Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

[glenn kangiser]

I got the wires down to the bottom of the mountain and have just one left to tie to the T  posts.  I took a couple shots of the corner.

I don't remember if I posted this before but if I did then here is another example.  An angled corner dropping about 4 feet one way - level along the road.  I don't have the road brace wire on yet but am going to do that shortly.

The braces are 4x4's and I space the T posts about 7'6 inches apart leaving me 3 inches at each end of the brace.  Holes need to be drilled on an angle that will match the grade you are working with so the will match the post angle.  I drill an 1 1/4" hole in each end then drive the brace onto the post with a hammer.  This works great where there is so much rock a auger is required for wood posts and if you are lazy like me.



Note that the 4x4's are salvaged from jobsites.  No need to let them go into the dumpster.

It takes about 2 minutes to drive 2 T posts - 3 minutes to drill 2 holes in the brace.  15 minutes to cut and tie the brace wire around the post and tie on the end of the brace.,  Wrap the wire around the T post tight enough to prevent slipping down - at least one wrap, the incorporate the brace 4x4 into the wire too to prevent moving up or down.  If necessary wire the other end of the brace to the T post also.  Total time for a brace - 20 to 30 minutes.

Looks ugly but works great - especially where you have to carry stuff long distances on steep hills.

Also - a T post hold down made of a wire basket and  rocks.  This would want to pull out of the ground when the wires are hooked to it and stretched.



I just use brace wire and fashion the basket so it will hold the big rocks from falling down the hill.  A gabion could also be used but I usually have an abundance of big rocks.

Lunch time is over ... back down the hill for me...  

[glenn kangiser]

Checked today and it does appear to be about 600 feet of fence from our road down to the lower neighbors property line.  300 feet appx elevation drop per the topo map.  That does work out to about a 50% grade.... [idea]



Got the last wire hooked up today so that section is done.  Neighbor dog, Dolly hangs out with us a lot when she hears the Bush Hog..... wanted her picture on Countryplans too.....



Here is another shot of the fence, then on down to the bottom to repair all of the parts that have been broken over the years.  

At least most of it was there and repairable.  Used a few hundred feet off of the barb wire roll to get it put back together today.

Here is a spot that was totally torn out by rolling rocks.  I put it all back together then retied it to the old rocks in the gully to hold it down so the cows don't try to go under it.  It's mostly about 5 acre or so residential area below us.




Don't need my little cows getting through that and causing trouble for me.

I think I was totally covered with poison oak today as I went through masses of it....... I clipped it out of the way but there was no way to avoid it.  At least it doesn't bother me much.  Unfortunately, if I just walk by Sassy, she gets it from me though..... [ouch]

[jeramiez]

in those last few pics it seems like you have quite the 'fence watcher' already established....  LOL

[glenn kangiser]

It does seem they were a bit fixated on the fence.... If only they would do it reliably....

Always better stuff on the other side of the fence, though they were pretty good today.  I did have to keep calling them back though as there are about 5 or 6 back yards below our property.  I was thinking how to the neighbors it is uphill but to me it is downhill..... brilliant thinking there eh?  

They did run off a Coyote the other day.  There are lots of wood rats and mice if they look in the right place.  

I saw Princess eat a mouse live today.  

Yummy.

Suzy had a hard day of trying to dig them out of the dirt so she just settled for an old antler to chew on as we made our way up the mountain.

[glenn kangiser]

Our neighbor/renter stopped by this morning and offered to help me get the road section of fence done after he got back from town.  We managed to get the braces, posts and two rows of wire up and tied on 1280 feet of fence.



One wire left to go on that fence in the morning then about another 1200 feet on the west side and I will have about 27 or so more acres fenced.  We put the wire outside the T post on the convex corners and inside on the concave corners and straight so stretching was easier. 

I'm just going 3 wire fence on this section as my cows just don't seem to mess with a fence as long as it is standing.  Also hadn't planned on putting in this much fence this year so working on a shoestring budget, but the cows need much more land to graze on this mountainside than I thought they would need.  Grass is a bit sparse here but I think it will start to improve as they graze it, seal in the gopher holes so all of the water does not drain off immediately, and I get enough fenced area so I can rotate their grazing.

The work crew near the end of the day....



Nice to have a fairly level section to fence for a change and good help makes it easier too.  

[glenn kangiser]

I spent today laying out the west fence line.  It is about 1200 feet long but it goes down the mountain through trees, brush and over rocks.  A few gullies but not too bad.  Worst thing is that there is no line of sight from one end to the other.

I took a picture to show you how I handle that.



I stepped a bit to the side so you could see my lineup points.  I circled the ribbons and stakes - they are on telephoto so there is several hundred feet covered in that picture.  

I started out locating both known endpoints.  Steel property survey  markers at the top and bottom of the property.  It was necessary to go use assessors parcel layouts with survey information to locate the corners and measure from the known points to the unknown ones finding the stakes.

After that I cleared minimal trees and brush along the approximate property line area to get some lines of sight.  Going from a known corner I set up two more post in a line so I could get a line of sight over the hill.  being careful to be pretty exact I continued whatever distance I could lining up another stake down the hill with two previous stakes.  Once I got line of sight to the other end of the property I went down the hill to see if I lined up with the end marker and back up the line looking back.

I read adjusted and lined up stakes again as necessary until it lined up straight on the line from both ends.  This required cutting brush and low branches with each readjustment, but now the whole line should be within a few inches of perfectly straight.  Close enough neither me nor the neighbor should complain. I will run a long run of barbed wire now to line up as straight as possible between the long sections to the endpoints then stretch it pretty snug with the come along.  There should be nearly no jog in it when lined up that way.  I will then lay out and drive the T posts.


I talked to the neighbor about it but she has little interest in the lines as long as they are close.  If it was a neighbor that wanted to help and had an interest in it, it would be fine for them to help... and help pay for some fence... but she is a city transplant and has little interest in cows....

Too bad because she just got two sides of her place fenced for free....

[MikeOnBike]

Hey Glenn, I really like your t-post/4x4 version of an H brace.  I'll have to remember that one, it could come in handy.  Our ground is so rocky we will be building about 25-30 stone bucks to fence our 80 acres.  I can usually finesse a t-post in the ground for about a foot but getting a pole in the ground a couple of feet is almost impossible.  Luckily the first two gates had enough soil under them for the posts.  The third gate will take a more creative approach.

[glenn kangiser]

I was hoping someone else would find that brace useful, Mike.  It took me a bit to figure out a way to do it but it has really come in handy around here.  It's not as strong as a good wood or pipe brace set in concrete, but its plenty strong for my cows and it does keep the fence pretty tight.

I have rocks also - somewhere between 1/3 and 3/3 rocks, though most of it is not too bad for T posts.

This is also a rather rush type fence.  I need to get the cows moved soon and I can really use the extra pasture... hay is expensive.

Here is some of the brush I had to go through today.  I don't want to take it out with the Bobcat as I will tear the heck out of several acres just getting it over there... so cut it off with the chainsaw and stack it out of the way.... [ouch]



I got the first wire and about 2/3 of the stakes in on the 1200 foot I am doing now as well as the top wire on the fence at the road today.  The neighbor helped for a couple hours, so we got a bit more accomplished.

Some of the first little wild flowers are starting to bloom now.  These are little ones about a half inch across.  Saw one on the way out this morning and had to take it's pix.  I know... it's just a weed....but it's a pleasant little weed.....

[Texas Tornado]

I always take time to find the flowers and spend a few minutes enjoying them...

[glenn kangiser]

That's great, TT.  Soon begins several months of lots of different types of wild flowers all around us here.  They tend to bloom one after another with some overlapping up into about June or later.

[glenn kangiser]

I have to go down to the bottom end of the new fence line first thing this morning, and change where I have the other end tied.  I'm going over a bunch of boulders with the fence so I am moving it to the top of the post once all of them are in.  That way I have a straight fence but I can shorten, stop, or go around the obstacle as needed on the other two wires.

I'll see if I can hang on to the Bush Hog and take a quick video of the trip down.

[glenn kangiser]

Lunch time again.  In the video I took this morning I said it was about 50 feet to the end of the line over the rock dike..... actually its more like a hundred or so.  The video is currently uploading so here is a pix til then... 2 1/2 hours to upload a little video --so much for high speed internet.



There is a nice big rock in the fence line just before it drops over the hill.





Here is a shot looking up 300 feet or so of fence where it just slides by the next big rock up the hill.



The posts are spaced about 20 to 22 feet apart except at rock problems or braces.

Videos are still uploading so we get to see the ride after a while...

[Redoverfarm]

Glenn those are some serious rocks.  Probably glad you are not raising goats or you would never be able to keep them in the fence.

[glenn kangiser]

I just went over the little ones, John.  I missed a big one in the middle of that post line.  I'll get a shot of it next time down there.  We have lots of greenstone dikes so there are some very cool outcroppings.

Goats.... I don't think there is much of a chance I'd keep them in without welded wire fence and a lot better one than the one I did several years back... The goat taught the sheep how to get out, then I couldn't keep either of them in.

Here is a cool log with woodpecker holes and one acorn.  There is a much better one somewhere up the hill.  



Also, a very nice old Blue Oak tree out in the middle of the land.  Hillsides in this area are around 40% grade.

[Redoverfarm]

That downed tree looks like my barn.  Actually it was a house in 1925 but has long since been converted & moved for my barn.  Jenny Len (sp?) style Board & Batten 15X 30 with a 15X30 wagon shed attached.  It sit where my house is now.   About a week of jacking up, cutting shag bark hickory poles and a D6 and I skidded the complete thing about 100 feet to where it stands now.   Good for storage if it wasn't already full. 

[glenn kangiser]

I need to build me a barn soon too although an old one would be nice.

Hopefully I can find enough stuff to make it look old.  May have a calf coming this year and I'd like to keep the cow nearby when that happens.  Don't need to be feeding a new calf to someones dogs..... especially mine or the neighbors....

Got a little more fence in - second wire, but did not make it down to the big rock... gotta go for dinner now.....

[Texas Tornado]

Pssst Glen, send me that oak tree pic 
TT

[glenn kangiser]

I think it should be there waiting for you now, TT.

I got the videos of the trip down the hill and a short one coming back up.  It'll give you a look around the country and if you put it on full screen and sit close to your monitor with the sound on, it might make you feel like you are there... [ouch] Click the pix to watch the video.




and I just did the fun part on the way back up the hill. 





Tomorrow I'll try to get the other two wires finished and maybe gates made, weather permitting.....

[Texas Tornado]

Got it!! Thank You Glenn your a doll!!
Man I do enjoy your place! Fantastic views and trees as well as some cool rawks!!!!
TT

[glenn kangiser]

Well thanks, TT... Glad you enjoy it.  It is always nice to get out in nature. 

Everywhere you look it is like a picture now.  In a few months it will look like a hot brown picture, but the Oaks, Pines and a lot of the brush will still be green... then we will be into fire season, but hopefully by then my cows will have eaten a lot of the grass down the hill cutting down on a lot of the fire danger.

Views are always nice here and Yosemite is only about 40 miles away so if it gets too brown and hot here a short drive will change the scenery.

After living here with all of the rocks I realize how useful they were to the Cavemen....... hammer, wheel chocks, fence weight, weapon, hide scraper, knife, flower garden border, walls, fireplace, barbecue pit..... this list goes on and on....

[PEG688]

After living here with all of the rocks I realize how useful they were to the Cavemen....... hammer, wheel chocks, fence weight, weapon, hide scraper, knife, flower garden border, walls, fireplace, barbecue pit..... this list goes on and on....

  Nice segway (sp) transition Glenn   Always a pleasure to watch your vids and view your photo's.

The dogs four wheel drive sure beats yours!! They get around way better , and they rarely fear tipping over, or  at least they don't mention that possibilty

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks, PEG.... I occasionally try to get something informative in there with all of the blather... like there you just learned not to ride with me on the Bush Hog should the opportunity arise....

The Dogs run circles around me...

I don't really fear tipping over....I don't have enough brains for that..... I just pretend I do for suspense.....

....though it does get onto two wheels almost beside that one rock...but then the rock may stop it from going clear over.

Early summer I will probably take the Bobcat down there and improve the little road but it would wipe out too much grass if I did it now.

The Dogs watch for me to start the Bush Hog where they all pile on then when we get to the place we are going they go hunting wood rats, mice, skunks etc.  After a day of that they are all tired.

Here is a shot of them I took on the way home riding the Hog.... all tuckered out.....



Last month our crop of Miners Lettuce started showing up.  Nice greenery and small flowers now.   It is here every year in the cooler damp shady areas.  It is edible and I guess got it's name from.......you guessed it..... The Gold Miners ate it for lettuce.  [ouch]



Now to try to fit something useful in here..... [idea]


Here is the wire un-reeler I made from a piece of EMT conduit, a half inch bolt, a washer and two 60d nails.  I just welded them up so the reel could spin.  Great for when you have to go around a tree or rock or even to use as a handle to pull wire for several hundred feet.  Not a genius trick here... I fashioned it after one I had seen in a store.   It's just that the nearest store that carried it is about 50 miles away.  Here you make things because it is necessary.



Best way to unreel barb wire when working by myself  is with an un-reeler table for the Bush Hog.... a steel plate over a concrete stake welded to a support off of my trailer hitch receiver.  I tried two rolls at once but they still tangled so one wire at a time working alone is best for me.



Most of the time I drive and let it unreel but sometimes I pull with the handle above and drag it behind trees and rocks as the Bush Hog holds the spool of wire.  

The steel plate provides braking action to prevent a bunch extra from spooling off on a hard tug that may happen when pulling hard on the wire and falling over a rock as you go downhill....

[glenn kangiser]

Got the third wire all the way down to the bottom yesterday afternoon before I got too soaked to continue working.  I still have to tie it, put two more wires the last hundred feet over the rocks and finish the two gates before it is usable.  

Probably another look at the old fence on the west end would not hurt either.  I have no desire to go down the hill chasing them through the residential area below.  [ouch]  

Another chance of showers this morning the part sunny for the next week it looks like, so possibly the cows will be weed eating on another pasture pretty soon.

It was warm enough that the bees are finally able to get to work on the fruit trees.  The Pluot has 4 varieties so we are almost assured of having one in bloom during the good weather.  Hard to say if all types will produce good or not for a few weeks.

[glenn kangiser]

Got the two gates made today and the last of the old fence fixed down the hill.  I thought while I was making them I would take a few pictures of how I do it in case there is anybody that doesn't know..... I mean... kids are born every day... they don't know and who knows ... some day they might want to know... I don't know.......

I would consider this a light duty cow fence, and it would likely need to be done in a stronger fashion for cows that were rough on fencing or lots of them.  Our cows are Dexters or Dexter cross, so are shorter than full size cows too.  Our cows have been trained on electric fence so don't seem to mess with any of it as long as it is up.  If it's down they will step right over it and be on their merry way though. [ouch]

Here in California there are lots of Portuguese Farmers so it is commonly called a Portagee (local slang - even in Wikipedia) gate here - I read that they use a bail over the top of the gate post, which I do sometimes, but my uncle used a stick lever wired onto his so I am calling this an Oregonian gate....  Beats paying $100 for a steel gate and then having to figure out how to mount it or get it transported 1/4 mile down the 50% grades through the trees and brush.  

The gate can be put in as the fence is being made, adding braces as needed, or you can fence through continuous putting posts in the proper place then make the gate.  Here I added a gate to a fence that was existing.  This is the brace I added to keep the fence from loosening on the long run up the hill.   I took this picture before I put the brace wire up.  The right side was a short fence section - less tension, so I drove an angled stake in and tied it to the post and the fence wires.



I drove a brace post in 7'6" from the existing post, made the brace, and an angle post brace for the short section, then opened the next section.

After making the brace it is necessary to keep the fence wire from slipping back.  I wind the clips so tight with the fence pliers that it starts to grip and twist the barb wire.  Just about a quarter turn or so to lock the two together.  Much more than that may break the wire.  I next staple the gate post to the gate wires far enough back to allow the wires to be tied to themselves behind the 2x4 (about an 8" space for a 2x4) , stick or whatever is used for the gate post.  My uncle used sticks from a nearby tree - maybe a couple inches diameter.



I cut the wire about a half inch past the clip and bend that piece back around the clip to prevent slipping.  I do it this way because if I leave enough wire to wrap around the post too, the gap would be excessively wide.  In the unlikely event that one comes loose I will extend it and restretch it.  I don't think that will happen though.  You should see some of the old farm fences around here and around our property even. 



Here you can see how the lever holds the gate closed and keeps it really tight too.  You need to make the wire the proper length to pull everything tight when the gate is closed.



The fence past the gate is not complete in this picture.  The lever is hooked on the gate post, pushed back to tighten the gate then shoved down behind the top wire where the tension will hold it even if the cows hit the fence.

I put stays in the center of the gate to hold the wires together and keep them from tangling when opened.  I like them about every 5 to 7 feet on a gate.  I also read that even with 3 wire fence, many times the gates will be 4 wire, which makes sense as gates can sag a bit sometimes.



Note that there is a loop of wire at the bottom to hold the bottom of the gate post.  

Here is the gate opened with the stays holding the wires apart.  I loop it around tight against the fence to keep it out of the way of the cows.





It takes about an hour or so to make this gate and have it ready to use.

[glenn kangiser]

Got the cows moved to the new pasture today.

I needed a place for them to get water so I made a couple of small sod and rock dams to retain the water runoff from the rains.  

Click the pix for a short video.





The cows went wild checking out their new spread....



....but after a quick look around they came back to munch out on the hay I used to bribe them over there with. [ouch]