Beyond the FieldsConservation and Stewardship

Cat and Dogs

The job for today is in the woods, Mike goes first with the Catapillar to re-open an old logging road. I follow along with the dogs. On foot, I continue to clear the path that is made by the Cat/Bulldozer by picking up the branches that are missed with the big equipment.

Our property boasts a 300 feet change in elevation from the top of the hill to the bottom of the river. The logging road has to zig-zag back and forth across the hillside. These are called switchbacks by loggers. In this picture, Mike has just made the corner of one switchback that completely reversed his direction from West to East while traversing the hillside.

Bulldozer rounding a switchback to head up the hill.

 

By cleaning this road out before we start work on the top of the hill, the rides on the John Deere Gator will be easier and less worrisome about hazards such as getting a pokey stick through the fuel tank.

The dogs are no help at all, they are busy on scent trails of creatures great and small and do not worry about what task is needed to be done.

Catapillar in background, dog in foreground