I want this rock

[ning]

There's a little maple tree right in front of the house, way too close to the house, and it hasn't appreciated my efforts to keep it small - definitely was the wrong choice decades ago for an ornamental tree (not my choice, though I was assured it was a smaller tree).

Given the home insurance situation here in norcal I have the intention of removing the tree, but it's going to leave a blank spot in a crucial location visually

I've been thinking for a few months that a big rock would go great there, but none of the rocks I've found on the land (ie, dug up) so far have been big enough, and I've asked around nearby figuring if someone has a big rock in the way and it's in roading distance for my slow tractor I'd go get it, but no volunteers

a couple weeks ago a utility contractor came by to show me a couple trees they think need to be dropped for power line safety, and when I was walking the land with them near the trees I saw what may just be the perfect rock

it would go perfectly there standing up

especially since it kinda looks like one of Obelix's menhirs

It's likely nearly 3000# but I figure I'll make an effort and see if it's possible.

First step is to get it out of the poison oak jungle and get it down that hill

Took a few tries to get the strap right. Used an older 30k tow strap and made a figure-eight cradle for it, dragged it one way for a while until it got to the really steep part of the hill and started going down, then I changed up the pull direction and got it to my barn turnout

don't worry, that manzanita bush was going to be removed soon anyways as I'm going to cut a couple more feet into the hill there so my 100-yard-turning-circle truck can one-shot the turnaround when I have a trailer on it.

In its longest dimension it's about 5'; it's almost two feet thick and a hint over a yard wide.

my goal is to have the corner you see at lower left be pointing up, and what's at the top here set into the ground.

I figure I'll sacrifice a piece of plywood and drag it to where I need it to be long-term if my tractor can't lift it (I'll try with forks, and maybe also just strap it to the loader without the forks?)

 

[davrow]

I have a rock about half that size. My tractor cannot lift it. Using forks I was able to remove enough weight I could drag it. But I want it on top of a 3 foot mound at the entrance to our driveway. Have not found any way to move it uphill.

 

[2manyrocks]

I guess you could try laying down some timbers for it to ride on to decrease the resistance to movement?

 

[newbury]

IF your looking for suggestions - try lifting it with the 3 point.
/edit
If you were farther north I'd suggest build an ice path to slide it on.

 

[2manyrocks]

Search for how to make a "stone boat." That's how they used to move large rocks.

 

[ptsg]

I would pull it as is with the tractor. I've pulled this one before and wasn't any issue at all.

 

[Rockbadchild]

That rock weigh at the minimum 3000 lbs and potentially as much as 5500lbs depending on its density (assuming your dimensions are right)

 

[kf4uda]

Do a little searching on YouTube to get some ideas. Maybe you can find a video similar to your situation.

 

[Rockbadchild]

you can built a A frame to lift it in place

 

[ning]

That rock weigh at the minimum 3000 lbs and potentially as much as 5500lbs depending on its density (assuming your dimensions are right)

It's kinda triangular, so you can't just AxBxCxDensity.
I give it a range of 2700-3500 from some guesswork, but that was also with it in bushes.

I would pull it as is with the tractor. I've pulled this one before and wasn't any issue at all.

The ground is pretty soft right now and it would probably mess up my road, and then gouge the driveway - I figured plywood would help avoid that.

Worst case, I figure, I have a job for a telehandler coming up in the next couple of years; I find it likely that it'll sit near the barn waiting for a better way to position it. Probably best all around so I don't have to be working around limits so close to the house for the final positioning.