Bulldozing a New Road at Larry's Place

[3RRL]

Hi, you may have seen where Loretta and I visited Larry and Esther for a 6 day vacation.
Go here to read about it:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104215

This is a continuation of our vacation, but focusing on the new road Larry built with his new bulldozer. It was exciting to see how well he operated it. We had just finished installing all new rollers on his dozer when he decided to push this road in.
To read about his bulldozer, go here:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/construction-equipment/99717-komatsu-d20a-6-a.html

We had spent 4 days there and on the next to last day there, Esther and Loretta decided to go to Santa Fe and Larry and I stayed home on Monday. Larry had wanted to push in another road to the top of the hill that was not as steep as the old road. It would also help him access more of his land towards the North.

We spent an entire day laying out the route with stakes and then chain sawing the Pinion and Juniper trees and cutting in the road with Larry's Bulldozer. Man, that was a lot of hard work but well worth it. Just walking up and down those hills had me pooped!
Here is Larry on the last stretch of new road he pushed in all in one day.



We got several photos of his work and I'm sure he some more to share.
He figured we put in over 800' feet of new road completed over the 150' rise.



Look at the job he's doing....like a pro. He carved and scalloped out that road in no time.



I even got to help a little by getting some boulders out of the road and doing some box blade work on his 354 Jinma.

 

[3RRL]

A few more shots showing Larry in action while I looked on in awe.



That bulldozer is awesome.



Just look at the cuts he is taking while forming the road to perfection.
Loretta took these photos after they got home from Santa Fe late in the afternoon.

 

[3RRL]

The Jinma is waiting behind to smooth the bumps out, but Larry is doing such a good job there was very little to clean up.



This shows some of the cuts he made and the huge rocks he ripped out of the Earth.



Here is a section higher up the road just before the switchback he carved out.



We worked until exactly 8:00pm that day and got it all finished. Esther and Loretta walked the new road and Esther in particular found it very pleasing. It will be a lot easier for her to negotiate while pulling the trailer behind the ATV. The gradual slope is also a lot safer now.

I'm thankful that Larry let me help him with this project. I learned a lot about building a road and learned a lot about Larry and Esther. They are amazing people indeed. I hope they adds some photos and shares some stories as well.

Loretta and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves the entire visit. Larry and Esther were gracious hosts. We have made an agreement for them to come out after our home is completed. They will visit us in the next year and stay a while at our place. I hope to have him help me build my pond, tractor shed, another road, a workshop, a fire pit, an outhouse and septic system for it, an outdoor bar-b'que, a patio, a Coy pond, an "A" frame for the shop and ... well, I got to get him back somehow?

I know Larry has several photos he wants to share about his new road too. I hope he chimes in here with them.

 

[GuglioLS]

Now I will pick up where Rob left off:

Rob & I just could not resist going up the hill to pioneer the new road.

Rob took the initiative to do all the engineering for the new road - something I was truly grateful for. I valued his knowledge because he laid out the road that was cut through his property in Three Rivers, so he has valuable experience that really came in handy.

First Rob hiked up & down, and all around the hill side to determine the best route and to avoid all the solid rock outcroppings. Like a Mountain Goat, He climbed all around like it was nothing, staking out the path for the new road. While I drove the dozer, Rob would guide me toward the stakes he placed. Rob taught me a technique on the dozer called scalloping - take small bites in an arch from the high side, turning & pushing the spoil onto the low side - it worked great and we got the road roughed in, in no time at all. I was amazed at the progress we made.

Rob took some shots of me pushing down some trees, which the dozer did quite well.




After pushing down the trees that were in the path, I would move them over to the low side to get them out of the way.




After rough cutting the main trail with the dozer, Rob used the Box Blade to smooth it off. Man he is good with a box blade:




I think he likes "Goldie":



Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

Rob kept smoothing out the road until it was perfect. He's an expert at the box blade.







Together, Rob and I got the entire road cut in one day, about 800'. It was amazing.
I am so thankful to Rob for helping me out, and to Loretta for taking all the pictures and keeping Esther entertained while we got all this done.

After Rob & Loretta returned home to California, Esther and I had our work cut out for us. We have been busy the last two weeks chipping all the branches and cutting up all the wood.

We have cut, split & stacked at least two cords, and were not even half way done. It's great, because we are thinning out a very overgrown forest and we burn wood in the winter to keep our home heated. Now we have a very nice trail to climb up our mountain to harvest dead wood & to thin out the remaining choked forest on our property.

Larry

 

[johnk]

Very nice work. Looks like you could go into business together. Any arguments?????

 

[3RRL]

No arguments from me John... Larry is a peach to work with!
Larry, I'm glad I left for home when I did, or we could spend another 2 weeks cutting and chipping all those trees! You and Esther sure have your hands full with all that work now. But having seen how hard you guys work, I'm sure the two of you will whip it out in no time.

At least you got a nice new road into the deep part of your property. Thanks for letting me help and driving your bulldozer and tractor. It was great fun indeed.

 

[BTDT]

Great job to both of you. Did either of you find the canopy on the tractor to be a problem around all the trees? I guess you just had to pay close attention to where you were working at all times, not only because of the tree branches, but the slope you were working on. Any mechanical problems with the dozer or tractor?

 

[GuglioLS]

Thanks John,

No arguments here either. Rob and I make a great road building team. We really whipped it out in not time at all. Considering all the trees, boulders and the slope of the hill, it went smooth.

Rob -

I'm glad I left for home when I did, or we could spend another 2 weeks cutting and chipping all those trees!

LOL, yes you left just in the nick of time, now it's all grunt work. Were cleaning up everything you and I did, when that's done, I'll start cutting new trails.

Thanks for letting me help and driving your bulldozer and tractor. It was great fun indeed.

You are welcome - I am the one who should be thanking you! You really worked hard during your "vacation". I'm still floored we got all that done in one day.

Thank you Michael,

Did either of you find the canopy on the tractor to be a problem around all the trees?

Great question, short answer - no, long answer - We took the dozer up first to clear the path through the trees and to level the road diagonal to the hill. Once the road was relatively level, Rob brought the tractor up to smooth things out. It worked out great that way.

Any mechanical problems with the dozer or tractor?

None at all, the only "incident" we had was to loose one tooth off a scarifier on the box blade when it met a buried rock shelf. A couple of days later, I found it . Oh almost forgot, after a break (we came down the hill) then going back up after the break, the low fuel light lit on the dozer So I had to turn around go back down and re-fuel. That set us back about 15 minuets.

Larry

 

[ultrarunner]

It's amazing to see what a little Dozer can do under the right conditions... Thanks for Posting!

Every time I think that I really don't need my Cat D3... something comes along and reminds me why I bought it in the first place.