Thanks for the compliments, everyone.
My method for a level base isn't very scientific. I leveled it pretty good when I dug out the trench, not miticulously, but "about level". Then I put 8" of crusher run in the trench, tamped it real good, and leveled that with a long 2x4 and a 4' level, and tamped again. I used a short 2x4 and a torpedo level to level it front to back. Then I miticulously leveled each stone as it was placed, both to earth level and to each other. I used the bullet level for each stone and the 4' level to keep stones level to each other. The 4' level would cover every group of three. A big rubber mallet (I think this is the key thing) came in real handy for beating them down when just a little high (I wore out my cheap chinese mallet and had to buy a new one today). Needless to say, I still lifted and placed each stone probably on average somewhere around 2.5 times each for that first course as I would set them, find them too high or low, take them up and add or remove cnr, and tamp again.
What you see in the photos took me 2 long (12+ hour days to do), not including the digging, trenching, and cnr leveling. That took another 8 hours or so. I worked on it today for another 8' or so, but at a much slower pace because I'm worn out. Now cutting through the fence and continuing the steps on up the hill.
Getting that first course level is the most important thing. Then the rest is just mindless, back-breaking, stacking. And it's like the "Prince and the Pea" for subsequent rows. The smallest gravel under a stone will cause it not to sit flat. So, do a good job sweeping when you fill. The rubber mallet helped here sometimes too.
The photo angle of the steps makes it look like there is a step missing, and actually the top step tread is missing, as are all the caps on the right side (I've decided to leave the rest of the caps until last). That top step, when installed will actually be part of a 6'x6' landing where I will be putting a gate through the fence before going up a few more steps.
Hand railing is next. Not sure what I'm going to do there. Probably just use iron piped planted in concrete, with welded pipe rails.
