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Skid Trail Width

Started by mpuste, October 12, 2011, 02:51:41 PM

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mpuste

I'm building access trails in my woods that I plan to use for maintaining the property and that I expect loggers will use as skid trails.  I'd like some advice from those of you in the logging business on how wide I should make these trails.  I'd like the trails to be as small as possible so that I can keep as many trees as possible but recognize that trails too narrow will result in more residual damage. The property only contains about 40 acres of hardwood timber so I don't expect it can be profitably logged with large equipment.  The ground is mostly sloping with grades from 20 to 60 percent so most loggers around here use cable skidders.

Thanks.

tlandrum

my skidder is 122'' so you would need a couple of feet more than that just to be able to drive thru without rubbing the tires on trees. if you working production youll want it as wide as possible to be able to git r dun with haste and not clip a tree with a tire
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WDH

In the South with plantation logging of pine, a row is cut to be used as a skid corridor to remove the thinned trees.  These corridors are about 20 to 24 feet wide.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

BaldBob

With 20-50% slopes its best to get an experienced skidder operator to help you lay out the skid trails.  Without that sort of input, where you think they ought to go may make the skidding operation very difficult for the logger. Also, keep in mind that all else being equal the straighter the trail the less wide it needs to be.

thecfarm

I had my land cut off a few years back. Some of my wood roads were used some was not. Just depends on where the wood is and how the land is. They may use them and they may not. Could let them decide and than brush them out when they are done.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

g_man

I try make my maintaience and tractor roads about 10' or 12' wide which works fine for logging with my tractor and winch. I started out trying to keep them narrow as posible which was OK for dry weather but I found out the first winter you need some room when your foundering around in the snow with a hitch. It is not fun when your back tire slides over a little and gets caught tight behind a tree when you have a hitch on.
I suspect that if I hired some logging out that they may use my basic roads from the landing to where the cut is, but would widen them. Once in the cut they would make their own trails depending on what needed to get done and the lay of the land.

mpuste

Thanks for the great feedback.  The local state forester is helping me locate the trails but I like the idea of also getting input from an experienced skidder operator.  I had asked the forester about trail width and he thought what I had already cleared was adequate (about 10' wide) but that seemed too narrow once I looked up the width of a modern John Deere skidder so that's why I am asking this forum.  So far it looks like the right answer is somewhere between 12 and 20 feet wide and will vary depending on how straight the trail is.

John Mc

You could always go for 10 or 12 feet now, if that suit your needs. Whoever logs it may need to widen it, but they also may want to leave a few trees as bumper trees.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Ron Scott

We find 10-12 feet to be satisfactory in most cases. You don't want to take too much timber land out of production with roads and skid trails.
~Ron

SwampDonkey

In 10 years or so, I plan for 6-8' trails. I'm not going to be cutting hardwood or aspen, mostly removing some fir from thinning and using ATV and attachments. My land is dead flat all over for the most part. And will be winter work. Balsam Fir has narrow crowns. But I will also be lopping where the tree falls (directed) and not skidding longer than 16 foot log trees and mostly 4' pulp. This won't be one winter, but several to get all the ground worked. The pulp is the only part I'm looking for revenues, the rest will be home sawed. I won't get much from the wood, mostly the trucker will have a paying job from it. So it just depends on the equipment as well as the land. I like cutting wood where I haven't got to go gang busters. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

Cut up the limbs short and they will rot real quick. Be much easier to get thorugh with a ATV too. Nice to improve the woods. I have about 140 acres that I play on. My land is a real challenge to work on.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

SwampDonkey

The plan is to drop the trees herring bone to the trails, won't be traveling on brush, unless it's hazel nut brush. Then of course the next layer of snow will render any brush inert. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

thecfarm

I know about the herring bone cutting. Just like I said my land is a challenge and I have alot of leave trees too. I don't,can't have is more the wood,a straight wood road on my land. Hard to get a tree to fall up hill too.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Rick Alger

Four feet for a single horse. Six-and-a-half for a pair.

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