I got down to the root of the problem... We need more power. The idea of completely excavating this root was too much digging for what I was trying to do here.The answer was brute force.
I didn't need to preserve the wood, or protect anything around that area. The idea was only to remove the root that was blocking my path. I had already cut the end of the root directly in the way. The other end of the root went down toward the trunk. So I thought maybe I can just break it. It has been a few years since we removed the tree.
But I still needed the right tool. I have a hydraulic floor jack which does generate enough force, but has a rather short throw. So I got a Farm Jack which does seem to be the right tool for this job.
With a couple attempts I was able to mostly break the root. Then after some prying and wrestling I was able to get the root out of the hole. That was a task...
Just a little Saturday Afternoon Fun with Doggo...
