I used an excavator planing to loads of 25m3 gravel. So I used the bucket to make an "entrance" to the pile of gravel and then just the tracks and blade and I drove right up on top of that pile of gravel. About 5 feet up with almost vertical edges. And it was so solid.
How the weight of the machine compressed the gravel and the blade shaped a road in front of me as I was driving. In the end I did most of the work with the blade.
I wanna try a bulldozer next time