| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 1376.1 | What they did.... | BOOVX2::MANDILE | | Thu Oct 18 1990 14:27 | 11 |
| I was at a barn that did this, and this is what THEY
did.......Mowed down the grasses, weeds, small trees,
etc. with the tractor (w/ mower attachment) for the
width they wanted the trail to be. Then they spread
the used bedding/manure/etc. from the stalls onto the
trail, which keeps the growth down. They run the tractor
thru to keep the trails not used often open. They also
went thru & picked up all the rocks to make the trail
as smooth as possible. Usage keeps the trails open.
L-
|
| 1376.2 | luckey - but worth sharing | XCUSME::CSILVA | I finally got a PONY of my OWNY | Thu Oct 18 1990 18:46 | 28 |
| As far as deceiding *where* to actually put the trails...
We took several copies of our plot plan, some colored markers,
and cameras and went up in a helicopter.
Took lots of photos to piece together later for a complete
picture as well as marked up the plot plans with possibilities.
I know this may not be the best method for everyone. We are
extremely fortunate that the company my husband works for happens
to own a helicopter. The company is small and really like an
extended family as far as their management team is concerned.
Nice to have the big picture before we carve up the forest. Also,
it makes tying in with the trails abutting our property that go
off into 100's of acres of apple orchard and very_old/abandoned
roads easier.
The work won't happen overnight. We'll do all the labor ourselves.
But having a plan and a goal is the only way we approach a project
of this size.
Thanks .1 for tips on how to actually construct the trail. I look
forward to more info along those lines.
|
| 1376.3 | You don't really need a helicopter! | DECWET::JDADDAMIO | | Wed Sep 04 1991 18:44 | 29 |
| From personal experience, I know that .1 and .2 are on the right track!
We created/re-opened miles of trails on our old place in NH.
A tractor w/ a "brush hog" which is a 4' to 5' wide roary mowing
attachment and a few hand tools will go a long way toward clearing a
trail. If there are any trees alongside the trail, you'll need a
extendible pole saw designed for tree pruning. Use it to cut branches
which hang into the trail. Don't be shy about pruning 12 to 15 feet up
the trunk. It's amazing how high you have to prune branches to keep
from getting hit in the face. I'm 6 feet tall, my horse is 16.1 hands
and I thought I had pruned high enough....WRONG
You don't need access to a helicopter to get an aerial view. The US
Dept of Agriculture takes aerial photos of just about the whole
country. You can get an enlargement of 1 negative or a just the portion
of it that covers your property. Call you County Extension agent for
info on how to order them. They can also help you figure out which one
to order. They photos are fairly cheap and are great for this purpose.
Old logging roads, farm lanes, stone walls, orchards etc show quite
clearly on the photos.
With these photos and maybe a topographical map (which you can probably
get in your local bookstore or camping/fishing/hunting equipment store)
you should be able to plan where to put your new trail and how to hook
up with existing trails.
If you're planning on using trails on other people's property, it would
be polite to get their permission. DEFINITELY observe "No Trespassing"
signs and stay out of the woods during deer hunting season! Have fun!
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