The pandemic shut down our interior renovation plans as we struggled to get subs and supplies, so 2020 was the year we turned our attention to the outdoors!
In the last post, I shared how we transformed the exterior of the house and if you missed it you can read it here!
Next was the land…
When we bought our house in 2015 it in included a couple acres.
One acre is flat and cleared which contains the house with a small yard and
the others are hilly and heavily wooded.
Looking east:
Looking northeast:
Looking south:
The terrain to the east and south is hilly and in some areas quite steep.
Our yard to the east drops down into a valley, where two springs combine
into a creek that flows down into the Yadkin River.
The original property line ends before the river, but nonetheless, the land is very beautiful and we’d always wanted to make some trails for hiking.
A couple years ago the property directly to the south went up for sale. It wouldn’t add much usable space to the side yard but it did offer access to the river, so we bought it!
The lot has a narrow 10 foot wide access road into the property but the terrain is so steep it’s not really usable. Once the lot levels out though, there are 1.5-2 acres of wooded land with an existing trail that leads out to the river.
There is also a very well built deck overlooking the river which could use a little love.
Our river banks are about 25 feet wide and about 10 feet tall with the water level about 2-4 feet depending on how much of a drought we’re in. The soothing sounds the water makes trickling over the rocks and flowing down the river is magical, we knew we had to gain easier access.
While the interior of the house was on hold and the exterior projects complete for now, it was time for some land improvements.
Steve had walked the land since moving here but more recently started planning out the best route for the trails.
Our requirements: easy enough for walking with an acceptable grade and width for a UTV. On paper it seemed straightforward, but in reality, the thickly wooded and steep terrain posed a bit of a challenge.
So, in the summer of 2020 the project began.
Steve started with what nature had already provided, a deer path!
It started behind the old goat barn and went on a diagonal, across and down our steep back yard, ending in the valley. This proved to be the easiest section only needing some widening.
Once he reached the back corner of our land he cut south and forged a trail, hugging our steep hill, while following along the valley and stream.
At times Steve came to a standstill where the ledge he was on just ended and in front of him was a 8-10 foot drop off. He would then turn and dig into the hill to gain access for a solid base to keep the path going.
He took down a few trees that he could not work around.
It was slow going but he made it all the way down to the existing trail, on the flat land, that leads out to the river.
But… he wasn’t done yet!
Steve then headed northwest bringing a trail right back up to the house.
This created a loop that allows us a great hike throughout most of our land.
Some sections of the trails are still pretty steep, making them impassable
to a UTV, but we’ll work on that overtime.
We even have a mini waterfall!
Gigi loves to run the trails and check all the tracks left by the deer and other wild life!
Here is a bird’s eye view…
Black: property line (dashed line – original south property line)
Brown: trials
Blue: creek
97: old goat barn (pictured above) where the trails start
Steve also cleared out the south side of our property to enlarge the side yard, it’ll need some grading and will make a great place for some gardens.
In the photo below, right in front of where Steve is working, is the rock wall foundation from the temporary house/tobacco barn. It will need to be cleared out by hand to preserve, so a project for another time.
In the 1930’s, when the original house was being built, the owners cleared one acre for the house, as well as, another ~1/4 acre down the back hill. They milled the downed trees, on site, to build their temporary house/tobacco barn and ultimately the main house and barn.
Over the past 90 years that 1/4 acre filled back in and we decided to clear it back out!
Steve selectively removed the “junk trees” while preserving the shade trees and expanded the backyard.
It’s quite a steep hill! We’re still deciding how to use the space, maybe seeded with wild flowers, a terraced patio or even a terraced vegetable garden.
Then it was time to burn!
Zach and I started fires on each end…
As it burned down, Steve scooped and pushed it into one final burn pile.
That was a huge undertaking but a nice change of pace from working on the house.
When we hike, Steve uses an app on his phone that scans leaves, critters, flowers… and tells us what they are and then stores the information.
Surprisingly, we even found some sassafras trees!!
We are so grateful to have these hiking trails to recharge our spirit, especially during this time of COVID19 and both of us working in healthcare.
So simply beautiful and serene…
It’s our piece of heaven on earth!
As always keep it simple but do it with sass!
P.S It’s motorcycle season so please look twice and save a life!
Absolutely beautiful! What a fun hiking trail. I’m sure it looks different every time you walk it. And the waterfall, how cool is that on your own property! All that hard work, sure will be nice when you can sit back and enjoy it all. You both are doing an amazing job inside and out!!
Thank you Tiffany! It was a great surprise to find all the wonders our land has for us. You are right each time we walk we see new things. We cannot wait to share it with you and your family when you visit.
Kim
I had so many junk emails that I missed this at the time you wrote it. It is beautiful and so well written. How I wish we could visit so I could walk that trail. Ya’ll have done so much work and I am sure it is so gratifying. I’m going to double check and see if I missed anymore post. Please keep posting so we can stay connected.
Love,
Uncle Bud and Aunt Carolyn