First, we will look at why a trench was needed on a steep mountainside and next, how this woman safely dug it.
Why Was A Trench Needed?
Way up the mountain was a spring which was my source of water. The water was piped from the spring to the tank with a black poly pipe (polyethylene or PE pipe). Another length of pipe took the water from the tank to join up with a white PVC about 15′ from the bottom of the mountainside. With the pipe lying on the mountain’s surface, it was exposed to freezing temperatures and snow. The pipe was initially covered with straw, but this added to the danger of a possible fire. A trench would protect the pipe from the elements.
Another reason to bury the pipe was to protect it from animals biting holes in it. The suspected animal was a bear. Why would a bear want to walk down the mountain to cross the road to get water from the creek when it could bite my pipe? Numerous bites along a pipe could quickly empty my water tank.
How To Safely Dig A Steep Trench
When I was still married, I asked my husband to dig a trench to bury the pipe. He said that he would need an expensive harness to be able to do it safely. Hence, the trench never got dug. I determined that it was time to get this job done. There was already a rope tied to a tree by the tank that I used to climb the mountain. I figured out how to pull the rope up to make some slack to tie the rope around my waist. On a slope this steep, it is very difficult to do anything without holding onto the rope. The sure result would be to fall and slide down the mountain. With the rope around my waist, I could dig about three feet of trench before I had to retie the rope.
Tools Needed To Dig The Trench
The most important tool for digging a trench is a large pick ax. Also, it is a good idea to have a small pick ax to dig around roots or to dig up rocks. Then, there are the numerous tree roots coming from all the trees on the mountainside. Small roots can be chopped with a shovel. Loppers are needed for the large roots. Some roots are so big that a small hand saw must be used. You can see most of these tools in the video.
What To Wear To Safely Dig A Trench
It is important to wear gloves when using tools and expecially to be holding onto a rope to prvent blisters. A mask of some kind should be worn to keep from breathing dust into your lungs. Eye goggles will keep dust or little rocks out of your eyes.
Personal Development For Trench Digging
Have you heard of personal development? People write books and lecture about building strong characters and a strong work ethic. I like to read personal development books because they encourage me to keep going and never give up.
I recently read Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge in 2017. From the book, I learned that I don’t need to be overwhelmed by the size of a project or do it all in one day. I can break the project into little pieces and know that every accomplishment helps me reach my goal.
You will find as you continue on this adventure with me, that I have been through a lot over the last 12 years. If I hadn’t read personal development books, I would have given up, and if I hadn’t read my Bible or encouraging books by Ellen G. White like “Country Living”, I would have gotten depressed. There were times when I was afraid and not sure how I could keep going forward. That is when time spent on my knees and knowing that God brought me to this land for a purpose kept me from quitting and moving back into the city. If you haven’t subscribed to my blog yet, I encourage you to do so so that you may go with me on this journey.
Watch the Video
The video will show the progress I was making on the trench and the tools that I used. It will help my YouTube channel if you click on the Watch On YouTube button. The views don’t seem to get credit if you only watch it here. Also, you will be able to hit the like and that will help the YouTube algorithm to share it with more people. There is a place below to comment on this post and you can comment on YouTube as well.
Click the links below to see other posts in the various categories.