I was told it is a bad idea...hold my beer!

[ovrszd]

I致e run into conversations where people conflate slope in degrees with slope in percent. My dump trailer maxes out at 45 degrees of dump. (=100% slope) It looks almost vertical from a tractor operators perspective.

Yep. 17-18 degree slope is what I shoot for when building roadbanks. It can be mowed and will hold sod. It's about all the side slope a tractor wants. 45 degree,,,,, no way.

 

[Dadnatron]

You have to get the water OFF the road surface ASAP. Given the slope of your road, you also have to think about the uphill side hill, which, given you've been removing its downhill support, will sag and erode at a HUGELY increased rate. IMO, I am afraid that you bit off more than your little tractor will be able to adequately do and maintain. At a minimum, put in diversion berms along the road surface to keep the stream from becoming a river.

Without an uphill ditch, you will washout your road at every low spot along the hill. Given the steepness of the road, you will create a 'downhill stream' that will either break off the shoulder, or finally runout at the end of each straight section, thereby washing out your switchbacks. If you are really wanting a road, I think you will likely need several culverts along each stretch and at each switchback. I also think you will need a very good gravel base which is angled inward, towards your uphill ditch. If you crown it or angle it to sheet off the road towards the downhill side, you will washout your shoulder with each rain.

This is a real project... and I am glad you won't be living at the top.

Good luck and take pictures.

 

[MossRoad]

I have about 50 ft of 35° I go up. Then it levels to under 10° for 100 ft or so. Then back to a 45° for another 50 ft straight up.

After that it is bench cuts into the sides of the slope. I havent figured out my 1st switchback.

That's like going up a 5 story building in just 50' forward... I wish you well, but man, you're pushing your luck.

 

[Tiptoo]

Sharp switchbacks. Never go farthe vertically up than it takes to complete the switchback. The angle runs need to be a reasonable slope and not eccesively long. Water should be discharged at each switch.

Riprap might be okay to control the areas where you dump the water. I don't think you will like it on the roadbed.

Good advice...ill try my best. I do have places In have to avoid, like a large rock wall and outcropping that may prohibit me. It's a 350 ft rise from barns to the top.

 

[bcp]

Bruce

 

[TomIre]

Way out of my depth, but if you own that ridge line to the right of your blue line, have you thought about going up it? I'm thinking the water would flow off to each side easier. You'd still need to do switchback but you might be dealing with less runoff.
Good luck, stay safe and keep us posted!

 

[Tiptoo]

You have to get the water OFF the road surface ASAP. Given the slope of your road, you also have to think about the uphill side hill, which, given you've been removing its downhill support, will sag and erode at a HUGELY increased rate. IMO, I am afraid that you bit off more than your little tractor will be able to adequately do and maintain. At a minimum, put in diversion berms along the road surface to keep the stream from becoming a river.

Without an uphill ditch, you will washout your road at every low spot along the hill. Given the steepness of the road, you will create a 'downhill stream' that will either break off the shoulder, or finally runout at the end of each straight section, thereby washing out your switchbacks. If you are really wanting a road, I think you will likely need several culverts along each stretch and at each switchback. I also think you will need a very good gravel base which is angled inward, towards your uphill ditch. If you crown it or angle it to sheet off the road towards the downhill side, you will washout your shoulder with each rain.

This is a real project... and I am glad you won't be living at the top.

Good luck and take pictures.

I'm getting a better realization of what I'm getting into...but I'm not scared of hard work. I have a buddy with an excavator...but I don't want to admit defeat until I try.


Unless you guys know anything about ski lifts??

 

[Tiptoo]

Way out of my depth, but if you own that ridge line to the right of your blue line, have you thought about going up it? I'm thinking the water would flow off to each side easier. You'd still need to do switchback but you might be dealing with less runoff.
Good luck, stay safe and keep us posted!

Yes, I do own that ridge on the right. I thought going straight up...besides being very steep...would cause too much water flow......

 

[TomIre]

Not sure I'm with you. Going up the side you've got the entire hill side of water to deal with. Going up the ridge, if you have switchbacks water would run off the sides of the ridge - no?

 

[Tiptoo]

Not sure I'm with you. Going up the side you've got the entire hill side of water to deal with. Going up the ridge, if you have switchbacks water would run off the sides of the ridge - no?

Wish you could see in person what it looks like....are you saying like this?....all the trees....and amount of switch backs ...

I'll have to walk it and think about this idea.