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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 00:15
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Well, after clear cutting under my electrical lines - and taking out all the trees which would prevent a car/truck from sliding off the mountain.... our electric cooperative finally provided telephone poles that we could anchor to the side of the road as a makeshift guardrail. 
They also delivered extra poles which are about 35 feet long. I decided to use these to make a bridge over one of my creeks. The sides of the creek are about 3-4 ft above the water level.
I used my tractor to place the poles across the creek... with one on the top of the bank, and the other at the bottom of the other bank. I couldn't quite get the poles up on the top of the other bank.
So the question is... how to get the pole up on the top of the opposite bank. The creek bed is too steep for me to drive my tractor through the creek, and up on the opposing bank.
I also tried to raise it up using a come-a-long. That didn't quite work either.
Anybody have any clever ideas on how to accomplish this task?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 01:13
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Can you post pictures?
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Jebediah
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 07:58 - Edited by: Jebediah
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A pic sure would help . There are many ways to accomplish this if you have the right equipment.
One way is to build an X out of lumber lay it flat under your pole on the opposite side of the creek. Attach your winching mechanism to the X and pull it upright and keep pulling until the X falls out or your pole reaches the desired distance on the bank. This way you can drag your pole over the creek and place it without digging into the river bank. You can adjust the apex of the x to the desired height, just make sure you tie in the top or bottom legs with rope or another piece of lumber to prevent them from collapsing. You may also want to attach the pole to the X, Clear as mud
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turkeyhunter
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 08:22 - Edited by: turkeyhunter
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I used a "come-a-long"...or a chainsaw winch to get my power poles - creosote ;) the best ones!!! across the creek!!!.....I have built several bridges over the years and decked them with 3 inch thick white oak boards.....lasts a very long time!!
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Asher
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 08:56
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Is there a decent tree on the (non accessible) side of the creek? If so anchor a pulley up the tree and then just run a cable back across and hook to your tractor. Or find a buddy with a well built 4wd and have him cross the creek and use his winch on the other side..
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 08:59 - Edited by: neb
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Is there water in the creek and how wide is the creek??
These are electrical poles not telephone poles right. Lol
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Littlecooner
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 09:38 - Edited by: Littlecooner
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Sounds like quite a challenge now that the "far" end is down in the water below the bank. I am like some of the other guys here, a photo would be nice. I would think the easy way at this point in time is a big cooler full of beer and a call to the beer drinker with a 4 wheel drive that has an 8,000-12,000 pound winch on the front and a few snatch blocks. you might have to build some A frames over the top of the end of the poles, but with the proper rigging, you can stand on the "near" bank and drink a cold one while the guy with the winch puts the pole in place. In my younger years, we all made plans on these size projects and the time frame was always estimated in "cases of beer". This could be a "case job" or if a lot of A frame building is required, it could turn into a " 3 case job".
If you are not familiar with these winches, most hold 150 feet of cable, a snatch block doubles the pulling force. If you had a tree on the "far" side to cable in a snatch block so that the pull is on up towards the bank on the "far" side, then build an A frame over the end of the pole, attach a second snatch block so the pull is up and just pick up the log. Use tractor to push pole forward onto bank as the winch operator backs off cable and presto, pole in place.
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Don_P
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 13:42
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It needs to be done on a windy day.
Put on yer kilt
Grab the pole and hoist it to waist level.
Then as the wind blows you'll have a choice to make, most guys toss the pole and grab their skirt.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 14:41 - Edited by: RichInTheUSA
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Sorry, i failed to take photo when I was there yesterday, but will do so next weekend.
Quoting: Jebediah Attach your winching mechanism to the X and pull it upright and keep pulling until the X falls out or your pole reaches the desired distance on the bank. This way you can drag your pole over the creek and place it without digging into the river bank.
This is exactly the problem. Thanks for the suggestion!
Yes, there is a big tree on the "far side". Attaching a pulley with a cable and bringing back over to the near side is a great idea!
Quoting: Littlecooner Use tractor to push pole forward onto bank as the winch operator backs off cable and presto, pole in place.
I like this... similar to Jebediah.
There is water in the creek - about 1-2 feet. Bank to Bank, the creek is about 20 feet wide. Im using 28' "electrical poles", so there should be a solid 4 feet of pole on each side. The sides of the banks are about 3-4 feet above the water level, and they are steep.
The far side has about 15 acres of woods... and I have not yet cut a path through the foliage and trees to get to this bridge... but that is the eventual idea. If the A-frame or tree idea doesn't work, I could cut the path through the woods first thus getting the tractor to the "far side".
Yes, these poles are "electrical" poles, since i got them from the electrical cooperative. ;)
Thanks for the ideas so far. You all are a lot of help.
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 15:00 - Edited by: neb
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RichInTheUSA >> I was just razzing you a little on the electrical poles. Lol
So can you get to the other side with a pickup or tractor? Like going around that spot and getting where you have the pole?
If you can then I see options for you to get the pole up on that side.
If not if you could get some 8 feet cut poles across to the other side you can bury ad make a pole gin. Then attach a large pulley/sheave to the gin which would not have to be that high over the bank. Not sure if I explained that well enough but this method is used when se a pole that is taller then the equipment that one has.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 15:08
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Quoting: neb RichInTheUSA >> I was just razzing you a little on the electrical poles. Lol
Hey, no problem at all. I thought it was funny.
I can't get to the other side with a tractor (yet). The plan is to cut a path through the woods to be able to get to the "far side". I may have to do this first, so that I can get equipment over there. I googled "pole gin" and do see what you mean.
Thanks, Rich
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 15:59
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Yes you can walk across the creek that is a good thing. It would be like an A with one pole extending longer over the other one. Both would be buried the shorter one underneath would support the longer pole that extends just to the edge of he water. Then if you could barrow a sheave this would be chained to the end of gin. Then a cable run through it and pull up with tractor and or pickup from the side of the creek that you can get too. The two short poles you temporary set for lifting purposes should be chained at ground level. You should easily be able to get those couple of poles to the other side with two people then lift them up on two the bank.
Is there water in this creek year around and how fast does it run?
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skootamattaschmidty
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 16:05
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A block and tackle makes easy work of lifting logs. You could attach it higher up on a tree on the far side, then to one end of your log and pull.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 13 Mar 2016 23:05
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Quoting: neb Is there water in this creek year around and how fast does it run?
Yes, water in the creek all year around... varies between 1-2 feet deep.... easily walkable.
Not sure how to measure the speed of the water. It moves... definitely not stagnant.
I like the block and tackle idea too.
Thanks everyone.. I'll let you know how it goes.
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tverga
Member
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# Posted: 14 Mar 2016 19:04 - Edited by: tverga
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Gin Pole....
The first time you use one it will scare the hell out of you, the second time you trust it but it still scares you...
https://youtu.be/p4I66CJIwLc
https://youtu.be/41aB0lFe_1w
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 18:11
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Just wondering how your project went.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 19:56
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Hi Neb... I brought a 4 wheeler to the property, but ended up also bringing up 6 cubic yards of compost for a garden.
It snowed and sleeted... Ended up getting the dump trailer and my truck stuck in the mud... Had to use the tractor to get them out.
Anyhow, bridge project got delayed. 
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 20:01
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Gotcha. Let us know how the project turns out.
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 20:41
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I also ended up working on my electric fence... The idea was to keep out the Bears.... But apparently it works on trespassers too!
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neb
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 22:30
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Lol! So is that on display at the cabin?
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2016 22:54
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Yep, it's my pseudo scare crow!
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Cowracer
Member
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# Posted: 29 Mar 2016 10:04 - Edited by: Cowracer
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When I did mine, I just used enough strap to go all the way across the (dry) creek, and tugged them over with my truck. It worked very well, and we only needed a few minutes of crowbar work to get them in place.
Tim
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RichInTheUSA
Member
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# Posted: 29 Mar 2016 13:26
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Very nice Cowracer...
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