Constructing the Entrance Road

  
   


The road is first  roughed in and then leveled
The talus slope below the cliff face provided a very nice base of broken rock, probably accumulated over thousands or even millions of years.

We knew there were some large boulders in the proposed roadway
View photo of this rock after an explosive was applied




Roughing in the access road
 


Starting the landing


Sheesh two more big ones
 


Widening the landing at approximately the middle of the property
This Link-Belt 160 is real workhorse
View specs




Keith and Kevin from ALRT having a conversation about another large rock.
We were seeing some very nice, large old-growth firs.
The region had been logged in 1901 and this slope might have been left alone for "easier pickings".


 


a

The end of the road on 3/12
This is a fairly steep slope and will have to be "cable-logged"



Big boulder uncovered during the road building.
Excavator just went around it for now. Note the green line where it was above ground.
 




Stopped for another pair of big rocks
 




The rock driller was delivered
 




Grapplecat was delivered--Another versatile logging machine.
Able to grade a road  with a six-way blade and then pick up a one end of a log with the articulated grapple on the rear.
Here's one for sale for $135,000

 		  

Time  for some explosives!
Drilling holes in the boulders.

No big deal for ALRT, just another day.
Note the primacord on bottom left and on floor of the driller
Blaster was working out of sight to the left

Blaster "Jeff"
Preparing  to set the charge in one boulder.
Note the composite pole to verify the hole depth and to tamp the whole thing down





Setting a charge in the other boulder.
He set off five at once here.
More on the tools  he was using





Leveled, packed down and ready for the next step.
View a nice promotional photo of the F150.
Cutters began felling trees the next day.
 


 



Here's the completed 30x50 landing
Pulverized blast rock was used to enlarge the "landing" and get it all cleaned 
View photo of Shannon looking at the beginning of this huge project after quick quad drive up from the bottom.
 

 

 



Next the 'Big Shovel' arrives
We've been worrying about this for months.
It is so big that it could not be brought to Lot 16 by flatbed trailer.
And it is so wide that there was only 1.5" to spare on each side when crossing our flatcar bridge at the back of the property. We thought it would fit, but just barely.  ALRT built a temporary road to the bottom of the hill to drive it up to the work area.





Crossed the bridge and up the hill past the Norwegian Cabin
That's Ken from ALRT helping the operator
 

Up the temporary road
It was pretty soft after several days of rain
View earlier picture of us checking the hill on quads. It was so steep we couldn't stop.



Three tools ready to go to work
 
   
   
   
  Logging and trucking out the timber
 		  
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