Building a cabin road

[gdicks]

So is this a case where the best route for a road might not be feasible because it's not the best route to clear with a BX? 1/4 mile is nothing to sneeze at if you're clearing with chainsaw and small tractor, so it might be a situation where you have to forgo the optimum path for a road and think mainly about the path that you can clear with your available time/tools/equipment. That means giving less weight to some of the traditional factors we use when picking the path of a road.

If it's really only to be a path for a UTV/ATV/BX, then just pick the easiest route to make the road. Chances are, no matter what path you choose, if you want to come back and make a bigger wider road for vehicles later on, you're going to need a heck of a lot more equipment than a BX anyway, so it will be a whole different level of effort whether you use the same path or make a new one.

When we developed our property, I made a path in for my (at the time) B2920. I picked the path of least resistance so that I could gain access to the area where I'd be cutting firewood and hauling it back out. I had to cut a few big trees, but it was mostly saplings that I could cut to a 2' stump and then use a brush grubber to yank the stump out. The path was just wide enough for the tractor. A couple years later when we put in a driveway, many other factors dictated the route. The middle of the driveway overlaps some my old path, but for the most part the driveway dictated its own route based on it's own considerations. At that point we had an tracked excavator and could knock down trees like toothpicks, so difficulty wasn't part of the equation.

Excellent point which is my biggest dilemma. I want to take the no hill route but due to much of this route being on the side hill may require more dirt moving / stump removal than I can reasonably do on the BX. The other route while going up and back down the hill is definately easier for the BX because the saplings are pretty small in that area less than an inch and the BX could push through easily with my pirahana bar on the bucket. Ill have to consider the slope on the hill trail as the limiting factor. I think another trip to site is in order.

 

[tommu56]

I don't know if it will translate to well north of the order but here is the link i used on my road.

http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/stewardship/accessroads/accessroads.pdf

another good link

http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8262.pdf

3rd link

https://www.buncombecounty.org/common/soil/laymans_guide_to_access_road.pdf

tom

 

[gdicks]

When do you plan to start cutting the trail? BTW, I want a remote cabin.

I've cut the first part which was pretty easy but i've reached the bottom of the hill and have to decide which way I intend to go around. Id say my cutting days are soon over. We havnt had much snow here yet which is very strange for January. Once it starts snowing we will have 4-5 feet within weeks so any trail cutting will wait till spring. I had hoped to have a route cut so I could bring enough building materials in by snowmobile to build a shed to get the process started. Although with one more trip I can probably clear away enough brush to make a winter route over the marshy area for this purpose..

 

[GPintheMitten]

Can you bring building materials over a frozen lake? Or via boat when not frozen?

 

[airbiscuit]

Excellent point which is my biggest dilemma. I want to take the no hill route but due to much of this route being on the side hill may require more dirt moving / stump removal than I can reasonably do on the BX. The other route while going up and back down the hill is definitely easier for the BX because the saplings are pretty small in that area less than an inch and the BX could push through easily with my pirahana bar on the bucket. Ill have to consider the slope on the hill trail as the limiting factor. I think another trip to site is in order.

So why not develop the orange trail? It gets you quick access for your tractor and UTV, and lets you start playing with the cabin site. I don't want to minimize the work effort, but it sounds manageable in a reasonable amount of time. It gets you up and running the fastest.

Once done, you can see how the trail layout and soil handle erosion, and how it will be to navigate later as a full fledged road.

At best, it will prove to be something you can tweak and improve and turn into a road. At worst, it guides you to later make the blue route the road, and you end up with a recreational trail as a bonus. Either way, you and your tractor get to play on your property more quickly.

 

[forgeblast]

Why not two? if one way is blocked you have another way out?

 

[airbiscuit]

Amazing what those small Kubotas can do. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzD4XQAPECs Maybe you can send us a video when you are working it ;o) Do you have a box blade or other implements of destruction?

In any case, post pics of the property. It looks like you have a good thing going there.

 

[Deerherd]

I would hire a guy with a bulldozer to cut a path in on the most level grade and save the wear and tear on you and your equipment. A day and DONE!

Makes a great start on your road also.

 

[Jim Timber]

1/4 mile isn't all that hard either. I've put some time in on mine, but it's not like it's been a concerted effort of weeks and weeks. I will say, don't go around a tree just to make the trailblazing easier. I ended up putting a lot of corduroy down which avoided a 24" log in the swamp and in the end it made pulling a trailer impossible because I didn't go the straightest route.

I'm also voting for the blue route. You can make a bunch of trails for the atv, but your road should be the flattest possible to allow cars a better chance of navigating it when the conditions aren't optimal. My road has the hill(s) as you'll see on the video, and I plan on bringing in fill to level that out a bit more before we start building the new house.

 

[newbury]

I've been out there several times and walked it as many ways as I can and these are the only two options I can see. I can probably get access to the site via the beach but Id like to get the trail route figured out so I can start the cutting. The lake is a hydro reservoir so the water level varies widely year to year and beach access wont always be available. The ground in the area is Extreemly sandy which makes me more worried about washing out, although the road I am branching off doesnt seem to have much trouble. In looking at the site though the guys who built that road followed the contour of the hill as much as they could.

By the way Corner Brook is in Western Newfoundland, Canada.

Sandy soil is better than marsh or rock.

I've cut the first part which was pretty easy but i've reached the bottom of the hill and have to decide which way I intend to go around. Id say my cutting days are soon over. We havnt had much snow here yet which is very strange for January. Once it starts snowing we will have 4-5 feet within weeks so any trail cutting will wait till spring. I had hoped to have a route cut so I could bring enough building materials in by snowmobile to build a shed to get the process started. Although with one more trip I can probably clear away enough brush to make a winter route over the marshy area for this purpose..

You probably know but beware of marshy areas with snowmobiles. I helped pull more than one guy out of a "frozen over" marsh that collapsed. But that was when I lived in Northern Vermont.

If you are good with the snowmobile and a sled that might be the easiest way to haul in building materials for a shed. Get a good snowpack, pack a decent trail, and stuff skids rather easily.

Regardless, whatever you do this forum thrives on pictures.

 

[gdicks]

Think Ill start a project thread a little later but seeing as folks here like pictures so much here are a few I took a month ago when the little man and I were up to take a look. We cleared away a bit of brush on site to show mom what the view would be like from the future cabin.


Looking North across the lake from the lot.


Looking North-East from the beach


Looking South-West with my helper.


Looking south toward the lot from the beach.

Quick video of the lake from the lot

 

[KennyG]

Wow! No matter how much work it ends up being it will be worth it.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Beautiful site for your family.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Blue line has almost no elevation change. That gets my vote.

Unless there is something that we aren't seeing, the blue line does seem to be the best. It has the fewest curves and no sharp ones PLUS no elevation change. It may be a bit less scenic that going up and over the hill but for an access road, that is the best route. An ATV trail that uses minimal soil disturbance may be good for the orange route later.

 

[airbiscuit]

Nice Pics. Did I mention "I want a remote cabin"?

If you have any 8"+ pine, cut them into Swedish Candles. Your little helper will like them.

 

[Cord]

Honestly, I think a Bx is a bit light for a project like this. It just doesn't have the weight necessary to dig and rip. In your photo there is a 6 or 8" stump. That stump will make a 7,000lb skid steer work to get it out. I know because I've done it. My skid steer can lift 2,300lb while a Bx will lift 750lb. You won't be able to dig the ground to get at the roots so the stump will loosen up. The ground being sand might help the stump loosen, but it's also going to make it easy to get stuck. I know that working on sand is one of the worst surfaces for getting traction on. I can only think of mud, snow and ice as being worse. If you can get a bigger machine go for it. But don't cut the trees down. Use the machine to push them over and then cut the stump off. The weight of the tree will help dislodge the stump.

 

[Jim Timber]

Cord, I stop about 6" DBH for trying to uproot trees, but only because what I'm pulling out usually has a wicked root mat or a tap root holding it down. A 3pt stump grinder makes that a non-issue.

I do agree that the little subcompact tractor is too small for the job though. I'd rent a big skidsteer for the earth moving portion. Doing earth moving with my 5065e is a breeze, but only when you run it within it's limitations. You can't just knock everything over or shear it off like you could with a dozer.

On that slope, the root mat isn't such a bad thing to leave behind. Grinding the stumps will get the road to grade and the roots will help keep the soil from washing out until you can get some grass growing or gravel base in place.

 

[Sodo]

Each stump could be half a day with a BX, some stumps taking 2 days. I've worked with a BX and hired a bulldozer too, there is a vast difference. A bulldozer might punch the road thru in a day, which allows your other projects to proceed. Sometimes its hard enough to get your projects to proceed in a timely manner without the uncertainty of a machine that could take 2 weeks to 2 months standing in the way of every other project. You can use the BX to clean up after the bulldozer, there will be plenty for the BX to do. You may even need time for the driveway to settle and firm up. If you punch it on thru to the site you can start planning the build.

Some things I did "the fast way" because my kids were small and that time was precious. I wanted to have my cabin up & running & usable while they were small. And I did it, and I got the time with the family before it was too late.

I enjoy my driveway, I like to anticipate whats around every turn. This is a cabin, not a business, right? I would never choose most direct or sensible path to the cabin - it MUST have something interesting. Such as a view. I hate cutbanks, I like 2-track. Not that you should that's just my perspective on your query. I did not setup my driveway for a fire truck to get in - I'm taking that chance. I guess I'd prefer the (assumed) risk burning it down than guaranteed ugly for 24/7/365.

 

[newbury]

Y'all are starting mission creep again.

If all the OP is trying to do is get an INITIAL atv/tractor trail to haul material in to build a cabin his BX (w/BH), a couple of good chainsaws and his son should be enough to do the work.

What he really needs to do is get us some ground photos on the blue route with some flagging.

I just "made" a trail about 50 meters through a stand of mixed hardwoods

yellow line

It was an overgrown (30 or 40 years) field area.

I only had to cut about a dozen trees or so that were about 6", the rest were smaller, and the trail meanders a bit so I missed the larger trees.

With the OP's potential pictured work force dragging brush to the side it should go quickly. By cutting the trees down to ground level, LEAVING the stumps to drive over, it should not be that difficult.


Face it an ax and a strong back is all he really needs. He's got a good potential work force.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I agree, for an atv trail, do it with your BX TLB. You are the best person to judge the path to take. Why not invite a buddy up for a weekend to help you out.