Reclaiming/rebuilding old logging trail

[Verticaltrx]

Here's a couple more pics, first pic show the area in question. It's a fun little off-camber spot in a 4x4 or ATV, but wouldn't be the best hauling out a trailer load of firewood. Second pic is looking down towards the area. It's right out of view to the left, water goes behind the berm that the tree is growing on in the left part of the pic.

 

[dex3361]

I have been doing a lot of the same kind of work on my place. I will give you a warning that You may already know. Watch out for rotting trees. when you go to push them over they snap off about 10 or 15' up and then the remaining upper part comes down like a giant battering ram and they hurt. i got hit by a small one. Just a heads up. I would hate to see a great day in the woods turn bad. Great looking work. I have made about 2 miles of ATV trails and have more planned.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I have been doing a lot of the same kind of work on my place. I will give you a warning that You may already know. Watch out for rotting trees. when you go to push them over they snap off about 10 or 15' up and then the remaining upper part comes down like a giant battering ram and they hurt. i got hit by a small one. Just a heads up. I would hate to see a great day in the woods turn bad. Great looking work. I have made about 2 miles of ATV trails and have more planned.

Thanks, I try to always look up, been working in the woods long enough to know the consequences of getting complacent with your surroundings.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I didn't get home very early this evening and the weather was starting to turn bad, so I didn't do a whole lot. Took my ATV and went up on the new trail and cut that stump off flush. Maybe this weekend I can start building up across the gully.

 

[Ford tractor]

One point on your tree pushing method. There can be branches from other trees held up and ready to fall on you. It's why FOPS are used in forest work.

I hope you do a 100% 360 degree inspection of the trees before pushing so we don't have to read your obit here.

 

[forgeblast]

There is a good book by the forest service on maintaing forest roads. Has some great illustrations too. I ll try to get the title when i get home tonight.

 

[Verticaltrx]

One point on your tree pushing method. There can be branches from other trees held up and ready to fall on you. It's why FOPS are used in forest work.

I hope you do a 100% 360 degree inspection of the trees before pushing so we don't have to read your obit here.

I appreciate everyone's concerns, but lets not turn this into a thread about safety.

There is a good book by the forest service on maintaing forest roads. Has some great illustrations too. I ll try to get the title when i get home tonight.

That would be great. Any info on what to do to cross that gully without a culvert would be good.

 

[forgeblast]

here is the name
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads by Wiest, Richard L.
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads - Introduction
should be able to view it.
wonderful book.

 

[Farmerford]

That is a beautiful forest, with all the hardwoods and hills. I can see why you want to be able to ride through it. Send us more pictures when all the leaves turn.

You have poplar and locust (and rocks). What other kind of trees?

Here in middle Georgia we have a few poplar and more rocks than you might think, but sweet gum are the main plague. I spent a part of Saturday afternoon digging out an 18" sweet gum stump with a little dozer. I was too lazy to put the backhoe on, thinking the dozer would do quick work of it. By the time I dug it out I had a pit that would serve for a small fish pond.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Good luck.

 

[Verticaltrx]

here is the name
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads by Wiest, Richard L.
A Landowner's Guide to Building Forest Access Roads - Introduction
should be able to view it.
wonderful book.

Excellent, thanks. Is this an actual book that one could get or just the online version? (is everything online all that's included in the book?)

That is a beautiful forest, with all the hardwoods and hills. I can see why you want to be able to ride through it. Send us more pictures when all the leaves turn.

You have poplar and locust (and rocks). What other kind of trees?

Here in middle Georgia we have a few poplar and more rocks than you might think, but sweet gum are the main plague. I spent a part of Saturday afternoon digging out an 18" sweet gum stump with a little dozer. I was too lazy to put the backhoe on, thinking the dozer would do quick work of it. By the time I dug it out I had a pit that would serve for a small fish pond.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Good luck.

Lots of oaks, hickorys, some hemlock, lots of white pines, etc. Just your average middle Appalachian forest. I'll try to get some more pics in the upcoming days.