You seem to be in the same position I was when I moved to TN (just north of you in the Cherokee Nat'l Forest) three years ago...1/2 mile gravel drive with 2/3's being an 18% grade. Bought a new 4wd F-150 first, then a Honda Foreman ATV and small cart for hauling wood, woodchips, and debris, but also great for getting the mail, riding trails, and visiting neighbors, then my tractor for the same reasons as you. Any less than 35 HP and you will not be able to pull a full 5' boxblade uphill, mine struggled the first few times through until I removed most bigger rocks buried just under the gravel. I am at 2400 feet elevation and snow is only a problem a few days a year, I don't think a plow is even necessary, if it snows so much that you can't get down, then the roads are probably too dangerous to travel on anyway, ask a neighbor what they have experienced in the past. I set up a firewood processing area where I can drag trees to, cut into logs, use a standalone splitter, and stack on pallets. I used to load the cart and use the ATV to bring logs up to the cabin, but it took several trips every few days, and required too much handling. Now I bring up a loaded pallet with the tractor (forks)...no more lifting...SSQA makes easy work of switching from bucket to forks. Reedy Creek Equipment is very close to you and I highly recommend them, and Kioti.