trail clearing technique and tools

[ArlyA]

As seen out on our trails today.

 

[ArlyA]

Back out there today for some late season clean up and got everything done we hoped to. Top photo is de-limbing the dead-fall and I am not under it. 1/2 an hour later the trail was clear. Why do we use pole saws??

 

[ultrarunner]

I made and maintained a 4wd trail for years until dad sold the property… 3 years later and it was impassable and 5 years after the sale to the city any trace is fast disappearing.

I laugh to myself when certain elements claim alterations man made linger for decades or centuries… when I can see my work return to nature in a short 5 years and I’m sure in 10 with no trace…

If I was a jokester a well placed granite memorial stone would create a topic of discussion into the next century a or longer…

 

[ArlyA]

I made and maintained a 4wd trail for years until dad sold the property… 3 years later and it was impassable and 5 years after the sale to the city any trace is fast disappearing.

I laugh to myself when certain elements claim alterations man made linger for decades or centuries… when I can see my work return to nature in a short 5 years and I’m sure in 10 with no trace…

Ain't that the truth. Everywhere the climate and vegetation is different but here, some trail is gone in a few years.

 

[2manyrocks]

That was a huge dead-fall hanging there.

 

[MossRoad]

I made and maintained a 4wd trail for years until dad sold the property… 3 years later and it was impassable and 5 years after the sale to the city any trace is fast disappearing.

I laugh to myself when certain elements claim alterations man made linger for decades or centuries… when I can see my work return to nature in a short 5 years and I’m sure in 10 with no trace…

If I was a jokester a well placed granite memorial stone would create a topic of discussion into the next century a or longer…

At the house where I was born, there was a 90' escarpment overlooking a lake. My father built about 150 steps down to the lake. It consisted of switchbacks to navigate the steep slope, and was made entirely out of salvaged broken concrete sidewalk pieces that he'd pick up for free. Every spring we'd scrape back any soil and leaves that accumulated over the winter, clear any vegetation, and repair any frost damage with concrete pieces and cement. It would always take a few days each spring. Great memories of family projects.

Last week my wife and I took a walk across the lake from the house, as we do several times a year. The steps are no longer visible. The people that live there have no desire to go down to the lake, let alone maintain the steps and trail.

All 4 houses on that escarpment had steps going down to the lake, and nice landings at the bottom, some with piers, all with sandy beaches. They are all gone. The sand is even gone, reclaimed by the lake. Only one house had wooden steps. Those are still visible, but dilapidated.

Interesting how peoples' ways of life have changed over the years.

 

[two_bit_score]

Did have help.

The best kind!

 

[ArlyA]

This morning we dug a 3/4" walled pipe out of a asphalt debris pile for use as a culvert on our trail. What a job getting that out! The help installing it was much more fun.

 

[ArlyA]

We got snow and NW wind so its lake snow so its a 90% chance we are done with trail work for the year. Dead-falls do happen so there is that chance.

 

[2manyrocks]

Cooled off a bit in Middle Tennessee enough that I decided to cut some thick stemmed brush on the hillside. First picture is the material after being laid down by a chainsaw blade style cutter.

Second picture is the material after being mulched by the Oregon two tooth mulching head (295505-0).

Sorry I didn't make before/after pictures of the briar patch I also cut, but the mulching head flew through the briars and also mulched them up very effectively. IMO, this is where it excels over all other cutting heads I've used. It mulches briars so well that I'm not having to wade through a pile of cut briar stems like I did with the other cutters I've used.

There seems to be a certain size of sapling and grape vine where the mulching head tended to throw chunks of material back at me. I would not recommend it for cutting through larger saplings or larger grapevine because of this. Definitely recommend wearing face protection, gloves, boots, and leg protection.

 

[MossRoad]

This morning we dug a 3/4" walled pipe out of an asphalt debris pile for use as a culvert on our trail. What a job getting that out! The help installing it was much more fun. View attachment 834106View attachment 834107View attachment 834108View attachment 834109View attachment 834110View attachment 834111

Wow! Getting it out looked like more work than putting it in.

 

[ArlyA]

Wow! Getting it out looked like more work than putting it in.

It took about 3 hours to get 2-+ more feet of it exposed.

 

[MossRoad]

Kind of like digging for buried treasure.

 

[kenmbz]

I walked part of the trail yesterday to see how much work to re-open.
Some areas still unsafe due to large dead Ash which refuse to fall, even with strong winds and an Earthquake!
This smaller one is mostly down and safe to remove.

Some areas where I put down wood chips still look ok.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Early this year I did a trail in a young aspen forest, my tool of choice is a chainsaw, my second is a chainsaw, my third is a machete, for while I clean up in order to cut the twigs that I have miss... I usually cut a bunch for like 50 yards or so, drop the chainsaw, remove what I have cut back to the quad and advance the quad and repeat.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

I have a number of those "widow makers" at my place. I'm seriously considering Tannerite to knock them down. I've got one that's been standing right next to the trail since I bought the place 5 years ago. I have no idea what's keeping that thing vertical.

 

[CADplans]

When timber was cut in 2018,, this trail was cut to access some large poplars,,
I did not use it since then, because of some large trees left across the trail,,
I did not have the right equipment to move the trees.

i now have a grapple, so I moved the trees, then,, I used the Gravely to clear the one inch and under trees that had popped up.

The Gravely went through the small trees almost like mowing grass.

 

[ArlyA]

The problem with horizontal type mower is the 3" high* stumps they leave. Folks trip on them or poke a hole in a machines tire.

* some height. The three-point mower i used last summer left 6" ones.

 

[airbiscuit]

After the 2nd or 3rd year of mowing those mini stumps are gone and it's just grass.

Mowed through the middle of 8' brush with a 15hp Shibaura. Pure grass after 2 years - no stubs.