Land: Clearing things up

We went back to the land at the beginning of June.  I rented a CAT D5 and 299 Skid Steer with a mulcher.  We arrived just before noon on Saturday. It was good to see the RV was still there in good shape.  The biggest issue was the water pump was singing it's death knell and a small bird had created a nest on top of the propane tank. I don't know what kind of bird it was.   They were small mostly brown in color.   I counted at least 3 nestlings.

 

The plan was to expand the RV area and food plot.  I also wanted to create a couple ponds and a new food plot on the west side.    We arrived just in time to meet the equipment delivery driver to lead him in.    There was a new locked gate just off the county road.  No one had cell service and turning around would be nearly impossible. Thankfully, the delivery guy was able to radio his boss and get the combination from the phone number written on the gate.

The number was for the operations manager of the gas company running the wells in the area.   He said the land owners on the north end of the road suffered large losses from thieves recently.   The gate was built to discourage random people from entering.   This is the first time we've heard of wide spread thefts. He said the oil company regularly has parts missing.   They run their equipment on solar panels because there's no electricity.   He said they tried to make the batteries and panels harder to steal but the thieves would just tear up more to get what they wanted.    They usually just accepted the occasional loss.    He said the road is technically owned by the oil company and if I catch someone trespassing to let him know and the oil company would file charges as well.   

He also said that a quarry company owns the land to our south and might provide access to the main highway.  I couldn't find a company that owned any land to the south.  The only one I know of is a Mike who owns the land to the north.  I've already talked to him and he doesn't know of any alternative routes.

I also discovered the Texans who bought a plot of land last year is an elderly gentleman named Chuck.    He was also using a lock on the gate.   I had a great conversation with Chuck. He said he has been staying the winter months there September till February.  He keeps an eye on things while he is there thus earned the nickname "sheriff".

The water was below the bridge which indicates it had not rained for several weeks although the roads showed there was a lot of rain since November.  The erosion channels were deeper and many new deep pot holes.

Some of the pot holes were very deep and I scraped the ground with the trailer jack.  The jack doesn't work anymore and will have to be replaced.   I think the biggest factor was there was 200 gallons of water in the back which caused the truck to ride low.  I hope the new gate will keep the four-wheelers out too.    They like to joy ride through the area ripping up the roads and drinking beer.    One of the worse spots on the road near a cattle guard was created this way.    A year ago we noticed new tracks where someone left deep ruts which the water now uses as a path eroding it deeper.  I doubt they got stuck there and the tracks were too narrow to be a truck.

We got to the well pad and unloaded the tractor.    We started moving equipment down to the RV when we encountered a deep erosion channel on our road.    It's the same spot that was there last year.  There are two major spots in the road we've had problems with.    One at the top of the road eroded a foot deep and wide.    It was bad enough I couldn't get the tractor over it let alone a truck and trailer.    We had to turn around and bring the dozer to correct the road again.     

The trouble spots were fixed last year when we rented the dozer, but it's not a simple case of the correcting the slope.     I believe when it rains hard enough to raise the water table there are two locations on the road that drain.    We have located several places all over the property located mostly in creeks where water seemingly comes out of rocks.   They run for weeks after a heavy rain and in the road it slowly erodes exposing the bed rock.

The first spot is just north of our property half way down a steep slope which drops elevation 20 FT through a couple benches.  The second is past the RV on a steep slope where the elevation drops over a hundred feet in a short distance.  

We have a few options which is to locate a new path further to the west or fill these spots with gravel.  The second erosion area can be avoided if we fix the alternate path created by the previous owner.    It turns before the trouble spot crossing a wet weather creek.    This area is mostly stone so it doesn't erode.    The problem is the creek bed is full of pits and sharp rocks.   This where we lost a tire the first trip as owners.  We tried to fill the holes with rocks from the area but a heavy rain had washed them away.  We need to fill the deep spots with concrete to make it easier on the tires.   We don't plan to bring the truck over this often, but we need at least one trip to remove the old camper and trash.

By the end of the first day, I fixed and widened the road.   It's now about 10 feet wide.   The gyroscope of the dozer was broken so I had to level everything manually.  This was a challenge since it's only the second time I've driven a dozer.  By the end of the night my son put rocks in a 5 feet circle and we settled in to enjoyed the night with beer and BBQ.

We were awaken by thunderstorms early in the morning.   It rained until after noon dumping a total of 2.5 inches.  The sky was clear the rest of the day which made the heat and humidity almost unbearable.  The ground is mostly clay and became a soup.  Thankfully, the road didn't wash out but there was a spot where run off was starting to erode again.  We waited until the afternoon to start work.    I was able to fix the run off area by putting a slope in the road.  It was difficult due to the slimy mud.    The biggest problem while it was wet is the ground cuts off like a slab of cold butter.    This made it impossible to level out the land with the dozer.  

We cleared some of the trees around the RV.   I pushed the trees over with the dozer then tried to fill the holes which didn't compact.  We had to get the chainsaw to cut up the down trees often then move the logs and brush to piles.   It was interesting the trees seem to collect rocks out of the soil and pull them close to the trunk.    Many of the trees had a large collection of stones of all sizes in their roots.

The hope was we would have enough sky to get a cell phone signal if we could clear a path from the RV to where the elevation begins to drop.   I was hopeful because my son was starting to get notifications around the RV.

At then end of the day we moved the trucks up to the well pad.  The forecast indicated rain the next day.   The amount of rain is always an uncertainty.   A forecast of "scattered light showers" could mean trace to heavy down pours.  The road looked solid after drying all day but the fresh soil had become like peanut butter.   There was a lot of slippage making four inch ruts but we managed to get to the top.

We didn't get much done due to a late start.   It was so wet that we couldn't even get a fire going.  Every stick of wood was soaked.  We went inside the RV and just watched a movie until bed time.

The next morning the same weather pattern repeated giving another inch of rain. The forecast expected the same every day until Friday.  It hadn't rained enough to get the creeks running but the constant showers would ensure the dirt would not dry out.

We were only able to work a couple hours each day.   What work could get done was slowed by the mud.  We decided to go home after a couple days even though we planned to stay the entire week.    The weather forecast had been accurate so far and there was no way we would use the forty hours equipment rental. CAT was willing to just charge for the eight hours we used instead of the forty hours we scheduled.

I got stuck on the way out on the main road.    There was a channel about a foot deep and six inches wide that one side slipped into.  I always assumed the possibility of getting stuck on the quarter mile leading down to our property but not on the main road.   It was almost inevitable because I was pulling the tractor grossing about 14K pounds and the oil company hasn't been maintaining the road since we bought the property.   I walked down to the dozer and used it to pull the truck out.   

The plan had been to improve the land with ponds and extra food plots then prepare for hunting.   We didn't get anything completed due to the rain.  It seems the biggest priority will be improvements to the road.   Ideally, we would come out for weekend get-a-ways and hunting.   A washed out road or getting stuck in mud would be difficult problem with the closest person being a forty minute drive.  The thought of having to walk that distance in freezing temperatures is not pleasant.  Usually, we bring the jeep with us thinking it would be able to get the truck out if there was a problem.    I want at least another option.   I scheduled to get a 16,000lbs winch with a new bumper installed on the truck next week which will allow the truck to pull itself out.  

I think the best option to improve the road is a layer of gravel. I estimate it will take 200 tons of gravel to fill in bad spots and cover the road to our property.   The road is a little over a quarter of mile (.27) from the well pad to the RV.   It's about ten feet wide and a depth of three inches.    This is over 3,500 cubic feet of gravel.    It would take 188 tons of gravel at 19 cubic feet per ton. 

The total price for the gravel will be around $7,000 including delivery. It also means we won't get the tree work done or be ready for hunting season this year.  We will have to make a trip out there before winter to prepare the RV and perhaps have a load of gravel delivered to fill in the bad areas.  It will be worth the delay for a little more peace of mind.

Land: Making Our Own Path

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Next: A New Beginning

 

The food in the area is scarce during the winter.   The first year we had two corn feeders and the cameras show the deer flocking to the area, but we had the feed interval low to stretch out the corn.   The second year one feeder was destroyed by the pigs and the other motor failed.  The corn feeders brought the deer to our land, but there wasn't enough to hold them there.   We need to make the food plot bigger and expand it to at least an acre or more.   We also wanted to put in a second plot on the other side of the property, but it was late in the season so we settle on making lanes from the plot deeper into the forest.

With four people we managed to clear two lanes about 20 feet long and 6 feet wide in 4 days.   The weather was hot and humid which made the work miserable and exhausting.  The heat index was over 105 every day.    We were so hot we spent the majority of the time drinking water.   It took a long time to fall trees and cut them into pieces the size of firewood so we could move to piles.   This wouldn't work in the future since most of the work would be done by just the two of us.   We realized that some kind of machine would be needed.   

Hauling Ass

The trucks we used as our daily driver were just not suited for hard work.   Our 1/4 ton trucks (5.7L RAM 1500) have served us well and able to pull the Jeep up the mountain to our land even where the slope reaches 20% in some places.     The problem is the trucks struggled on the slopes and the gas mileage was 50% lower than normal.   I was also concerned about the wear on the trucks.

We bought a used 3/4 ton long bed truck (6.7L RAM 2500) with a diesel engine.   We were lucky the truck came with a tool box and 93 gallon transfer tank.   This truck is able to pull the Jeep up the mountain easily and does it while getting 15 MPG.    We only use the truck for trips to the property or long drives.    Diesel trucks are expensive to operate.

Now we have to bring the smaller truck to tow the Jeep when we need the trailer for heavy loads or the tractor.   We feel like we should bring the Jeep at least until the roads are fixed.   

More Toys

 

We started looking at equipment to assist our work.   At first, I planned to use the Jeep to do most of the work.    I thought the wench and chains would be enough to move logs around and we could buy implements designed for UTVs.  Pulling logs around with the Jeep and chain proved difficult because the logs would dig into the ground and were limited where they could be put.     The implements didn't work well either.   Perhaps they would work in a home garden, but it wasn't practical on undeveloped land with rocky soil.    The UTV implements rely on leverage instead of weight to push the chisel down into the ground which means the chisels lift the rear of the Jeep up and just scraps the top of the ground most of the time. 

 

We decided on a Kubota LX2610 with a grapple, box blade, and seedbed roller.     We bought new because of the warranty and financing available at the time.  The tractor we picked is a midsize machine in their compact line running 25 HP.     The draw back of this model is that the PTO runs at 19HP which is not enough to drive many attachments.    The next model L3310 would have been a better choice with more attachments available and the ability to drive them.  The next model jumps in price and cost an additional $100 per month.  The L3310 also has a cab option which is really necessary when working in hot/cold weather.   We considered a skid steer but they are double the price.   It's hard to justify extra expense for something that has limited use.

The tractor is able to lift around 800lbs with the grapple.      My wife and I were able to clear ten times the area with half the people using the tractor.     The time saver was being able to fall trees and cut them into 8 foot logs instead of 12 inch pieces. The tractor can pick up multiple logs at once.   We plan on getting the tires filled which increases the weight of the machine by 800 lbs.   The extra weight is needed to counter lift and makes travel less rough.

The tractor has been worth the price.     If you buy a tractor then go for the biggest one you can afford.    What the tractor can do is only limited by its horsepower and weight.    Too much is always better.    If you are not able to buy a tractor then at least rent one for the land work.  A grease gun and extra grease is also needed.    Even when renting you are expected to lubricate the joints per the manufacturer's recommendation.    They do check.

Vacation Home

Everyone dreams of a weekend get away at a cabin secluded in the woods.  Until this point we had only been there hunting a few weeks of the year.    We tried to make some repairs and improvements to the camper but the years of neglect made it impossible, and the small size makes it uncomfortable even for two people.    The lack of showers and air conditioning makes summer stays impossible. 

Building a permanent cabin would be the best option.  There are many options for foundations but a concrete slab was the best option.    Pier systems will settle and lead to structural issues.   The isolation of the area makes any repairs difficult.    The first problem is getting concrete out to the site no matter what type of foundation is used.   Being able bring bags of concrete are limited by what we can carry out there.     We would need to transport over a ton of cargo in concrete and water just to make a 10X10 3in slab.   The hunting cabins out there are usually utility sheds on cinder blocks.

We met with a concrete company and they said they can deliver to the well pad near us but warned the truck weighs 50,000 lbs when loaded and if the ground is soft the truck would sink.  We would be responsible for the cost of getting the truck out. There's no way for us to guarantee the ground could support that weight.   It wouldn't be possible to pump the concrete because of the distance from the well pad to the build site. Most pumps can only go up to a few hundred feet and it creates additional concrete waste and cost.  I think the best option would be to use a dump trailer to transport the concrete the last quarter mile.  We will be charged by the minute over 45min so the trailer has to carry at least 2 yards so we can make less than 3 trips.   The plan is to fill the trailer from the truck, drive to site, dump, work it, and return in the 45 minutes.  The big truck would be needed to pull the trailer which means there must be enough extra space to maneuver.   First, we will need to clear an area for the cabin and improve the roads.

Search and Destroy

The camper is located is the center of our property which disrupts the entire area when we travel.  We cleared 3,600 squared feet at a new site near the north border.   Cutting down the trees left many stumps around the new cabin site which would prevent building.

The only experience I had for removing tree stumps was a grinder.   They do make grinders for tractors but the low horse power at our PTO means that the attachment can't be used.  We found a company near by that rents self propelled stump grinders.     

Unfortunately, grinding a stump is a slow process.    You can only grid a few inches per pass.  The speed and depth of each pass depends on the size and type of tree.   The big oak trees took forever to grid down.  The grinder also had trouble because the ground is filled with rocks of all shapes and sizes.   If you hit any rocks with the grinder teeth they are instantly dull or broken which means you must dig out the rocks out between passes.    The grinding leaves a lot of the tree in the ground.   The grinder was only able to remove the top 8 inches of the root system.   The left overs may attempt to regrow but I'm concerned it's rotting corpse will make the ground unstable.     I only rented the machine for a day and I was only able to grid 5 trees out of the 20 or so we cut down.  The progress was too slow and incomplete for the cost of the rent.  

Dig it

 

A field of buried, rotting trees would not work for a place where we need a stable foundation.   The next step was to rent an excavator to dig out the remaining stumps.      We rented an excavator and dug out the stumps over two days.  The small stumps could be pulled out in one motion.   I had to dig around the large stumps before pulling them up.     The trees that gave the most issue we pines.   Most trees have a small root ball 1-2 feet deep.  It seems for every 10 feet of height a pine adds a foot of root that is as wide as the trunk.   Pines are natures fence post.    They don't seem to develop this large root until around 30 years.    This means any pine over 18 inches would have to be dug out.

 

We were able to dig out all the remaining trees in two days.  We also removed the stumps we grinded.   We used the tractor to move the stumps to the sides and smooth out areas after the stump was removed.

The excavator was easy to learn to operate.    The main challenge is to synchronize your joystick motions so the arm smoothly scoops then deposits it to the side.     We also started digging a foundation where the cabin would be built.     The area was at a slope so the foundation had to be deep on one side.    This created another problem because the dirt is deposited at some point within the arm's reach.   The alternative is to drive to another spot to dump the load but that would cost extra time.    This will mean you have a pile of dirt that you will have to move again.     Our tractor had difficulty moving these piles due to the clay and rocks.

We aren't making progress like we had hoped.

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