Cutting ATV trails into cross slopes

[John_Mc]

We tend to like a little bit of outslope on our side-hill trials to help keep them from retaining water.

 

[ArlyA]

We tend to like a little bit of outslope on our side-hill trials to help keep them from retaining water.

I'd not call outslope a "tend to like" property. If you don't have it, your trail will be washed out asap.

 

[John_Mc]

I'd not call outslope a "tend to like" property. If you don't have it, your trail will be washed out asap.

I agree. I really understate the need for this. Without outslope or some other measures will either wash out or be a muddy mess.

We do have areas where outslope is just not possible, or where outslope alone is not enough to protect the trails. So we resort to other or additional measures to make sure the trail drains properly.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I use a small 70 hp 14,500 lb dozer to build tractor roads.

gg

 

[ArlyA]

I use a small 70 hp 14,500 lb dozer to build tractor roads.

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gg

I'd guess most people don't have a cat, or a excavator for that matter. Me personally, I wish we could afford a compact tractor.

 

[Code54]

Be careful with your spoils - they are best cast downhill and spread- using them as the outer part of your tread will likely result in the outer portion failing early and could lead to a safety issue- its best to have the entire bench result from the cut.

And use a mini-x

Correct - the big thing is the base of the trail stays on the original cut, the spoils go off the edge for extra width, and pack them in with the bucket if using a mini-ex.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I'd guess most people don't have a cat, or a excavator for that matter. Me personally, I wish we could afford a compact tractor.

You could afford one if you shopped for a bargain. And were willing to put a lot of heavy work into it. Half the price of a plain-jane 4-wheeler.

gg

 

[Gordon Gould]

You could afford one if you shopped for a bargain. And were willing to put a lot of heavy work into it. Half the price of a plain-jane 4-wheeler.


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gg

I should have checked before I said half. It was about the same as a Polaris 450 is now.

gg

 

[ArlyA]

You could afford one if you shopped for a bargain. And were willing to put a lot of heavy work into it. Half the price of a plain-jane 4-wheeler.


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gg

So this include a mechanic? A trailer? And what a tow capable truck? I'll have to do that math on this low cost machine

 

[jjeff]

A 70 hp large frame skid steer with steel tracks can also be very handy plus multiple uses vs just pushing and grading like a bulldozer in my experiences (with a skid steer). Still I always wanted a true bulldozer unfortunately these days it would mostly be to say I own one lol.

 

[Gordon Gould]

So this include a mechanic? A trailer? And what a tow capable truck? I'll have to do that math on this low cost machine

I spent $350 to get trailered home 40 miles, I'm the mechanic, and I spent another $7K in parts and tools I didn't have. So less than $15K total.

gg

 

[ArlyA]

I spent $350 to get trailered home 40 miles, I'm the mechanic, and I spent another $7K in parts and tools I didn't have. So less than $15K total.

gg

Seems that cheap atv is going up in price. Haven't got it to the trialhead and back either.

 

[John_Mc]

I'd love to have some of that equipment, but just can't justify owning it myself (there is a limit on how much unjustifiable equipment my other half will let me make off with. She gave me no guff on the forwarding trailer - in fact encouraged it. So I'm letting any new acquisitions rest for a while.)

When we put in 3500 feet of new trail and a new +/-100 ft diameter log landing at Little Hogback Community Forest (a conserved, working forest I own jointly with 15 other area families) a few of us did all the clearing ourselves. We flagged the route with the help of our forester, trying to keep the grade below about 7% (which allows us to use broad-based dips, rather than waterbars for erosion control). We dropped the trees, and I hauled out everything we could reach with my tractor and winch or forwarding trailer. Then we called in a guy with a large excavator and dozer to de-stump and put in the finish grade. It was either that or rent equipment, but we just did not have the time to put in for that ourselves (plus the pro did is in a fraction of the time it would have taken us.) I think I posted a couple of videos of walking the trail before and after the work on here somewhere.