# Seat time on the trail..



## Greg

I have a nature trail that goes around our back property. It was built by clearing space for our cedar fence and building it up with dirt from landscaping the back lawn. I then added wood chips, spread on top. 

After a few years, the chips are pretty much mulch and weeds and mushrooms grow, so I periodically "grade" it. Since today was beautiful, 50+ degrees, I put the front blade on the JD 170 and started working. It's now pretty clean but still fits into our landscaping plan.

This is at the back of the property and still needs a bit of leveling.

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79205>


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## MowHoward2210

Nice work, Greg. :thumbsup: That's some really black dirt you have there!


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## Greg

Thanks Mow,

The decomposing wood chips give it a lot of the darkness. Here's along one side and more "natural" with the cover.

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79208>

Seat time is always fun and the little 170 is a ball to work with.


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## guest

nice! do you use the blade to backscrape the soil or do you push it? how does it do? 



id liove to get a blade to clear path.. how did it do clearing the initial path?


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## Greg

John,

I push it. There's a lot of dirt and wood chips on the trail so it's not that hard to do. The blade works very well and I use it more than I thought I would. Seems like there's always some job that needs to be done that the blade can be used on in some way.

I got the blade from the "boneyard" at my dealer after the trail was first done. Initial clearing was done with a small loader we used to do the yard landscaping, as well as saws, shovels and sweat!!


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## memmurphy

Well I see your out playing in the dirt again.  

The green plants and black soil look pretty inviting. Good spot for a comfortable chair to stretch out in.

We picked up another dusting of snow and ice the last couple of days. Felt real cold after after the warmer temps. Supposed to get up towards 50F this weekend with sun though. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do but I need to get out in the yard and decompress for a while.
:jumpropeb 

Mark


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## guest

> _Originally posted by memmurphy _
> *The green plants and black soil look pretty inviting. Good spot for a comfortable chair to stretch out in.
> *



and a nice fat cigar... 
I miss the warm weather!!


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## ducati996

Thats some healthy soil and nice natural mulch....we pay good money by the yard to have that....nice old growth and a beautiful area you got Greg!!


Ducati


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## Greg

Thanks Duc,

I paid a good price for the top soil for the yard, and 4 truck loads for just the garden, but I think it's worth it. We have some trees 80 - 90 feet tall and on a windy day they can get a little "intimidating"...:furious: It was an old forest before the homes were built and everyone has kept the green!!


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## Archdean

Greg,
That's very nice and informative as well!
Dean


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## Greg

Thanks.


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## Greg

Mark,

I have some plastic patio chairs that aren't bad to sit in except the dang squirells have chewed on the arms. Kinda ragged. I think they got ticked because we went away for a few weeks and they didn't get their daily peanuts..:


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## memmurphy

> _Originally posted by Greg _
> *Mark,
> 
> I have some plastic patio chairs that aren't bad to sit in except the dang squirells have chewed on the arms. Kinda ragged. I think they got ticked because we went away for a few weeks and they didn't get their daily peanuts..:    *


Either that or they like your food but don't care for you setting around in their home.  

Mark


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## Ingersoll444

Looks nice. I am planning somthing like that with parts of my land when I clear it out a bit. Kinda a little park, in your own little corner of the world.


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## Argee

I've got similar paths through my pines...When I want to make a new one, I walk it first checking for low branches, when I find that is clear I put my brush hog on my FordNH and take a little drive. I have zillions of pine needles that keep any vegetation growth to a minimum.


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## ducati996

> _Originally posted by Greg _
> *Thanks Duc,
> 
> I paid a good price for the top soil for the yard, and 4 truck loads for just the garden, but I think it's worth it. We have some trees 80 - 90 feet tall and on a windy day they can get a little "intimidating"...:furious: It was an old forest before the homes were built and everyone has kept the green!! *


Do you have the giant Sequoia's nearby? if you do that must be unbelievable!!

Ducati


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## Greg

It was an "old forrest", but not "old growth" like the Olympic Peninsula area. Now that's a natural rain forest! Or the Rainier Park area. Anyway, the Sequoia's are way down south in California. We had lots of huge trees in western Washington, way back when, though.

Like elsewhere, too many areas are being clear cut of all growth to make more room for housing. It's getting harder and harder to find larger lots (1 acre+) anymore and even harder to find a home with native trees. We got lucky about 5 years ago.

This is the second pic in Summer. Really green and cool. I do need to build a wood box to hide the water and electric outlets.....


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## Greg

hmmmmm.

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79308>


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## Live Oak

Nice looking place. :thumbsup: I love all the trees. I try to grow an many as i can at my place. Do you ever take a soil sample and have it analyzed? Trees loved to be fertilized too, especially fruit and any type of large seed bearing trees. You would be surprised at how well they respond to it. Do you get much wildlife in your yard?


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## slipshod

*Greg*

Please clarify something for me. Is the house behind the fence yours or a nrighbor at the back of your property? Just trying to figure out why you would block your view with a fence.


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## Live Oak

I also meant to tell you that I LOVE your "Tim the Toolman Taylor" fence. Good fences make good neighbors. Looks like you have a nice chunk of change tied up in it too.


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## Greg

Chief,

Have never checked the soil...hmmm might do it with my garden soil test kit. I don't want to get it too rich as the berry plants get bad enough in the Spring/Summer as it is! 

We have lots of squirrels, always, and a few deer wonder around from time to time. We had a nasty woodchuck for a while but I think I gassed him. Had holes/tunnels all over the back, under my "barn", near the garden etc. Blue Jays, Robins etc. too.

The fence is a "neighbor friendly" one (slats closer to the center inside the "frame") and is about 650' long by 6' high. Wasn't cheap, for sure, but we like it and it keeps the dogs in and neighbor kids out! 

This is the opposite side of the lot and the trail there. Higher, same 4' or so wide, but more open. I want to plant some native trees along the side to give it some cover.

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79328>


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## Greg

Slip,

The first pic is of the back fence. Here is the view we have from the house looking back. Our neighbor's house is way to the left and their back yard extends all the way across our back property line. (They have 2.3 acres) They have dogs and so do we, so the fence gives us privacy.

The house in the second pic is our neighbor's.

The trail runs the full length of the fence from the far right, all the way across the back, and down the left side.

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&attachmentid=5440>


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## ducati996

> _Originally posted by Greg _
> *It was an "old forrest", but not "old growth" like the Olympic Peninsula area. Now that's a natural rain forest! Or the Rainier Park area. Anyway, the Sequoia's are way down south in California. We had lots of huge trees in western Washington, way back when, though.
> 
> *


I have never been to Washington other than the airport but I remember Giant Sequoias being in Oregon ( I know its still way south) when I was driving through...

You can tell the difference between east coast and west coast forests just by your picture..


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## Greg

There are Sequoias in northern California just south of Oregon, but I've never seen them in Oregon itself. Jedediah Smith state park is between Crescent City, CA and the Oregon border and was where the forest scenes in Star Wars movie was filmed. Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks in south eastern California were my stomping grounds growing up. Massive trees there. 

Here's a couple links for you...check out the whole sites.

http://www.americanparknetwork.com/parkinfo/sk/flora/compare.html

http://www.inn-california.com/redwoods/Del Norte/CrescentCity/jedsmith.html


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## DrBailey

Greg , the trail , fence and lawn looks great , Ofcourse we know it didn`t get that way by its self. And still you have a natural mother nature piece of earth. I could live like that !!


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## ducati996

Greg,

LOL..you are correct and my memory isnt so sharp or blurred...
Its been many years since I've been in that area...

Ducati


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## Greg

Doc,

Thanks. We really enjoy it, even though the property is small. We'd really like about 5 acres, but this shy 1 acre will do for now. Thank goodness we have "tools" to help us. Here's the little JD 170 pushing wood chip mulch onto my drive. From there I use a snow shovel to load it into a trailer, pull it to the trail and dump it. I then use the blade to spread it. Sure beats a wheelbarrow and rake!

<img src=http://www.tractorforum.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=79391>


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