Range Upgrade - A crossing...

[BrokenolMarine]

I have my nice 90 yard range at the new farm in Oklahoma, but it has a few issues. It is crossed in two locations by seasonal creek beds... which are dry 90% of the year, but they have carved out a significant depression in the range layout. I am NOT whining, they were there when the range was laid out, but this was the best layout for the shade, the backdrop for the berm, and the natural windbreaks. The wind DOES come whipping down the plains. BUT, this deep drop at 10 yards from the berm, does put a crimp in the natural 15 yard line. to shoot 15 yards, I set the target frame at about 20 yards from the berm and shoot at about 35 yards back. Works, but not perfect.

00 original Condition.jpg (491.83 KiB) Viewed 3109 times

We had the South Orchard crossing done last week, and there was a huge dirt pile created. Probably two to four dump truck loads. Miss Tina is the one who suggested building up the creekbed with a culvert using some of that dirt. So, a 24" x 20' culvert was obtained.

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We spent a couple hours with the tractor prepping the location to get the proper grade, digging out the creek bed to get the culvert properly positioned, and then dropped 'er in. Then it was time to start moving dirt. This was going to be a long process as I wanted not only to build a decent crossing but to bring the crossing up level and then fade to the level of the decreasing grade. Plenty of dirt.

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[BrokenolMarine]

Miss T and I took turns making the runs from the pile of dirt to the culvert position building up the base and then packing dirt in place. It's a long run, probably 500 to 700 yards each way. If you look closely in a couple of the pics you'll see. If you haven't run a tractor over rough ground, you can't know the fatigue you build up in a healthy body doing so... it beat me up pretty good, but I took my turns. Felt good to be out of the recliner and working on the range. After the first hour or two we could see progress.

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A look from the side shows the process... and if you look over the culvert in the distance you can see that dirt pile and get a feel for the distance we have to move the dirt.

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Miss T is happy to run the tractor, sometimes I think she makes up things to do on the darn thing.

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We were getting low on diesel and you don't want to run the dang thing dry. First thing in the morning we'll fill up two five gallon cans and hit it again. This crossing will extend back 30 yards or more to get the slope I need. I'll post pics when it's done, and in progress pics as I think about it. It's not really going to be a build along. Pics of dirt aren't exciting. Considering the prep work we had to do first, I think we made pretty good progress for the first day.

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[Hatchdog]

Good thinking by Miss T. Excellent use of extra dirt and i can appreciate your comments about running the tractor from the pile to the project. Our community road is in terrible condition and it’s too expensive to have it re-paved so we use gravel to fill in the potholes. Similar to your project it’s a long run between the pile of gravel left by the dump truck and the potholes and I feel that running in between seems like time not well spent. Gotta be done tho.

[BrokenolMarine]

IF I had a good sized dump trailer I'd fill it and haul the dirt to the culvert, dump it and push it into place with the box blade or the bucket, but I can't justify the purchase of the trailer. I don't mind the work, it gets me out of the recliner and we can watch the progress of our project. Once we save the money and get the pond done, we'll have a LOT more dirt for the range project. He'll pile some on the range side, then put the rest on the west side of the pond dam.

[BrokenolMarine]

Range dried up a bit and I was able to get out this morning and work on the range crossing a bit. I put a bit more dirt on the BERM side of the range, and then on the uprange side and using the bucket packed and smoothed them both. With what Miss T had done after my last turn on Wednesday I was able to drive the tractor partway onto the crossing to work the smoothing, then actually drive across the culvert toward the end of the session.

A view from the Berm looking uprange....

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A view looking downrange toward the berm...

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A view looking at the crossing from the side. If you look hard, you might be able to see that the huge dirt pile is looking smaller.

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I came out for another hour or so just before dark, but didn't take pictures. I'll work more tomorrow and get some shots at the end of the session. There will be some additional build up and length, then some packing and work from the side around the actual culvert to firm up the shoulders. We'll have to get some rock or rip rap to pack around the entry and exit to delay erosion.

[BrokenolMarine]

Did a bit of work before dark last night and got it nearly level.

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Worked on packing it down and smoothing, got it pretty smooth again, but will be adding more to the top to bring it up another six inches to a foot.

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Tina took the tractor into the north pasture and scooped up some of the large natural rock in a hillside and said, "who needs RipRap?" We'll keep adding the natural rock until we get it secured. The small stuff we can load and unload by hand, the larger pieces she scoops into the bucket and we slide out and position just before they fall.

[BrokenolMarine]

I want to add more dirt over the culvert before we pack rock around the top....

[BrokenolMarine]

This morning, my goal was to work on the berm while I let the two days of work on the culvert dry a bit before packing more dirt on top. Then I'll pack that and add more to it.

To start, I cut a notch into the face of the existing berm, about two buckets wide, and two feet deep, from ground level to the top. I placed that dirt on the top of the left side of the berm and let it slide down to fill. That left side was a bit thin and was needing attention anyway. Then, I placed a few old tires vertically in that slot running up to the top. Too bad no one was filming as they all had nasty old water in them. When one of them dropped into place a jet of that skanky water shot straight out and soaked my right side. I was NOT happy.

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I spent the next ninety minutes placing buckets of soil on / in those tires, then just placing the dirt at the top of the berm and letting it filter down to fill in the notch I had cut that morning. After a couple hour's work, we were back even and the berm had become a bit fuller all the way across and taller as well. I'll continue to work on the berm and the crossing.

There is a smaller seasonal creek in front of the range house that will get an 12 or 18 inch culvert when this section is completed. Not as critical, but it will get the same attention to detail. Luckily, the creek run directly across the range and not at an angle so a 10' culvert will likely be all we'll need. Half the cost rather than the 20'.

[fortyshooter]

Lots of great work there BM! I had to put in couple those things in along one of my trails where run off ditch would cross it. I used the plastic kind and covered with packed gravel so I can get my small tractor over it.

[BrokenolMarine]

Lots of great work there BM! I had to put in couple those things in along one of my trails where run off ditch would cross it. I used the plastic kind and covered with packed gravel so I can get my small tractor over it.

Thanks, I've needed to do it for a while, but didn't have the fill. When we had the creek widened at the South fence to reduce the power of the flow against the state road, we ended up with that giant pile of dirt, so it was a given.

[Hatchdog]

In your side view pics of the culvert it is amazing just how deep the ditch is. The picture view beyond the culvert doesn’t show that of course but I’m sure your feet do when you walk down range. It’s all looking great and I sure wish I had a pile of dirt like you do as I have some places I would like to level up.

[BrokenolMarine]

We bought the previous load of fill dirt, a three axle dump load. This time it came from that widening of the crossing at the south fence line leading into the pecan orchard. I planned to put as much as I could into the berm. Tina laughed at me. She said I should use it to fix the Culvert I had talked about. There will be enough to do the second culvert. The Range house sits UP above the range, and there is a large dip at the bottom of the hill. Going to fill that in. NOT as dramatic as this one.

[BrokenolMarine]

Some of you may remember when I spent a few days upgrading the range by adding a culvert to level the 15 yard line. It was a nice improvement, but not quite finished. I will be adding more fill to the crossing in the spring, just around the corner. This is what the job looked like when I was about finished for the fall.

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It has always been my intention to clear some of the trees, especially the three right in front of the berm, just getting someone out to cut them has been the issue. Since I shattered my right femur the doc won't let me touch a chain saw. We finally hooked up with one of the people in the neighborhood who cuts and sells firewood. We are thinning out a lot of the oak and pecan, and they are cutting them to sell, and will take out the dead/dying trees of other species and drop them for free, cutting them to 8' lengths we can move with the tractor. In addition we told them not to worry about hauling away the leavings, just pile them. The tractor forks scoop them and we dump them on the big pile at the edge of the woods. Home to wildlife. The pile grows, then settles, grows, and settles.

The opened up the range yesterday, and still need to haul off some of the wood and stack some of the small branches for Tina. There is one stuff at the berm that will be cut lower but it looks great. Really opened things up.

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[markiver54]

Looking good Jim! Which direction does the range face?

[Hatchdog]

Understanding the two pictures were taken at different times of the day and the year it does look like you might some better light at the berm without the trees.

[HenryFan]

Good work, Devil Dog. A good improvement.

[BrokenolMarine]

Looking good Jim! Which direction does the range face?

West... runs parallel to the road, but about 200 yards from the road.

[markiver54]

Looking good Jim! Which direction does the range face?

West... runs parallel to the road, but about 200 yards from the road.

Was just wondering if the setting sun might be a hindrance. Looks like you might be shaded enough though...(sun in the eyes ?).

[BrokenolMarine]

Looking good Jim! Which direction does the range face?

West... runs parallel to the road, but about 200 yards from the road.

Was just wondering if the setting sun might be a hindrance. Looks like you might be shaded enough though...(sun in the eyes ?).

Being retired, I can adjust my range time to shoot when the sun's position doesn't pose a problem. I chose to shade the range to combat the triple digit summer temps, but we have cut back the trees somewhat. We'll see how that affects the range when spring rolls around.

[markiver54]

West... runs parallel to the road, but about 200 yards from the road.

Was just wondering if the setting sun might be a hindrance. Looks like you might be shaded enough though...(sun in the eyes ?).

Being retired, I can adjust my range time to shoot when the sun's position doesn't pose a problem. I chose to shade the range to combat the triple digit summer temps, but we have cut back the trees somewhat. We'll see how that affects the range when spring rolls around.

Ahhh...very true. Sounds like the sun is a non-factor.
That's a great looking range area.