I have managed to get to the three-quarter mark for the current loop. Today I had some time to get out and chop my way out of the woods and into a grassy field. Turns out, it had been used by some by unknown beings. So once I cleared the trees, there was a distinct but narrow path across the grass in the general direction I wanted to go. I had time to get started mowing the grass, but stopped and did what I call a preliminary cut — chopped down the woody shrubs and thorny vines along the path, leaving the tall grass.
This leaves us at the bottom of the draw. My parents came traipsing by about the time I was nearly finished. They decided to return by scrabbling their way up the draw, through the brush and vines, to the head of the draw, then turn right for more scrabbling back to the original path. At Mom’s request, I went back out later and cleared at least that open area the path crosses, doing that same preliminary cut down to the draw.
So, now all I have to do is clear a preliminary path up the draw (some 500 yards) which is not too densely shrubbed, and then a brief cut through a thin belt of wood-line into the back side of the trailer park. That makes a fully usable loop. Then, I can at my leisure go back and finish the original plans of getting up out of the draw into the eastern wood-line. I’m thinking it will take a solid afternoon or two to clear a preliminary path up the draw.
This is coming out quicker than I ever imagined.
