# Our Norcal Adventure



## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

I thought I'd start a thread sharing our experiences developing our property. I know this is going to be a very long process and hopefully I can learn from others as we go.

A little recap on the property, it is 7.5 acres in Northern California in the foothills to the Sierra Nevada's. This undeveloped property is at around 2,000' in elevation. There is a seasonal creek along the North side of the property and a year round creek along the East side. The build site is at the top of a little hill that overlooks the year round creek below. There are hundreds of Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs on the property.

As with any good build thread you've got to have lots of pictures. So we'll start with some recent ones.

This is of my wife and daughter cutting down our first Christmas tree on the property.










Our 8 year old beagle Bodie making a little nest for himself.










One of the first things we did was put in a fire pit. I was up at the property last weekend and decided to break it in. Although, it was kind of hard to get a good fire going with the wet wood from around the property.










Here's a short clip of the year-round creek. It's running really good right now after all the rain recently. I just love that sound!

[YOUTUBE][ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqM3oHfd43Q[/ame][/YOUTUBE]

So last weekend I had two goals in mind. Install the trail cameras and clear a spot for the shed. 

I actually found installing the trail cameras a little more challenging then I expected. Only because their field of view seemed kind of narrow to me and I had a hard time getting them setup to see a lot and not lose any detail of a subject. So we'll see how they did the next time I go up. I can easily move them if need be.

The other objective was to clear an area for the Tuff Shed. We're getting a 10' x 12' Pro Tall Barn. We decided to go this route since we wouldn't need to deal with a permit and it'll meet our needs. We wanted the tall model because it's 13' tall and we're going to have a loft in it for sleeping. It's going to be a storage shed and a place we can stay in when we go up their. We also opted for a few upgrades like narrow windows on all sides (so no one could break in), a sky light and a 2' x 2' window at the top where the loft is. This window will open, which will help with ventilation during the summer. We also are doing a work bench and their security package (reinforced hinges and locks). When I looked at the cost for some of the options the prices were negligible compared to me buying them elsewhere and doing it myself.

Anyway, this is the area I clear for the shed. We're hoping to get it installed in the next 4- weeks.










And of course at the end of the day I got to watch the sunset in front of the fire and enjoy a beer after a hard days work. I just love being up there and working on the property.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Sweet! I always dreamed of Norcal. Looks beautiful!
And a running creek. I would be looking at run-of-the-river hydro units for that! 
You can get lots of info on web on how to setup a mini hydro unit. Free power, 24/7. 
And 2000' doesn't sound bad at all for growing stuff, especially down there...up here, a tough sled (short season) at that altitude. 
Love the pics! 
Best
Melli


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

melli said:


> Sweet! I always dreamed of Norcal. Looks beautiful!
> And a running creek. I would be looking at run-of-the-river hydro units for that!
> You can get lots of info on web on how to setup a mini hydro unit. Free power, 24/7.
> And 2000' doesn't sound bad at all for growing stuff, especially down there...up here, a tough sled (short season) at that altitude.
> ...


Thanks Melli. I'd love to be able to do some sort of hydro power but I don't think it would be feasible. First, when we were in escrow I called the local water district to find out how much it would cost to connect to their system at the road. Aside from the $7,000 they also made a point to tell me we don't have rights to the water. What that really means to us I don't know. But I do know there was a story in the paper about a guy who had damned up and diverted the water downstream and the county told him to correct it, which he hasn't done so the county is suing him. The other concern with hydro is the water during the summer was a lot lower and slower. Here's a downstream picture of the creek from August.










I'm thinking at that cost we'd be better off putting in a well. But we've got a couple of years before we cross that bridge.


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## ForestToFarm (Feb 28, 2016)

Looking good.

That is a beautiful place. 

You should get a tarp and cover a bit of wood so it will be dry and ready when you are up there.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

ForestToFarm said:


> Looking good.
> 
> That is a beautiful place.
> 
> You should get a tarp and cover a bit of wood so it will be dry and ready when you are up there.



Ya, I think on our next trip I'll cover some wood.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Thanks Melli. I'd love to be able to do some sort of hydro power but I don't think it would be feasible. First, when we were in escrow I called the local water district to find out how much it would cost to connect to their system at the road. Aside from the $7,000 they also made a point to tell me we don't have rights to the water. What that really means to us I don't know. But I do know there was a story in the paper about a guy who had damned up and diverted the water downstream and the county told him to correct it, which he hasn't done so the county is suing him. The other concern with hydro is the water during the summer was a lot lower and slower. Here's a downstream picture of the creek from August.
> 
> 
> 
> I'm thinking at that cost we'd be better off putting in a well. But we've got a couple of years before we cross that bridge.


Man is that beautiful! :nanner:

Born and partially raised in mountain country, I could never see myself anywhere else, except a place slightly warmer and drier (like Norcal). 
The water issues you have to deal with are rather 'heavy' from what I've read for folks in California. I suppose it is the one blessing I have up here...although, they are trying to put the screws to us for those on muni water (meters). Rather humorous given our water situation (I just looked up our average annual rainfall - Vancouver 60" = 5 FEET!). 
I'm in a 'rain shadow', so I get about 4 feet or so...lol
Then, you factor in snow-melt and well, we are awash in water. 

I could see them getting antsy about someone damming a creek...but a mini hydro unit doesn't need a dam...just some nicely hidden pipe. 
Plus, once you clear a bit, you could probably get some solar, but I do wish I was near a stream. Hydro can be 24/7. 

I guess your too far away from ocean to get Arbutus Trees? 

My big concern, other than big brother on your back about water, would be forest fires. I would try to mitigate that by clearing fuel and firebreaks...plus, even lay pipe around property for fire suppression. I would have a straw in creek hooked up to a pump for that. My building inspector friend has done that on his property...a real good idea (albeit, he has a well that will never run out of water). I've got just one line down my hill so far. I will be installing more around property (tied into irrigation). Global warming has given us some California summers, and geesh, things really get dry up here. Kind of scary given how much fuel is lying on ground. The one plus, is we don't get the summer/fall winds I hear some areas in Cali get. Our fall and spring windstorms are always accompanied by rain.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Fires are probably our biggest concern too. Once we get the shed up I'm going to bring a 275-gallon water tote up for grey water. It's also why I want to start thinning out the property and chip instead of burn. Too much material that can go up rather easy. 

In that area fire protection is pretty serious. When we build we'll have to have sprinklers in the house. Which might look weird in a log cabin. We'll also have to have a separate water tower just for fire purposes. I have mixed feelings about these requirements.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Fires are probably our biggest concern too. Once we get the shed up I'm going to bring a 275-gallon water tote up for grey water. It's also why I want to start thinning out the property and chip instead of burn. Too much material that can go up rather easy.
> 
> In that area fire protection is pretty serious. When we build we'll have to have sprinklers in the house. Which might look weird in a log cabin. We'll also have to have a separate water tower just for fire purposes. I have mixed feelings about these requirements.


Fire sprinklers will probably become mandatory up here, but a cabin! 
A water tower....weird. Sort of like building a 'Burning Man' in the woods...lol
Thankfully, no such requirements up here, but I'd think a good sprinkler system around and on house is my best bet. Flying embers are a home's worse enemy, on the outside. Metal roof, Hardi siding, and no fuel against house have saved homes (recall a documentary on some Colorado or Cali fires that literally blackened the landscape, yet there stood a house because they built the exterior with non-flammable materials, and made sure deck furniture, anything flammable, wasn't against the house). Would make for a surreal landscape for a few years, while things greened up again.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

I went up to the property yesterday to have two dead Black Oak trees felled. This one was my primary concern since it's leaning right towards where the new shed is going.














The tree ended up being a bugger to bring down. I hired an arborist and his helper to do it. Because of the top heavy lean and shape I didn't want to try tackling this myself. Even they had a hard time with it missing the target landing spot by about 45 degrees. Subsequently, they took out one of my new trailcam security cases.














Fortunately, I had already removed the trailcam to download the content. But the case...well you can see.



The trailcams did OK. The one that I had setup to catch video ran out of memory space after 3 days. I think sound might trigger the camera which is why it took so many video clips and filled up the memory card. The second trailcam only caught a squirrel. 














After I get a replacement trailcam case I'm going to set that one to pictures too and scrap the video recording.



Aside from the tree missteps perhaps the best thing of the day was finding a waterfall on the property.



When we entered escrow it was the end of summer and the seasonal creek on the North side of the property was bone dry. Due to heavy foliage it's also kinda hard to get to that area. But yesterday I had some time and tried to work my way down there. And it was a good thing I did too because I found the seasonal creek flowing and several small waterfalls. I had no idea these features were there and was amazed at their beauty. 



https://youtu.be/cfrcTHdgvTE



The second clip is down the creek a little more.



https://youtu.be/vVXfkH5dWfQ


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## ForestToFarm (Feb 28, 2016)

Good thing the camera was not in that case. We bought a camera for our land/ project but it failed us so we took it back. Have not gotten a replacement but seeing this reminded me to do that.

Looks like you have a nice place.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Your vids could be video of my area...except your a lot warmer. As a result, nobody lives at 2000' around here (except interior). 
That creek video...nice! Love the moss covered rocks. 
Those leaning trees are cut and run jobs for me. Reminded me of an Arbutus I took down like that a couple of days ago...was debating leaving chainsaw in cut as I ran, but then I thought maybe I'd have running chainsaw flinging through air or I'd bend the bar again. 
I know I blab about Bobby a lot (Bobcat 331), but yesterday I had another leaner, and I used him. My thinking is I am safe in cab given it has roll over protection cage. Plus, a tree can't fall through arm/boom.


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## snaefell (Jan 31, 2013)

Nice property there Hitch, I really like that Nor-Cal country.
We're in Central B.C. nice country, but long winters.
Sounds like you are on a great adventure.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

This rain sure has delayed things in one way or another. I haven't been able to do much of anything since we cut the trees down. 

We were supposed to get our Tuff Shed installed two weeks ago but that got delayed because of the Oroville Dam evacuation. Even though our property wasn't in risk of getting flooded, all the roads were closed. So now I'm just waiting for the rain to stop so I can get the shed installed and back to work. 

Here's a picture of the creek from yesterday. If you scroll up a bit you'll see the same creek from August.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Any gold in those creeks. Might be fun to do a little panning


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

ed/La said:


> Any gold in those creeks. Might be fun to do a little panning



Ya, the dirt is really getting stirred up. There's definitely going to be some panning for gold this summer.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Hitch said:


> Ya, the dirt is really getting stirred up. There's definitely going to be some panning for gold this summer.


 ............That creek has enough velocity to power a Sling pump ! No batteries , no electric , no gasoline , NO noise and no wires . Check it out . , fordy


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

After weeks of delays due to rain and the Oroville Dam evacuations we finally got our shed installed a few weeks ago. We've since been customizing it by adding carpet and padding in the loft, drapes and installing some tool racks.





































Last week I installed rain gutters and connected it to a 275-gallon tote.










This weekend we're going to deliver a 8' redwood picnic table and start putting down rock around the shed. This will really help with not tracking so much dirt into the shed.

When I was up there doing the shed install I pulled the images off the trail camera and had a lot of deer pictures. I put the camera on a tree in front of a game trail so there's been a lot of activity. I've seen as many as four deer lingering in this area at once.



















On a little bit of a disturbing note we discovered someone went on the property last week and cut down a huge Ponderosa Pine tree. Again, another good reason to have a trailcam on a property you don't live on. When we pulled up to the gate I could see small piles of sawdust from a tree being cut up on our gravel road.










When I pulled up the trail camera I saw this guy walking by. I was able to get the name off his shirt and contact the company. They appear to be a large company out of the bay area that contracts with PG&E to clear their easements. My concern is the tree was quite a ways from any power lines and didn't appear dead to me or in need of removing. So, I've been getting a little bit of a run-around from the company. If I don't get some sort of explanation soon I'm going to file a police report with the sheriff's dept. for trespassing and vandalism. The tree they cut down would have been a great tree for our log cabin.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Busted! The tree looked fine, insofar as the core isn't rotten.
Our utility only has 3-6m range from line (depending on type of PL)...they can't go wandering off that range, as they don't have the rights.
I'm negotiating with my utility as they want to expropriate a chunk of land and whack a few trees.

Glad to see you got a shed on property...must share your results on that water tote filling.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Thanks for your observation Melli. I'm still learning about the health of trees so to hear you think it looks ok is good to know.

I talked to someone else today at that company who told me it was slated for trimming but they reserve the right to remove a tree if they feel it's necessary. He asked for pictures, which I sent him as well as my request for $200 for the loss of the tree. I have no idea if that is a reasonable price or not, but it's what I proposed.

I sure hope this isn't going to become a regular occurrence.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Thanks for your observation Melli. I'm still learning about the health of trees so to hear you think it looks ok is good to know.
> 
> I talked to someone else today at that company who told me it was slated for trimming but they reserve the right to remove a tree if they feel it's necessary. He asked for pictures, which I sent him as well as my request for $200 for the loss of the tree. I have no idea if that is a reasonable price or not, but it's what I proposed.
> 
> I sure hope this isn't going to become a regular occurrence.


Next time ask for more...a lot more...lol. I'd want a grand (then settle for $500 or so). If they had cut it up into long lengths, it would have some mill-able lumber in it. 
Plus, I would want money for clean up, and stump removal (last part may not be doable, but I'm of the mind, the property be made whole again, and a stump diminishes value of property). 
Really depends on where the tree was in relation to PL, as to whether you could claim compensation. On our titles, it states what that is...or utility site may have info on what clearance from lines they are able to clear. 
The fact they never contacted you concerns me...it is one thing to trim trees, but quite another to take a monster down. I guess they thought it was a vacant property (ask for forgiveness later or not at all).


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

I'd measure all pieces of the tree to get it's total length , then measure the horizontial distance from the stump to a point directly under the closest power line ! you'll have to ask for the height of the powerline......A squared x B squared = C squared ! Asquared= height of powerline , Bsquared=horizontial distance from tree trunk to point on ground directly under powerline , and Csquared is the distance from powerline down to tree trunk ! This will tell you IF the tree would have hit the powerline had it fallen . , fordy


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Heyman , that guy looks exactly like .........SpeedY Gonzalez Gonzalez ! , fordy


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

fordy said:


> Heyman , that guy looks exactly like .........SpeedY Gonzalez Gonzalez ! , fordy


Haha, I misread your post, I thought you were talking about their job...it does look like a speedy Gonzalez job...they dropped the tree on your driveway, then bucked it up so they could clear your driveway, which in turn ruined the log (unless your just looking for firewood). 
The fact they didn't buck it up as they descended down tree, tells me it wasn't a powerline issue. All arbourists in our hood felling a tree near a house or PL will scale tree, limb on way up and buck on the way down (small chunks). Rarely, do they pull out tackle, as they have to climb tree anyways...
They felled the tree in one whoop, then bucked it up so they could clear your driveway (can see sawdust piles on driveway).


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

The tree company has agreed to pay me the $200 I asked for. Again, I didn't know how to establish a value for a downed tree but I'm satisfied with the amount agreed upon. Plus I still have half the tree and several large rounds which will certainly be used in the future.

I also asked them to notify me prior to any future work, which they agreed to.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Thanks for the update! Good to hear they responded quickly and compensated you.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

I haven't posted on our build thread over the last few months because we haven't done much. Earlier in the year we were hampered with excessive rain and then for the last few months its been excessive heat. These extremes sure have slowed us down a bit. I think the only noteworthy thing we did was buy a wood splitter and split a lot of fire wood.

But that's all about to change. After a lot of discussion between my wife and I we have decided to hire a company to clear about half the land. Now when I say clear, we're only talking trees 6" wide or less and all the undergrowth. Since the property is raw and has never been worked on it's simply too much for us to tackle. Plus half of the area to be cleared is on a hill that will require hand clearing.










We've met with a few companies and decided on one yesterday. He'll bring in a crew of 6 and have the job completed in 4-days. They will chip some wood and make piles for burning on the hill side that they come back in the winter to burn. He'll be doing a little excavation work in filling in some holes left from our perc and mantel test and leveling out the top a bit so they have a large work area. It's going to run us $12,000 to do this. The general consensus between my wife and I as well as friends who have seen the property is it is a reasonable price. And I think that's how we have to look at it. Is it cheap, hell no, but what's it worth to have it all done in a week. For that and the amount of work required we feel it's worth it.

Plus clearing the land is going to give us the ability to start reading the contours of the land and zeroing in on a build site. Right now it is so dense you can't see more that 50' so being able to open things up will be nice. I'm going to be up there for the last couple of days to make sure everything is getting done as agreed.

I'll shoot some before and after video as we go to show what they did. It's a pretty big expense and leap of faith but if it comes out like we expect we'll be happy.


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## PlayingInDirt (Aug 2, 2017)

Howdy neighbor!

We're in the Sierra foothills also, at 2k elevation, but we have an existing house. I'm thinking we're south of you based on terrain. Course we purchased a house versus raw land, super cool, gonna be an awesome project!


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## PlayingInDirt (Aug 2, 2017)

We had some pge contractors come on our land without notifying, even though I've told them time and time again they need to call. Dummies had a hard time turning around, we're pretty steep and not a lot of driveway, ran over a pot of mine... I was pretty pissed. Got a padlock on the gate now. They come out so often, they've got one company for the trees, one for the poles, one for the wires, each one coming out 3x per year. Very annoying. 

And we were close enough to the mariposa fire to get some drift smoke. Pretty scary. But that's the price you pay to live in paradise, I guess.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Hitch said:


> I haven't posted on our build thread over the last few months because we haven't done much. Earlier in the year we were hampered with excessive rain and then for the last few months its been excessive heat. These extremes sure have slowed us down a bit. I think the only noteworthy thing we did was buy a wood splitter and split a lot of fire wood.
> 
> But that's all about to change. After a lot of discussion between my wife and I we have decided to hire a company to clear about half the land. Now when I say clear, we're only talking trees 6" wide or less and all the undergrowth. Since the property is raw and has never been worked on it's simply too much for us to tackle. Plus half of the area to be cleared is on a hill that will require hand clearing.
> 
> ...


So glad to hear from you Hitch! 
Yep, you have a sweet looking property...
Looking forward to pics/vid. 
Yeah, we had the same odd year, in terms of weather...nasty winter, then heat and smoke all summer...smoke is gone, thankfully (our province broke the record for most forest burnt...and summer isn't over yet). 

Hope the crew works out for you. Best.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

Was the tree within their utility easement? If not then the usual is triple stumpage.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Today was an exciting day, the land clearing is done! And man what a difference it made.

First off, our useable space grew exponentially. We have a huge field we knew was there but could never see it. Perhaps the most drastic discovery was seeing the contours of the hillside. I knew it had a slight curve leading down to the creek, but it is really a much more drastic curve. It really gave me a great view of the property.

The guys worked their tails off and going up and down that hill all day must have been a bltch on their knees. I'll have 60+ burn piles to contend with come winter but at least they're covered.

Here are some general pics and some before and after shots. These two are at the top of the property.



















Our swing looking down to the creek, which we could never see only hear. Now we can see it.




























But perhaps the best part was the transformation to the creek. We could really only access one corner of it because the undergrowth was too thick to traverse along the shore. There are a few burn piles down there now, but otherwise everything has been removed and we can now walk to the other end.



















We also had a visitor the other night. I asked my wife, we didn't leave in food in there did we. She looked sheepishly and said I think we left the salt and pepper up there last time. So we'll need to make sure we're scent free on our next trip up.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Awesome Hitch! Looks like a park! Your own park...
And being able to see a distance is always nice, especially with big furry blobs rooting around...
Well, if Mr/Mrs Bear didn't get anything, you should be ok going forward. It is when they find something, they become pests real quick. Long ago, I had a bear print on my electrical shed door (garbage storage - perennially cool building). Given a few have become adept at opening lever doors, we've had them rummaging through houses and cars (one even tried my RV while I was in it, then tried my car door). But, I have deadbolt on door, and I haven't had any prints since.
Real nice looking job. I thought you were getting an excavating job, not a labor job.
Wonder what the thinking is on covering the piles...while it does rain a wee bit up here, keeping the pile open, so air and sun can dry it out (season it), seems to work. After about 6mths - 1yr, my piles (machine piles) are ripe for a burning.

Stunning looking piece of property.


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Clearing out some trees sure made a world of difference. Love the view of the creek from the swing. I think that would be my favorite spot on the property. Nice place to start or end the day with a beverage just watching the water flow by. Beautiful piece of land.


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## ForestToFarm (Feb 28, 2016)

Progress is awesome!

Terry


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Another forest fire (Cascade) nearby has broken out. This is the 4th one this year. We knew forest fires were a risk in the area, but not this bad. It’s grown from 8 miles away yesterday to 2 miles away today. 

We were up at the property over the weekend. On Sunday, we decided to stay a few extra hours because it was so beautiful and peaceful. Eventually we headed down the hill with the windows down enjoying the fall day. 

A day later it’s a war zone up there. Houses we drove by a day earlier were smoldering piles of rubble on Monday. So sad to see so many homes destroyed, pets and livestock killed and lives disrupted. 

I’m really hoping we didn’t make a mistake buying in the foothills.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Another forest fire (Cascade) nearby has broken out. This is the 4th one this year. We knew forest fires were a risk in the area, but not this bad. It’s grown from 8 miles away yesterday to 2 miles away today.
> 
> We were up at the property over the weekend. On Sunday, we decided to stay a few extra hours because it was so beautiful and peaceful. Eventually we headed down the hill with the windows down enjoying the fall day.
> 
> ...


I hear it is real bad there right now. Hopefully, they can get it under control or some rain/cooler weather prevails...we have entered the fall unscathed on coast, but interior here got hammered (worst ever on record). 
Hoping you have a forest to go back too. Not a lot one can do with Mother Nature. I hear the real kicker is you folks get some nasty winds which is what makes California deadly during the dry season. 
I've seen forest damage in our hood, and 'sometimes' they move so fast they only char the bark, and the trees survive. Within a few years, you wouldn't know there was a fire (other than scorched bark). It is the fires that have lots of understory fuel (forest litter) that kills the trees. And the types of trees make a difference. Some are burners, while others can handle a fire. 

I'm cladding my house in fireproof material...lol...plus I have a decent fire break around it. And I will be installing fire suppression.


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## ForestToFarm (Feb 28, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Another forest fire (Cascade) nearby has broken out. This is the 4th one this year. We knew forest fires were a risk in the area, but not this bad. It’s grown from 8 miles away yesterday to 2 miles away today.
> 
> We were up at the property over the weekend. On Sunday, we decided to stay a few extra hours because it was so beautiful and peaceful. Eventually we headed down the hill with the windows down enjoying the fall day.
> 
> ...



That is one reason we have cut down any trees within falling distance of our homes in our little forested land. Then keep the grass cut low and pray there is never a fire. Some kids set a couple of mattresses on fire down the road against a tree during a very dry spell. Its a miracle the fire did not spread. Its all forest between there and our home sites.

I would definitely consider building with a metal roof and some sort of fire resistant siding. Then maybe aluminum clad windows. Cut anything that can burn down all around your house site.

Seems like there are more and more fires out there every year. Be safe up there.

terry


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Spring has sprung...or at least I hope. We haven't done much to the property over the winter. I went up one night and camped otherwise it's been some day trips here and there. We got the burning all done a couple months ago, so that's a relief. 

My son and I move the swing to a new location and used a 4x4 beam for a little more support. Seems to be a lot sturdier then my initial attempt. It's so nice to see the whole creek from the hill top. The sound of the creek is so mesmerizing. 










We also bought a port-a-potty for a better restroom solution then our bucket system. We'll set that up on tax day...appropriately enough.

I'm going to be putting in a horseshoe pit in a couple of weeks too. In fact, I bought all the supplies today. We're trying to make the property more usable for recreation purposes right now.

Work wise I've got some old rusty barb-wire down off the creek I need to remove. I thought I got it all a couple months ago but after the burning more was found. I also need to figure out what to do with all the logs that didn't get burned all the way through.

Would it be bad to toss them in the creek to work their way down stream? None are longer then a few feet and under 6" round. I'd probably just do a little at a time to avoid any blockades.


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## Qwertyuiop (Feb 20, 2018)

Simply beautiful. I know it's a lot of work but progress is empowering. Thanks for the pics. I will continue to follow


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## oldtruckbbq (Aug 8, 2016)

Hitch said:


> Spring has sprung...or at least I hope. We haven't done much to the property over the winter. I went up one night and camped otherwise it's been some day trips here and there. We got the burning all done a couple months ago, so that's a relief.
> 
> My son and I move the swing to a new location and used a 4x4 beam for a little more support. Seems to be a lot sturdier then my initial attempt. It's so nice to see the whole creek from the hill top. The sound of the creek is so mesmerizing.
> 
> ...


Might want to do something besides dumping partially burned logs into the creek. Remember, wood ash mixed with water is used to make lye. Putting partially burned logs to float and soak in a creek could cause the same phenomenon in a less concentrated form and may be bad for the ecosystem. Any way you go about disposing of them, aside from burying them and letting them decay, results in releasing carbon and other pollutants into the air or water. Might be a better solution to burn the rest of them in a fire pit and enjoy a crackling fire some evenings.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

oldtruckbbq said:


> Might want to do something besides dumping partially burned logs into the creek. Remember, wood ash mixed with water is used to make lye. Putting partially burned logs to float and soak in a creek could cause the same phenomenon in a less concentrated form and may be bad for the ecosystem. Any way you go about disposing of them, aside from burying them and letting them decay, results in releasing carbon and other pollutants into the air or water. Might be a better solution to burn the rest of them in a fire pit and enjoy a crackling fire some evenings.


That makes sense. I really wasn’t sure what impact they would have on the water.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

Hitch said:


> That makes sense. I really wasn’t sure what impact they would have on the water.


............Ask a Beaver , they're professionals !, fordy


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Haven't been doing too much on the work lately. We did get the horseshoe pits in a few weeks ago and the port-a-potty setup. So far it's working out great with very little odor. I think with our minimal use and dropping in a deodorizer tablet every time we're up there we'll be ok. I'm hoping we can go 6-months in between pumping.










This weekend will be our first large group camping trip on the property. We'll have upwards of 20 people camping over the Memorial Day weekend. We're looking forward to hanging out with everyone and enjoying the property.

I've been wanting to put more rock down on the driveway but the guy I was referred to keeps flaking out on me. So I need to look for another provider.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 2-years since I’ve posted to this thread. 

Our original plan was to build a house on the property. But as time has gone by our plans have changed. The main considerations were the high cost of construction, stringent California building codes and the increasing wildfire risks. When you add it all up it just didn’t make sense to build. So we decided to put a trailer on the property. 

We ordered a 2021 Cedar Creek Cottage 40CRS Cedar Creek Cottage | Forest River RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes back in August. We chose a destination trailer since they’re bigger and more like a small home. Plus it gives us the ability to move it if necessary. 

We had to fall about 50 trees to make room for the trailer. Work started a couple months ago and the grading started this week. We will have a water tank, grey water drainage pit, septic tank, generator and 250-gal propane tank to feed the trailer and generator. 

The trailer was purchased from a dealer in Illinois because it was about $20k cheaper then buying it here in California. Granted I’m going to spent $3,600 to transport it here but it was well worth the savings. 

We’re hoping to have the trailer setup by Christmas. Here’s some pictures of the first day or grading.


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## RJ2019 (Aug 27, 2019)

Hitch said:


> Wow, I can’t believe it’s been 2-years since I’ve posted to this thread.
> 
> Our original plan was to build a house on the property. But as time has gone by our plans have changed. The main considerations were the high cost of construction, stringent California building codes and the increasing wildfire risks. When you add it all up it just didn’t make sense to build. So we decided to put a trailer on the property.
> 
> ...


An RV is definitely the way to go in your situation. You can pick up and move it all if you need to and (perhaps more importantly) you can insure it. Getting homeowners insurance in California in rural areas is getting more and more difficult to do. Also agree 1000% that building codes and permit requirements/fees are prohibitive and best avoided. The California housing shortage is totally manufactured by its housing officials.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

I thought I should sweep the area with the metal detector before the rock goes down. It is gold country..you never know. Unfortunately all I found were pieces of old tin cans. Makes me wonder about the history of the land. Could have once been a prospectors camp for all I know. Would have been an ideal spot with the creek going through it. Maybe next year I’ll start sweeping other parts of the property.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

The gravel pad is done and we extended the driveway to it. The new trailer should be here next weekend. 🤞🏻


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Looks great Hitch!
Really cleaned up well.


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## NorthernMan (Sep 4, 2017)

Yes, what a beautiful property. Congrats, and _*great work*_ on what you've done. We have been working on ours for three years, and can appreciate all the labor that is involved.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

After months of delays we finally got our new trailer delivered a couple weeks ago. It's so nice to finally be done and we can't wait for summer to really be able to enjoy the property.

Last night I was going over our expenditures on the property since we bought it in 2016. We have invested exactly $40,000 developing the property over the years, with over half that spent in 2020 alone.

Here are some pictures of the trailer (2021 Cedar Creek Cottage 40CRS).




























From left to right is a 300-gal. propane tank for the trailer and generator. Next is where our generator will go. We have a Zombie-box sound enclosure on order, which should be here in about a month. In the meantime we're using a small Yamaha generator.

Next to the generator is a partially buried 550-gal septic holding tank. We will drain the black water from the tailer into that and then have that pumped by a septic company as needed. Then there is a grey water drainage pit (4'x4'x4') filled with drainage rock. The last thing is a 500-gal. water tank. I bought a 110-gal. water tank for my truck and I will bring water up with us as needed to fill the water tank.





































One of the reasons we chose this trailer was because of all the windows, which connects us with the outside. It's also built like a house with aluminum 16" on center framing and excellent insulation. Since we're not going to build we had no problems with buying something really nice that we can keep for a long time.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

I installed our Zombie Box (generator enclosure) last week. It took 6-months to arrive but so far it has met my expectations. My dual fuel generator fits fine and I was able to route the exhaust out with no problems.

As far as the sound reduction I would say it's a little louder than our 2,000 watt Yamaha inverter. It's running at about 70-75 dB at approximately 25'.


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