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by Tom Myers

After having moved large rocks over the course of three decades, and a recent stint at the Wurster Garden, I think I have the time to write a little about what has worked for me.  I have seldom had any trouble finding large rocks that I would like on my  property, so I will get right to moving them.

Most important is safety. If you cannot figure a way to move a rock safely, do not attempt to do it!  It is so easy to crush a finger or ruin a back. Plan each step and transition. Be aware of what you are standing/walking on. Be aware of what is above you and below you. Be aware of how much you can lift. 

Strong leather gloves with a good grip are essential.  The most important tools needed to move large rocks are the classics: 

• the lever (a solid iron bar 1' in diameter with a chisel end)
• the fulcrum (more rocks)
• the inclined plane (a stout plank or two at least 2"x10", rough cut, as long as you need), and 
• the pick up truck. 

A SUV or mini van can be used, but they were not really made to have large rocks slid around inside them. Never put a large rock in the trunk of a car. Having to bend over to lift is bad, but lifting something heavy out of the trunk of a car is really bad.

One very important property I look for in large rocks is being able to get lower than the rock I want to move. If I can slide it into a waiting vehicle, instead of lifting and carrying it, I will have expended a lot less energy. My back will be much happier and I will be able to move more rocks.

So let's say you have found a large rock you cannot be without. If it is on a slope where you can position your vehicle lower than the rock, you are golden. Use caution when you position your vehicle.  If the rock is way up the slope, you might want to position your vehicle where it would not get hit if the rock gets out of your control. 

If you can back a pick up close enough where you can lower the tailgate into the slope, do so. If not, run a stout plank from the rock to the bed of your vehicle. If you can slide or roll your rock to the waiting vehicle, do so. This is a good time to have two people if the rock is big, one on each side of the plank. 

If the rock is extra big, too rough to slide or too clumsy to roll end over end, 1 1/2" diameter pipe makes the job easier or possible, take your pick. What I have found to work best is 1 1/2" galvanized steel pipe in 18-24" long. Plumbing suppliers will have it, and some will cut it to length for you. You will be amazed how easy it is to move a large rock down a plank using roller bars. 

This process needs at least two people, three for larger rocks. You will want to have one person on each side of the plank and one in front of it. The people on the sides keep the rock moving and on the plank. The person in front keeps the rock from moving too fast.

Before starting, assess your work site. Are there obstructions if you need to bail out in a hurry? What will happen if your rock gets away from you? Is there good footing all the way from the rock to the vehicle? 

After coming up with satisfactory answers to these questions, decide who will take each position. The strongest of the group usually takes the front of the rock. Position the rock so it will best fit on the plank. Flattest and widest side down usually works best. 

Pry the front edge of the rock up enough so you can slide one or two of the roller bars under it. Holding the rock in position from the front, push the rock further onto the plank by wedging the bar in behind the rock and pushing it the rest of the way onto the plank. 

At this point, you will probably need to slide more roller bars under the rock. You are ready to start rolling the rock to your waiting vehicle. Have one side person assigned to taking the roller bars out of the back as the rock moves forward and handing them to the other side person who will put them in front of the rock. This takes a little practice, but not too much. 

The front person usually has to slow the rock down. I do not remember the formulas for momentum.  But rest assured, if a large rock gets much of it on an inclined plane with the help of rollers, you can have a very heavy object moving rapidly. Not good.

Repeat the roller bar switching and rock sliding until the rock is in your vehicle. Throughout the process, it is very important to communicate clearly and often with your work mates. A large rock on rollers can easily go out of control and cause damage to vehicles and rocks. 

Remember, there aren't any rocks around that are worth getting hurt for. If a rock does go out of control, dump it. They make more all the time (albeit slowly).  

The procedure for moving rocks that are lower than your vehicle are pretty much the same except you are pushing up hill.  Once you have carefully gotten your rock into your vehicle without damaging the rock, the vehicle or any workers, block the rock in tight to make sure that it won't slide around and damage people or property. 

My personal favorite for blocking in rocks is ... more rocks.  They tend to wedge in really well and who has enough rocks. You can also use chunks of firewood, logs, scrap lumber or more rocks. Did I say more rocks?  Well, get out there and get them, be careful and have a good time.