Spring trail work

Once the snow melted out by mid April our yard was literally one big mud pit.  The dog would go out and come back in covered in mud.  Keeping the house somewhat clean meant vacuuming almost daily.  Last fall we were rushing to get the septic system installed before frost and snow arrived.  We didn't have time to finish grading and seeding everything into a lawn.  We barely got the house done enough so we could move in before baby Galen arrived.  It was close but we moved in just in time on Christmas eve (Galen was born a few days later). 

Luckily because of the dry weather we've had this spring - the mud dried up pretty quickly.  This meant we were able to get out and finish moving topsoil around.  Grading and moving the dirt piles with our 45hp kioti tractor.  The box scraper attachment we bought a few years ago has worked wonders.  It does a great job of tilling and ripping up roots and rocks while moving dirt to fill in the low spots.  It's a simple piece of equipment that I end up using more often than the tractor bucket. Since the nordic ski trail loops right by the house a couple times I was also able to advantage of the opportunity to grade and bench the trails in a few places.  Here are a few pictures of the site work so far.

The tractor and box scraper headed up the new trail towards the "dip"

Same location near the top after a few passes with the box scraper.

Rocks get plucked out and have to be removed by hand.

The "dip" with rocks that still need to be removed.  Behind me the trail continues up to the house.

After the dip the trail climbs up in front of the house and over the now buried septic tanks.

 

 

Right after the house the trail makes a gradual down hill turn and up through the two large yellow birch tress (where the hammock is) and around the sugarhouse.

 

 

Here is a section of new trail near the old outhouse.

 

Here is a view of the septic system.  Lots of raking and seeding still to do..  The trail passes by the house above the retaining wall.

Here is the section of trail below the septic system headed towards the solar panels that we benched out two summers ago.

 

 

Here is a view of the same location in winter.

We went out for an easy ski shuffle at the end of the work day.  It's a lot of work to maintain your own ski trails but being able to step out the door to fit in a short ski has it's perks.

 

 

Kricket was 9 months pregnant that day!

 

 

There is much more future trail work to do!

The map..

I remember sitting in class as a first grader and drawing maps of what was the first of many imaginary ski areas. Below is a map of the backyard "ski area." Yes.. I realize this is pretty dorky but I spend my working hours as a map dork.. so who cares.

(click on map for larger view)