Building a road down to the river

[gersus]

Oh my....
Fortunately we have very few regulations around here.
My biggest concern was safety of operating on such an incline. I apologize for not stating that initially.
I may very well recruit the dozer but I want to work at it a bit first.

 

[airbiscuit]

If it's a path, then it's an afternoon's work with a chainsaw and a rough cut mower. If it's a road, that's a different matter. Isn't the thread titled Building a road down to the river?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If it's a path, then it's an afternoon's work with a chainsaw and a rough cut mower. If it's a road, that's a different matter. Isn't the thread titled Building a road down to the river?

I have dirt, grass, and gravel roads on my land. What's it used for and how often? I drop 40-50 ft to get to my creek, its dirt and grass. I can take my tractor, truck, or suv down. But i wouldnt every day.

 

[gersus]

I need to be able to drive my truck down to the river. I don't care if a Cadillac can't make it down. We don't live at this property, its a weekend getaway so at times it will be used often and other times none at all. The road doesn't have to be like a county road but I don't want it to be soft either.

I knew a guy a long time ago that owned a rock quarry. Every road on his farm was nicer than the county roads lol.

 

[tcreeley]

I put in a small road to my back field through wet clay and a boggy area. I ditched one side all of the way that was on the high side of the land. That stopped the water from coming across. I ditched 1/2 of the other side. I dumped the dirt from the ditching onto the roadway. Then I spread 4" of gravel over the road. It has held up well- daily traffic from my horses and tractor. I used my mini backhoe for the ditching. -- (A tractor could handle those trees in the OP's photos.)
I used this mini backhoe. This is the road- solid footing as the horse canter to the back and as the tractor makes repeated trips to the back.
------Pay attention to drainage in putting in roads. If that isn't working- the road will be a mess when it is wet. I use culverts to direct run off to other ditches that I have put in.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I need to be able to drive my truck down to the river. I don't care if a Cadillac can't make it down. We don't live at this property, its a weekend getaway so at times it will be used often and other times none at all. The road doesn't have to be like a county road but I don't want it to be soft either.

I knew a guy a long time ago that owned a rock quarry. Every road on his farm was nicer than the county roads lol.

Thanks, that will help.

We used creek gravel on some of the farm lanes.

 

[blackrams]

As with just about everything I do or try to do, I always give it a shot myself with the equipment I have. If that won't Git R Dun, then I'll get help. Have found that I always learn a lot (some good, some not so good) and usually end up with what I want. I would ask that dozer operator where and how he would suggest running that road. There's experience there you can get something from. I know you're the owner and it'll be your road but, he may know something you don't.

Rams

 

[bspeedy]

I have a slightly different approach. Go rent a mini Ex and knock it out. Should be an easy 8 hr job and you have the tractor to final grade and finish everything off. Around here a mini ex is $200 for 8-10 hrs (depends on who you get it from, some give you an extra 2 hrs on the "8hr" weekend rental.)
I have a mini ex and wanted to run a road down over the hill from the house. It it very close to your steepest section. I knocked this in after work before dark one night - maybe 3- 3.5 hrs max.

I knew a fellow member of the 'mini-ex club' would be here to suggest this. I would and do approach these road building problems the same as Code. To me, the dozer is a dull machete and a mini-ex is a scalpel. Mini causes less damage and allows the operator to pick and choose his way through instead of bullying his way through. Finish with the tractor..

 

[gersus]

Got in some tractor time today and all went well. Goal of today was to pull/push trees along the route. I did reassess and change the route a but based on suggestions here for water control. I cleared a bunch of small trees. Got almost to the bottom. I pushed a 4” or so tree over instead of uprooting it snapped at the base. Its layed all the way over but still attached. Couldnt pull it nor push the stump out and its on the steep section so I stopped there for the day. I plan on going back Saturday and finish getting that tree up, get to the bottom then start with the box blade.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Got in some tractor time today and all went well. Goal of today was to pull/push trees along the route. I did reassess and change the route a but based on suggestions here for water control. I cleared a bunch of small trees. Got almost to the bottom. I pushed a 4” or so tree over instead of uprooting it snapped at the base. Its layed all the way over but still attached. Couldnt pull it nor push the stump out and its on the steep section so I stopped there for the day. I plan on going back Saturday and finish getting that tree up, get to the bottom then start with the box blade.

Way to go!!!