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Crossing Creek with Vertical Embankment

Aaronpaul14

Aaronpaul14

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
1,425
Location
67042
Was offered a piece of property mid season last year to hunt from a co worker. Trying to prep/plan for this coming up season.

There is a year round creek on the south 1/3 of the property. There is a low crossing area but it means walking closer too bedding than I’d hope.

I would like to walk the south field and then cross the creek and walk straight North up hill to a pinch point. Problem is the creek banks are 10-15 straight down.

My initial thought was I need a zip line!!

But really, I was thinking a rope across and some kind of pulley or something to get across both ways.

Any thoughts?



Pic for added assistance:

Yellow is property line.
Green is old road deer travel.
Pink is where I can cross easily.
Blue is where I would like to cross.
Orange X is where I set up to smoke a big boy!

636261956ac4ed3a2d677b9007aa6bf5.jpg
 
Two ropes across maybe,one to walk on one to hold on to at head height. Clip your tether in with a biner and walk across.
Sounds good in theory,i never tried anything like that.
 
I say zip line it. I was looking into building one in our yard for the kids. Kits are relatively cheap and a guy could always go cheaper piecing out the parts himself. really the only thing you would need is some cable and cable clamps. Going this route all ya would have to do is clip on and shimmy your way across using your saddle as the seat.
 
If you don’t like the zip lining option, you could always just store a tall ladder down there, assuming the creek isn’t too deep. Climb down ladder on one side, carry it to the other side (or have a second ladder there), and climb up. Do it in reverse on your way out. Would be very important to secure the ladder each time you leave to ensure it doesn’t get washed away in a flood.
 
The only thing with a true zip line one side needs to be higher than the other so I’d almost have to have 2 set up to go back and forth.

Maybe a single wire as level as possible and then a small pull line rope.

Could use something like this on the wire:

Lixada Zip Line Pulley Tandem Speed Dual Trolley 30kN Rescue Climbing Dual Pulley with Ball Bearing Rock/20KN Single Pulley Aluminum Fixed Eye Climbing Pulley https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2BMQ9S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h3dWEbJN75B68

Would it work? Hmm....
 
If you can wade it, I'd put either a rope or a ladder going down each bank and then just cross it with waders. If it's too deep to wade, I'd fell a tree across it If you feel frisky, screw some scrap boards on top to make a 1ft or so wide flat spot to walk on.

We have a lot of steep-banked creeks where I hunt. I've done both of the above. Ladder is safest.
 
One of the areas I hunt is a similar situation. I have a knotted rope tied around a tree to help me up and down on the high bank side. I use my waders and it kind of sucks taking them on and off but it works out ok. I'm not sure how much the zip lines are or how wide the creek is but sometimes you can get ahold of telephone poles pretty cheap or some old bridge timbers and build a fairly simple walking bridge.
 
Aaronpaul14 said:
The only thing with a true zip line one side needs to be higher than the other so I’d almost have to have 2 set up to go back and forth.

Maybe a single wire as level as possible and then a small pull line rope.

Could use something like this on the wire:

Lixada Zip Line Pulley Tandem Speed Dual Trolley 30kN Rescue Climbing Dual Pulley with Ball Bearing Rock/20KN Single Pulley Aluminum Fixed Eye Climbing Pulley https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M2BMQ9S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_h3dWEbJN75B68

Would it work? Hmm....
Click to expand...
Make it as level as possible with heavy duty cabel. So long as it tightened down won’t have much play in it unless your an ogre. It’s why I mentioned shimmying across vs letting the zip do it’s thing. Depending on how wide the creek is could always go an aluminum ladder route with some plywood bolted to the top as a mini bridge type thing. Either way let the imagination fly and have fun with it.
 
Nutterbuster said:
If you can wade it, I'd put either a rope or a ladder going down each bank and then just cross it with waders. If it's too deep to wade, I'd fell a tree across it If you feel frisky, screw some scrap boards on top to make a 1ft or so wide flat spot to walk on.

We have a lot of steep-banked creeks where I hunt. I've done both of the above. Ladder is safest.
Click to expand...

The creek is usually running close to knee high. Most creeks around here are dry ones but this one actually flows decent. I worry about ladder just because time like right now and that creek is probably 10’ deep after this last week of rain.

The rope down the bank might work as long as it’s not a wet fall. Could always use rappel/SRT stuff and treat it like a rock wall face. It would also give me a good reason to pick up some new waders.

NikoTheBowHunter said:
Make it as level as possible with heavy duty cabel. So long as it tightened down won’t have much play in it unless your an ogre. It’s why I mentioned shimmying across vs letting the zip do it’s thing. Depending on how wide the creek is could always go an aluminum ladder route with some plywood bolted to the top as a mini bridge type thing. Either way let the imagination fly and have fun with it.
Click to expand...

The creek averages about 20-25’ wide from bank to bank. During normal flow the creek itself is probably 8-10’ wide and 18”-2’ deep.

Tree to tree the line will probably be looking at 35’ long. Kind of liking the shimmying method you suggested for the mere fact that if it’s a wet fall might be too hard and unsafe to cross.
 
You should be able to buy a slackline that can cover that distance. Has a much better purchase to stand on than cable or rope. If you are going to clip in with your tether, be sure to run a line above your head. If you fall, whatever you use may stretch and leave you dangling below the foot line and can be a bear to pull yourself up from.
 
I'm very curious to see the result if you slack line or zipline. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've thought about it in the past.

Honestly though, why not just fell a tree? Fast, cheap, easy, and I've crossed a whole lot of logs with a gun over my shoulder.
 
Kind of like a rope course crossed with a slack line, what if you got a wide tow strap to walk across and a rope above to hang onto and clip your tether too? A good 40' tow strap is usually 4" wide plus it would be easier to see in the dark. Just not sure if it would stay flat. Could possibly strap 1x4 to it...
 
X2 on the slackline. You can buy a slackline kit with the trainer strap above your head for cheap cheap. Like 40 or 50 bucks tops. Hold the trainer strap and walk across or u could clip your tether to it. After a while you'll be doing bouncey back flips all the way across.
 
If water is only knee high, I would tie a rope and rappel down, use hip waders to get across and srt/DRT up the next side. I would be very cautious with slack line or a two rope bridge due to needing to cross out in the dark or possible wet conditions It might be more physically demanding, but that would be the easiest route for me personally.
 
Yep I have full SRT and rappelling gear.

I will probably be using SRT presets at this property.

Most of the time I could wade through he water. Just hoping didn’t have to.
 
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