Hey all, we're in the planning stage for a project linking our field and forest, and I'm hoping for feedback with which to improve the workmanship. Here is the location.The field has a very slight pitch to it leading towards the tree line, but once you reach the inside edge of that line it gets steep. It's navigable, but feels treacherous at times. Stairs seem appropriate, but I've got an aesthetic I'd like to aim for. If possible, I'd like it if the end result looked indistinguishable from the forest floor. Sort of like this but without the stone. Maybe with the top edge of a log peeking through the edge.If I were going for something a little less subdued I would order landscape timbers and build uniform boxes to stack into the hillside - each one leveled and with 24-36 inches of rebar driven through pre-drilled holes and into the lower step and ground - digging out the dirt for each step to use as backfill before whatever medium I decided on for the inside of the step. If I want the steps to have an edgeless look, a log edge and ground cover instead, would the process be the same? Could I achieve this without the side beams if I'm going to backfill with wood chip mulch before we integrate the ground cover?I understand that if I go this route of self-harvested non-PT wood there will be a maintenance cost of more logs and sweat equity as the edges break down, lest I have exposed rebar waiting to impale someone. However, with nearly four acres of forest to maintain I will have a steady supply of both beams and mulch, and I'd really enjoy having as natural a path as I can manage without sacrificing safety.Have any of you done this before? Without the side beams? With side beams lower than the step edge to hold in some backfill medium but allowing overflow?If I do forego the box structure, should I add another 2 lengths of rebar to each beam for added strength?What haven't I asked that I should?Thanks for any replies! via /r/DIY http://ift.tt/2sn4QJM
