[ampsucker]

looks like from the existing road you're climbing 50-100 feet in elevation but it's over several thousand feet of distance, then following the ridgeline pretty much from there.

you didn't mention what your final goal is. is this just a hiking and 4 wheeling trail or something more?

for a gradual but steady climb without sharp turns, it's very important to crown the road so the water flows off it into the ditch on either side and the road itself doesn't become one big ditch. when you remove alot of vegetation, you also remove resistance to water flow. your road can easily become a river in heavy rains. plan on buying some culvert pipe wide enough to go under the road bed if you have locations that require this.

if keeping it woodsy, i would recommend not disturbing the soil more than necessary. cut the trees and brush and leave the stumps and root balls intact. plant a cover crop you can bush hog and erosion won't be too bad. you can drive on it, walk on it, 4-wheel, etc. brush killer will kill the stumps and you can fill in any holes as they rot away. you can always add crushed rock at any time to rough areas and larger rock to stabilize mud zones.

if you want something nicer, you should probably bulldoze the root balls out and grade it all down to eliminate sink holes as the tree roots rot away, pack it, lay white rock with a vibrating roller and then chip and seal or asphalt. hope you have deep pockets if that is where you're headed!

no matter what you do, a good ditch and a proper crown is your friend.

amp