Trail Maintenance

[dougtrr2]

I have 8 acres of forest with a few trails. Very little vegetation grows on them so I get some erosion. I have been maintaining them with my box blade and front loader. My gives me grief that the dirt washes down the hill and I drag it back up. I have them pretty well under control so that a box blade is overkill but I am not sure what to use. I have debated using a disc, harrow or landscape rake. The disc is probably a long shot but I could see some value to keeping the soil loose. I am leaning toward a harrow to even things. I have looked at landscape rakes but am not sure if it would really do what I need.

Thoughts?

Take Care,
Doug in SW IA

 

[David Devuono]

I run my trails about once a month using the box blade with rippers retracted and then drag a chain harrow behind the box blade. This smooths out any areas were the blade may dig in and allows me to lift the blade around rocky places and still keep the vegitation down.

 

[bcp]

Plant a shade variety grass, then mow them instead of scrape them.



Bruce

 

[jeff9366]

A Landscape Rake, used on an angle, will move dirt from one side of a trail, to the other side. You could create small berms, if this would help. Used straight, you could lift it periodically and leave 3"-6" dams across the trails.

I have a Landscape Rake from Everything Attachments and I having nothing but praise for the rake. I am not as happy with ETA's optional gauge wheels for the Landscape Rake.

What about Clover for erosion control? Or a cheap grass mix?

 

[timbatrader]

Erosion is all about controlling the water run off I have high rain fall (about 7 foot per year) and steep trails on my place (over 1600 feet top to bottom) I have found the answer to controlling erosion on my place is
1. Having a drain along side the track on the uphill side whenever the track is sidling a slope to catch water coming down the hill and keep it off the track.
2. Always having the track sloping to one side or the other to keep any water away from any traffic area
3. Having frequent little humps/dams across the track so any water that does run down the track cannot pick up any speed or volume before hitting a hump and being diverted off the track
A lot of work in the first place but the ongoing maintenance is way less

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Large "gravel, rapple, rabble?" is what is used here to slow water down by the gvmnt (state and local) as well as private companys that maintain access roads (beside and behind my house) to cell towers. I guess when downpours come it will disperse the water flow to a broader plane diminishing cutting new ruts and less rain flow will follow thru the bigger rocks and stay on track to the bottom or flat areas.
I drive on a old logging trail with my grands in my RTV1140 and I have one really steep part that is rutted pretty deep on one side and I jerk all over to get up it and should fix it with the big rocks and may one day. I just mow most of it 2 or 3 times a year with my F3080 to keep the higher weeds, ferns, briars and wild grass down. I also keep some pruning shears in the RTV and my grands and I cut the side branches and briars that hit the RTV as we drive thru.

 

[Ken45101]

Keeping the dirt loose certainly encourages erosion. I agree with timbatrader, the first priority would be proper grading and drainage. Then, instead of disturbing the soil, I would mow it when the growth gets high instead of tearing it up.

 

[woodchuckie]

I try to pick the route of my trails so that the brush is all I need to move and use the cutter for that so the soil is not disturbed.

 

[dougtrr2]

Appreciate the input. The trails are in deep shade so it is virtually impossible to get anything green to grow. The trails run between hills so it is harder to get a raised center but I will work harder on that. I have made progress over the years. They don't erode nearly as bad as they used to. I had used the settling basin concept on other areas of the woods. I guess I need to work harder at getting the washouts filled and then packed so they don't wash out first. All good reasons to get more seat time.

Take Care,
Doug in SW IA

 

[timbatrader]

A crown or raised center is the ultimate but way to much work to maintain using a back blade or similar just put a simple angle to one side on, much easier. The other one to remember is that all the water that falls on those hills comes down the hill until it reaches your track then it rush’s down the track and sours it out. Put a ditch between the hill and your track to intercept the water I use the back blade on my tractor cocked over at maximum angle a couple of pass’s is all it needs

 

[JRL305]

When we visited in Italy, we noticed how they handle the issue in their parks. They run a pair of timbers (like railroad ties) diagonally across the trail. They leave about a 2" space between them and are buried so that you can drive across them. The water crosses the path through the space. I need to find our pictures to see if I photographed them.

 

[Coyote machine]

When we visited in Italy, we noticed how they handle the issue in their parks. They run a pair of timbers (like railroad ties) diagonally across the trail. They leave about a 2" space between them and are buried so that you can drive across them. The water crosses the path through the space. I need to find our pictures to see if I photographed them.

The Romans built the first aqueducts, so they would know.:thumbsup:

 

[JRL305]

Here's a picture from our Italy trip in 2002. Being a city boy, I had no idea that we'd be living the life we are now. If I would have known, I would have gotten a better shot. It shows the wooden drain going across and downhill on the trail. Our friend who lives there said they use that idea quite a bit and it works well.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

View attachment 342023View attachment 342024
Heres my solution. A six ft landscape rake, no angle, set lightly, and run up and down trails twice every month or so. Does a fantastic job, and very easy. Not ruts or pot holes.

 

[motocephalic]

wow those are some awesome looking trails. I got some work to do on my property to get it to look like that.

View attachment 342023View attachment 342024
Heres my solution. A six ft landscape rake, no angle, set lightly, and run up and down trails twice every month or so. Does a fantastic job, and very easy. Not ruts or pot holes.

 

[Ken45101]

View attachment 342023View attachment 342024
Heres my solution. A six ft landscape rake, no angle, set lightly, and run up and down trails twice every month or so. Does a fantastic job, and very easy. Not ruts or pot holes.

That's very pretty but wouldn't it be better to let vegetation grow to prevent erosion and mud?