Where did all the energy I used to have go? Sitting behind a desk too long has definitely put me behind the curve. Five minutes with a shovel and I’m completely gassed. Getting old isnt for sissies….I get that. But, geez, Im not that old yet. Anyway…
So the rental people dropped the excavator off and that worked out as planned. What didnt work out as planned was me getting a flat tire on the way up there.
Not a big deal to change a tire, just a bit of a pain in the ass. But, it also means that for the time I’m up there until the time I return to town, I have no spare tire available. So, what does this mean? Well, the short answer is it means spending money. In the long answer it means buying new tires, a new wheel, and making sure when I go up there I have two spares in the vehicle. And it means making darn sure I take the hilift jack and some jack stands as well because those little hydraulic jacks are fine for working on the paved surfaces. Its a different story on dirt and gravel. So…..$$$. Also managed to somehow break thehandle on the tailgate, which means getting heavy stuff in and out of the truck was a bit more athletic than I had planned. This isnt the first time this has happened. Last time it happened I went to the local dealership and they wanted something like $150 to replace it. I went on eBay, found a replacement for $10. Went on YouTube and found a how-to video, spent $6 for a 10mm socket, and fixed the stupid thing myself.
Anyway, once I was mobile again, I parked at the Beta Site and unpacked. My goal was to leave about half my stuff up there for future trips, especially since, ideally, at the end of this trip I would have a hidden secure place to hide stuff.
A buddy of mine with a lot of experience driving everything and anything that is yellow and runs on diesel came up to ‘help’ me. I put help in quotes because he pretty much did the entire things himself. In one day. He’s a marvel of willpower and work ethic. I’ve no problem giving him a wad of cash next time I see him because he did a heck of a job that he didnt really have to do.
Although he did virtually all the work, I did get some time behind the controls of the miniex and used it for two purposes I had specifically wanted – stage some large rocks to use for blocking the road, and moving some downed trees. I’d never used an excavator before and it was a hoot. The notion that you can rearrange the Earth is a heady thing, man. Rock as big as footlocker? Weighs a several hundred pounds? And you want it where? No problem.
I literally could have spent days shuttling large rocks around and stacked them to create walls and lanes to channel vehicles. It was awesome. I actually may need to investigate buying one of these. But, as much as I was having an outrageously empowering time moving things that a hundred years ago would have taken a team of laborers hours of work, the miniex was there for other purposes. Specifically, to get two tanks in the ground. Rather than go into a lot of detail I’m just gonna hand you a stack of pictures:
The soil in this particular area was mostly rock-free. Digging was about as easy as could have been hoped for. The hole for the second tank, however, was virtually nothing but shale….
In the end, both tanks got into the ground and were covered up. I need to go pick up a bag of grass seed and have a couple rainfalls before things look complelety innocuous.
Speaking of innocuous, game cams caught another trespasser (and his dog).
I suspect I know whats going on here. While I was up there this weekend, I went and walked the fence between me and the state land. When the survey was done, I took a picture of myself standing next to the corner marker. In that photo there was no barbed wire fence…it had been knocked down by fallen trees. When I was there this weekend I had the notion that it seemed like there were more upright t-posts with wire than there were last time I was there. I checked against the photos I took and, sure enough, there was no upright fence there when the photos were taken..but its up now. So, I think this guy was a state employee walking the wire and fixing what needed fixing. So…not gonna get too bent outta shape.
All in all it was a bit of an exhausting weekend. But some big stuff got done. While we had the miniex available, my buddy cleaned up the alternate road into the place which means that it might now be a vit more feasible for me to get someone to haul a ten or twenty foot container in here so I can start leaving more stuff up there in relative security. And there may or may not have been some holes dug for caches, outhouses, and a few other things that call for holes.
While I was out there this weekend, it also gave me an opportunity to try out and test some other gear which will wind up getting their own posts.
So…progress contnues, as does the hemorrhagingof money. But, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Fencing – excavators aren’t useful for post holes but skid steers with a hyraulic auger are.
Check with your local utility RE: used poles. They’ll replace them after X years ( the “X” number depends on local climate); most poles are set 8 feet in, and even after 20+ years the above ground portion is usually still good. Not as good as a new pole, but the utility will scrap the whole thing; cut off the bottom and the rest will give you at least 2, often 3, good 10 foot posts, and they’ll be 10-13 inches in diameter.
Seat them deep – 10 feet of pole gives you 5 1/2 in , 4 1/2 out – , auger the hole 2″ larger in diameter and 12″ deeper, put a foot of crushed stone in the bottom for drainage and pack around the pole with crusher run; put 3-4 inches in, dampen it pack it hard, lather, rinse, repeat. Well-compacted crusher run is hard (which is why it’s used for road base), will drain (slowly, but it drains), will be more secure than dirt and Billy Bob won’t be able to drive through a post – posts on six foot centers means anything larger than than a 4X4 will require removing a post, not just cutting the horizontals. If you get enough free posts, 5 ft centers works, it’s just more time making holes and more crusher run, but staggering 10 ft rough-cut 2X6 horizontals are cheaper than the 12 footers required for 6 ft centers (contact a local sawmill for rough cut lumber, much cheaper than dimension lumber from a home center).
Heavy posts on the property frontage and several up the fence line “disappearing” into the woods (makes it look like the entire property is fenced with heavy posts).
Yep. Caught the local power guys changing out poles and asked if they were spoke for. They dropped them off at my place and with the help of a cheap chainsaw mill, they became supports for my goat barn. The mill I got uses a 2×4 for a guide, inexpensive and good enough with a straight 2″x4’x16′ as a guide. A few screws, a level and a cordless driver made for quick work.
RE tires, a couple mounted snow/ AT tires in the back is good peace of mind.
My husband is from Billings. We’re following along with a little envy and a lot of pride.
Only a little envy because we have our place in Northern California which is also beautiful. (Except for the onerous govt here). Can wait to see what kind of “first” abode you build
Ah, Billings. The biggest city in West Dakota.
That’s FREEDOM man! Happy Independence Day CZ!
Now that the world knows about this if you still have the digger up there next weekend you might consider digging some holes here and there and burying some steel to confuse people who might have metal detectors while you’re not there
If you get your own equipment, you’ll find yourself helping everyone on your road, but you will be a valued neighbor to whom everyone owes a favor.
But it is a slippery slope. If you get your own excavator, you’ll find you need a trailer, which means you need a larger truck. Before long, you’ll want something with a bucket. And then you’ll want a dump truck. Then you’ll need somewhere to park it all…
I don’t expect any disclosures or such about your operation, but I wondered. The storage containers are buried. How would you access them in time of need, if it was….January? Frozen ground under the snow and all.
Re flat tires: Always good to have spares, but carrying them takes a lot of useable space. I wind up all over the place in Northern Alberta (sometimes B.C.) way back in the bush. When you’re 2 hours drive from pavement, and 3 hours from the nearest civilization – you’re back there. I always have my spare, but I also carry 2 or 3 of the “plug” kits, and a small but dependable 12volt compressor. It’s saved my butt on more than one occasion.
Im probably not as far from the concrete as you, but I’ve no desire to walk dang near twenty miles to the pavement. Yeah, a second spare is gonna take up space but I’m just gonna hafve to suck it up because I’d rather give up a couple sdquare feet than in the bed of the truck rather than hoof it all the way back to the highway.
Well, once again…Milwaukee makes a GREAT inflator. And it takes M18 batteries. That with a patch kit will get you going.
I have the Milwaukee M18 inflator, actually. I’ve been accumulating a mountain of Milwaukee stuff since I get a deal on it at work. The inflator comes with me usually since I’m already bringing an M18 Sawzall, Chainsaw, and Drill with me. Lotta M18 batteries sitting around here.
Plug kits and compressors are good kit, they now have screw in silicon ones. (screw in tire plug, Amazon) way back when I got my trailer, 8×5 single axel kit, I asked the guys who put it together for me if they could get a Ford pattern wheel hub so it would be the same as my pick up. They said sure, no problem. So, with a spare on the trailer, one on the truck and if need be, I can always leave the trailer to rob a wheel(s) off it, I now have four spares! Something to think about when getting a trailer.
That’s exactly what I did with my truck and one of my M416 trailers. Makes logistics a good bit easier. Also, with the spare on the M416, and the spare on my truck, I have TWO spares for the truck if needed and really, SI spares if I’m willing to sacrifice the trailer.
Commander,
Your tanks look great. Water table? If you get some H2O in ’em then if the water table rises it won’t ‘float’ your tanks out of position. Ask me how I know. Anyway, I suspect you’re high enough that the water table won’t be a problem. Nice job.
I had the same experience after a hard rain. I was so proud of my work until I went up after the rain! You aren’t the only one.
Why did you have to buy a 10mm socket Did you lose yours
In the fifteen years since I’ve last used it, yeah.
Is your flat repairable, or will it have to be replaced?
Its time to replace all the tires anyway. Toying with the idea of doing a 2.5″ lift on the truck, getting six larger tires, six new wheels, and just doing the whole buy-once-cry-once thing.
A 2.5” lift pretty much levels it all out. Put the Old Man Emu BP-51 kit on my Tundra and have been very pleased.
Might put Kings on my next build.
Blue Ribbon and J&K’s in town are great places to check out
Did you climb down in your tanks and stretch out to see how comfortable they would be in case you see a mushroom cloud while you’re up there one weekend?
How are the lids to the tanks concealed? I assume that you don’t want them easily seen by a random visitor, but don’t want to spend a ton of time getting into them and then having to re-hide them.
I’ve some ideas about that but I cant really share them for OpSec reasons.