Hillside Forestry

[jaustin]

Hi folks,

Question: I've got a small, hilly plot that I want to manage, mainly for recreation. That is to say I want to keep it healthy and a pleasant place to walk. It's a mixed forest--maples, oaks, elm, hemlock, white pine...the odd spruce.

I live in Maine and winters can be tough on trees. Every winter a few get bent over and broken, and countless limbs end up on the ground. Still haven't gotten it all cleaned up from the great ice storm of 1998, which we were ground zero for (national networks set up shop in my home town...).

For about ten years--as long as I've lived here--I've been cutting with a chain saw and hauling by hand. It would be fine if I were doing this full-time, but I'm not (even if it was, it's exhausting work hauling wood up a hill out of the valley). I'm looking for a better way.

Now, for serious logging I know they have these skyline systems. This ain't serious logging. I'm just looking for a way to take better care of my woods. This means getting fallen wood out, and chipping the limbs and small stuff...which means getting a chipper out into the woods. Starting to look like one big brush pile.

I don't think there's any way I'm going to get a full-size self-powered chipper out to where the mess is. I've been shopping for a compact tractor. I could at least get a 3PH-mounted chipper to and along the bottom of the valley; then at least I wouldn't be dragging limbs uphill. But I'm not completely convinced it's the right tool for the job. Most tractors aren't made to work on steep hillsides. Then again, I don't mind taking my time, making level trails foot-by-foot until I can get the thing where I need it. Tractor also has the advantage that it'll drive a snowblower and grade my driveway.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who ever had this problem. So: what have other people done? Is a tractor the answer, or is there some other (reasonably affordable) tool that I'm not aware of?

[tawilson]

I've got a 40hp compact with a chipper. It can take up to 6" trees, branches and all. If you do go this route, get the hydraulic feed, saves a lot of work. It's still a lot of work. My idea was to use the chipper to level out the trails I am putting in. I also have a campground, and can make use of chips around there also. I have mixed feelings about the chipper. It is a lot of work for the amount of chips you get out of it. A tractor with a front end loader and certain attachments can be a valuable tool, and the front end loader can make dealing with some of our ice storm damage a little safer. As far as he chipper and dealing with downed stuff, maybe you would be just as well off cutting it up so it's on the ground and let nature take it's course. I'm doing both, I'll let you know it a couple of years which worked best for me.

[tawilson]

Oh, I would also get a rops with a roof, it's saved me a couple of possible headaches.

[james]

might also try an atv they are used for lo-impact logging in a lot of areas and will go up hills a tractor would have a real problem with some of the bigger ones can pull a 1000lb plus trailer

[SwampDonkey]

On your Hillside are there any natural benches in the terrain that you could blade a narrow trail along with a small dozer? That way if you had a little tractor with a farmie winch you could skid up to the trail or down off the hill side. Just a thought, if you were considering a tractor. But, a ATV would work the same. I wouldn't put the road at the bottom since most hillside bottoms have streams at the bottom or spring run-off channels. At least with a narrow trail upslope the water run-off can be slowed somewhat by the ground vegetation, trail itself and course woody debris scattered on the hill side below the trail. Course woody debris is an important deterant to erosion and landslides. If your trying to skid full length of the hill, up or down, your going to have erosion causing gully formations or possible slope failures. I've seen that happen at the end of farm fields that are cleared to the edges of steep terrain, especially worse if the soil is quite course grained (like gravel) which gives way to fast flowing water and silts streams below.

food for thought

[spencerhenry]

i have been doing for years, what you are doing. i have 70 acres of aspens, with a few doug firs. it is not hilly by colorado standards, but there are places where i cant drive my skidder sidehill. i bought an old skidder about 3 years ago, and have been skidding all of the usable(firewood) material. i have only one main road, and use the spur roads only a few times each. only the main road doesnt have complete grass cover. i do not run chains on the skidder, as that tears up the ground fast. my woods is now far more usable, and pleasant and healthy. the firewood i have sold, has paid for the skidder several times over. whatever i cant skid, or whatever is not usable (slash), i pile up and burn in the winter time. a chipper would be great, but i dont have one yet. i only paid $5000 for my skidder and in three years have only put about $500 into maintenance. i believe my project will never end, more trees blow over, or die all the time. but keep at it and the rewards are well worth the work