the Walnut Diary

My favourite toy of the winter is the diesel Kioti Mechron with a groomer made from three Pirelli run-flat snow tires.

The Mechron starts well in -4 F, the coldest weather so far this winter, and it has just enough power and traction in low range to drag the heavy triangle behind it through up to a foot of snow. 

Of course there is the slide down the hill for kids at the front. There are also the two miles of trails around the property, some of which are built on ice roads left by the loggers.  

I have experimented with ball carriers for the optimum hitch height for the piece of rope looped into the lead tire four feet behind.  Turns out the 6″ drop the Tacoma uses for a small trailer is ideal at keeping the centre of the track flat, rather than leaving an elevated hump the way the 2″ lift from the Cayenne tilts the lead tire.

All of this track-breaking takes on a bit of meaning as February 3rd approaches, the day WTC has booked to install the fibre optic network at the Croskery Farm.  Three days ago I looked down the row of hydro poles and realized an old apple tree was growing directly under the line and actually entwined with lowest cable on the array, the abandoned phone wire.  This would not do, so I drove the Kioti through a foot of heavy snow to get the chainsaw closer to the tree. Bet came out to operate the winch on MF35.  Then I discovered that the saw was out of gas, as was the gallon can.  While Bet basked in the sun in the vinyl-wrapped Kioti, I finally got organized and cut the tree to the point that Bet pulled the rope on the winch clutch and snapped off the whole mess of trunk, suckers, and a random buckhorn.  The winch easily extricated the branches from the cable as it pulled the fallen to the tractor.

Two chains hooked everything up, so while Bet U-turned into virgin snow with the Kioti and returned to base, I set off across the field with the Massey-Ferguson, towing a 25′ wide broom to temporary storage on a brush pile at the other end of the field.  The old tractor seemed grateful for the amusement, and easily pushed through the snow.

Then I went back with the Kioti to cut off the stump, load a little bit of brush in the back, and complete the trail-breaking the rest of the way to the hydro pole next to the road.  Of course I couldn’t resist grooming this new trail a couple of days later, so things are now ready for the WTC techs.  I called and left a message with their manager that deep snow is no excuse for not showing up.