Clearing ravine.

[TimSullivan]

I own a property with a deep ravine and the stream at the bottom is dry in the summer. The depth of the ravine is from twenty to seventy feet and the banks are very steep. Several falls limit movement in the stream bed. The land was logged before I owned the it and there are a large number of trees that the loggers dropped in the ravine and left. I would like to remove these from the ravine as they keep sliding down into the stream and blocking the flow in the spring. When the dam brakes, my neighbors down stream get a rush of water that is damaging their land.

While I am working in the ravine there are some very large, some twenty-five square foot, slabs of stone that my wife has always wanted to use for walks and in her gardens.

Any help in moving the trees or the stones up the side of the ravine would be appreciated. I have a Deere 4300 with a fel and a trailer mounted five ton winch from an old tow truck. The banks are covered with nice maples and oaks but there is room in places to slid trees and rocks through.

 

[RPM]

I've done a little work clearing rocks and fallen trees from a similar situation. The only two secrets are - use your winch - and take it very slow. You are working in a very dangerous situation. I don't think the FEL will be much use to you in the ravine if it's anything like the one I worked on - you might actually consider taking it off to improve your stability.

I'm not sure about the exact situation of your ravine though - or what your truck winch is like -- could you post pictures? Someone is sure to offer more specific advice ...

Last word - watch out for those trees that are hung up on the side of the ravine. They can be real widow-makers. Ideally trim away as much weight as you can before attempting anything big - there's a lot of energy stored in them and they often weigh more than the tractor.

Patrick

 

[cowboydoc]

I'm going to have to second Patrick's post and suggest that you either get some heavier equipment to work with or hire it done. You just don't have the equipment to safely do that. I will try and post some pics of my similiar ravine and I won't even attempt that with all the equipment that I have. I'd have someone come in with an excavator and cat for a day. It may cost you about 6 or 7 hundred but it's done and noone gets hurt. They can do in an hour what it would take you all day to do and then some and noone gets hurt in the process. That bank gives way or one of those trees or rocks gives way and there goes your tractor, winch or yourself over the edge. Some things are just not worth it.

 

[TimSullivan]

I decided to try to work on one of the trees today. It was almost to the bottom of the ravine so it would not slide far if it got loose. I used two heavy chains rapped around the log and then two good size live oaks. Once all the branches were off I cut the log into six to eight foot lengths from the bottom up and used the winch to pull the logs up the hill.

This worked well but it took about two hours. As for the stone, I did pull a small maybe four hundred pounder up with the winch on an old stone boat from my neighbor. That was not bad but there are some others that are just too big and heavy.

There is no way I will risk ending up at the bottom with tractor and winch. The rental yard has a track loader that could be used in the ravine to pick up the stones and carry them out. I am going to have to ramp the falls but it is a lot safer than working from the top of the ravine.

I can handle the wood but I think I will hire a pro with a track loader the move the stone. I just don't have big enough chain or cable to pull up the stones even if I had a dozer on the top. Somewhere I heard that every man has to know his limitations and that goes for his machines too. Thanks