Hello Back Country Pilots,
With the help of my 13 year old son (right hand man), a 28,000 pound Cat, and a 12,000 pound Warn winch on my truck we completed a 435 foot zip line. This runs from the house to the airstrip.

Good times,

James
Clear Creek, Idaho


200 pounds of bar bells in a duffle bag/ dummy load.
Me, the first human on the zip line
Getting rid of my cotton wood trees/80 foot weeds:
mowed the runway for the first time:

James,
It looks great but we need a helmet cam ride down the zip line with you!
Joe

Much prefer a helmet cam view than actually doing it. It's against my religion--I'm a devout Chicken.

Cary

Nice, can't wait to try it.

James - I officially protest. A backcountry grass airstrip, in your backyard, in Idaho, AND a zip line from the house? Seriously? And you fly all sorts of cool helicopters. You are like a backcountry batman.

That's it...I'm bagging mile hi. (couldn't resist, just a joke).

Congrats man - livin' the dream and very happy for you.

Do you need a 42 YO son?

Decent!

I need one.

That is all...

All you need now is a superhero costume to go with your moniker.

Any time there is a pending crisis, like a remote wilderness stream is suddenly overcrowded with fish, you'll be ready to leap into action, grab the S-M Fly Rod, and save us from ecological disaster.

emflys wrote:James - I officially protest. A backcountry grass airstrip, in your backyard, in Idaho, AND a zip line from the house? Seriously? And you fly all sorts of cool helicopters. You are like a backcountry batman.

That's it...I'm bagging mile hi. (couldn't resist, just a joke).

Congrats man - livin' the dream and very happy for you.

Do you need a 42 YO son?

Hello All,

Just going to enjoy the new zip line, blue skys & green grass this weekend.

James
The double bungee braking system:
bear track up behind the house:
Cotton woods going away

Super-Maule wrote:Cotton woods going away

Did someone actually buy those from you? The only use I know of for that stuff is bonfires, I wouldn't expect that someone would be willing to come fetch them.

rw2 wrote:

Super-Maule wrote:Cotton woods going away

Did someone actually buy those from you? The only use I know of for that stuff is bonfires, I wouldn't expect that someone would be willing to come fetch them.

Those cotton wood logs had been stacked for a year and a half. When we cut the root balls off of them this weekend, water poured out of them. I can't get the slash piles to burn, they just smolder. My neighbors plan is to cut them into planks for low-boy trailers. They say that they have a coarse grain that holds up to tracked vehicles. I wish him luck. Some of the other trees are being placed downstream from my place to stabilize the bank.

James

Super-Maule wrote:Those cotton wood logs had been stacked for a year and a half. When we cut the root balls off of them this weekend, water poured out of them. I can't get the slash piles to burn, they just smolder.

Yeah, that makes more sense. Unless we cut and cover them they are like sponges. Even cut and covered they are only good for the fire pit, still not splittable for easy indoor use.

Agreed on your buddy too. Good luck. If he can make productive use of them more power to him!

Cottonwood does indeed make some of the best lowboy decking, it is sort of self healing and will take a lot of abuse without splintering off.
Also works good for bridge decking as long as it is allowed to breath so as to not rot.

Boy I like your home, airport, zipline and attitude. Best wishes

Cottonwood does indeed make some of the best lowboy decking, it is sort of self healing and will take a lot of abuse without splintering off.
Also works good for bridge decking as long as it is allowed to breath so as to not rot.

Boy I like your home, airport, zipline and attitude. Best wishes

So James...Is the zip line one way from the house to the strip??? surprised you haven't figured a classy return...maybe fire yourself out of a cannon or something... grass looks great

Hello Back Country Pilots,
I took a video of the Zip Line yesterday, and added a few pictures too.

James

See link: https://vimeo.com/65960144

Say ya land a wee bit long in that Maule of yours, can you use the zip line as an arresting cable?

Gump

I didn't understand that it crossed the river, until I watched the vid. It made me go "whoa!" Very cool Just keep the sun off the slings, it'll eat them up. My crane rigging never sees the sun unless actually in use, then right back in the box. I see other guys with them laying in the bed of their rigs 24/7

On a similar subject, (as far as unusual ways to get around your property), I always wished I had a tunnel on my old property between the house and the shop, only 65' but brutal in the winter with the wind. Got to boots on etc. Then I moved onto this new property, I'm set up about the same way, and when push came to shove I said screw it, too much trouble, and didn't do it. Now, 6 years later, I'm kicking myself, should have done it!

courierguy wrote: Just keep the sun off the slings, it'll eat them up. My crane rigging never sees the sun unless actually in use, then right back in the box. I see other guys with them laying in the bed of their rigs 24/7

Just saw an interesting Safety Notice regarding lift slings. There are some out there now that should contain red yarn stitching in them that, when visible indicates its time to take them out of service. Only problem; they don't contain the red stitching. Apparently, knock offs, made in China.

Polyester Sling Alert

H2O AV8R wrote:

courierguy wrote: Just keep the sun off the slings, it'll eat them up. My crane rigging never sees the sun unless actually in use, then right back in the box. I see other guys with them laying in the bed of their rigs 24/7

....... Apparently, knock offs, made in China.

Polyester Sling Alert

Inferior products from China ???

What are the chances of that.

rw2 wrote:

Super-Maule wrote:Cotton woods going away

Did someone actually buy those from you? The only use I know of for that stuff is bonfires, I wouldn't expect that someone would be willing to come fetch them.

I've got a corn crib with overhead grainary that my grandpa built when he sawed some cottonwoods into lumber. Probably over 70 years old.