It's overgrown. Whudoo I got? Handclear?

[Kelena]

Let's say I have a vacant lot, which I don't just yet, but let's say I do. Okay. Did you say it? I can't HEAR YOU. So, anyway, I stare at it and stare at it. I even walk it, but that's had because it is very uneven and completely overgrown. It's kind of like that caveman who shills for Geico. So, should I give the caveman a haircut? That is, it seems like to me that before I could even dream of designing the house, I need to get the contours of the land, which I would only be able to see if I cleared the lot. I don't want to bulldoze it because that might get rid of any pretty lava formations I might want to keep...and maybe some rare species of plants. So, it is possible or advisable to hand clear a lot so you can see what you've got? Oh, yeah, and how much would that run for a half-acre? Any idea?

[Daniel]

Glen,

I am in that situation. I just got a weed eater and went at it. I want to bulldoze as little as possible yet have a piece of land I can actually use. So I decided to cut back the whole lot with a weed wacker and go from there. Its a lot of work and those stagghorns realy can cut you up but I enjoy the exercise. Good luck.

Daniel R Diamond

[Robin C]

Yes, yes, yes!
Hand clearing is one of the only ways that you will be able to *see* your lot without potentially clearing more than you want to.

The Volcano Community Association has compiled a list of folks that do hand clearing in our area. You didn't say where the mystery lot was, but...

Here's a link to the list the Association has compiled: http://volcanocommunity.org/GRlist_Web.pdf

I have seen the work that Wayne Teves does. He's fantastic. Not sure how far down slope he works.

Robin

[toucano]

Just be careful when you are hand clearing. It probably means that you are going to be walking over every inch of your lot. Some areas in Puna have lava tubes. You never know where they might be. And some lava tubes are close to the surface and have a very thin crust on top that can break when you step on them. I talked to someone at the Pahoa Post Office that had that happen to them. Not a pretty picture imagining the foot or leg going down a hole with glass edges.

I won't bother to mention the possibility that there may be centipedes or a caterpillar called (I think) a spiny caterpillar that gives a NASTY sting. My mechanic got stung and his forearm looked like Popeye the Sailor's. No kidding.

So until you know the lay of the land and have it well under control, I suggest sturdy boots, leather gloves, long pants tucked into the boots, and eye protection.

I hand cleared my lot before having a backhoe come do heavier prep. It was a lot of work. Worth it. But still a lot of work. If you are interested in seeing what I did, here is a bit of a chronicle with pics of that phase and a bit of the early construction:

http://www.free2w.com/itsajokeson/default.htm

[Rob Tucker]

Without whacking the whole place by hand you could consider a small dozer too. They are cheaper by the hour and can work very close with a good operator. In the Pahoa area we have used Bob Hill and his D-4. It isn't as fast as a D-9 and it can't rip but if you are there to supervise you can really get a lot done fast and relatively gracefully.