The trail I most commonly use to and from the Lair has two steep bits that happen to pass through ground with lots and lots of pebbles. As I go back and forth I work those pebbles loose, which makes things slippery going downhill. So now and then I go out and hoe the path down to bare dirt.
Takes a little while, but I do have gravity on my side.
On the upper steep part I rake the rocks down to where a little wannabe-gully crosses the path, and use them to shore up the downstream side of the path.
And on the lower steep part I rake them over to the powershed. They make better footing there than mud under the dripline.
In a month or two the pebbles will be back, but till then I’ll be able to go downhill with less fear of falling. I often think of somehow building steps into the slopes but I really don’t know how to do that.
I think this is the first post I ever read on this blog where you talk about hoe’in around.
I’m not sure that building steps into this path is a real option, considering the resources needed. Normally, you would use something like lengths of 4×4 pressure treated wood as a form to hold the dirt steps in place. But, with the termites you have in your area, the wood wouldn’t last long.
I think the easier way would be if one of your neighbors had an ATV with a harrow that you could drag the path with.
You could imbed some cinder blocks to make steps, (preferably the solid variety so that you don’t make snake holes) but the re-grading might involve some backbreaking work.