heavy rains? Im guessing there are areas that are prone to washout or mild erosion at the least. We are avid hikers, and have done hiking trail maintenance and have been successful with re-routing runoff. Im guessing the pine needles keep the weeds ect down and the trails nice. For the winter, I tie together 3 tires and drag them behind the quad to groom the few trails I have when it snows
 
We had heavy rain on and off all day. 2 day rain totals 6"+. How are your trails during heavy rains? Im guessing there are areas that are prone to washout or mild erosion at the least. We are avid hikers, and have done hiking trail maintenance and have been successful with re-routing runoff. Im guessing the pine needles keep the weeds ect down and the trails nice. For the winter, I tie together 3 tires and drag them behind the quad to groom the few trails I have when it snows
The three areas that are the worst for erosion from heavy rains are the area I worked today & the two trails that get me up top.

Most of the trails are good, the place drains off real well after heavy rains. We do have a few areas in the spring that will be real wet after the melt, if we have a hard winter. Stick in some heavy rain with that snow melt then we'll have two areas (one not used much) that the water will be deep.
 
Sounds like a perfect opportunity to mill a bridge to me:)
 
Sounds like a perfect opportunity to mill a bridge to me:)
If the weather is good I should be milling next weekend, maybe this week. We'll find out this week (I hope) if were covered by the county liability insurance for the multi use trail which would go through part of our property. We also will hear from our insurance company if it's ok.

If everything is ok then they will need to put in two gates to block access to the rest of our property, then after all that is down it's time to get the wood off the hills an stacked.
 
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