Muddy Path

Bird · Nov 4, 2001

That picture from last week looks real good. I was just wondering whether it'll revert back to the year ago situation when it rains; i.e., does it only get that way from standing water and will stay firm if it runs off or will it get soft even without standing water. At any rate, it looks like real good job now.

jimmoore · Nov 4, 2001

Bird, I love your signature! I wondered when you were going to get around to getting one.

jim

TWINKLE_TOES · Nov 4, 2001

Scruffy,
nagging cookie suspicion. That has happened to me after my mom baked a fresh batch when I was about 8 years old. Check your autoexec.bat and do two "transfer loads//*.* and one B:suspicion_cookie=A:nagging_cookie. That should clear it right up./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Bone Head (Pres. Al)

Harv · Nov 4, 2001

wondering whether it'll revert back to the year ago situation when it rains

My fear is that that is exactly what's going to happen, Bird. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Since I was unable to do the job correctly this year, I'm just groping for some way to keep it open over the winter. If the timing between my visits and the rain work out just right, I might be able to scrape it down better when it softens up a little. There's gotta be a firm base down there somewhere, doesn't there? /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Von · Nov 4, 2001

Harv,
I think you are going the wrong way, You need to make the road higher than the surrounding area, not lower. I think the way you are doing it water will just pond in the road cutout. What you need to do now is fill the area with any stone you can find, since money is tight go out along the town road at night and help yourself to the shoulder with your FEL! They won't mind at all! If you have any loose stone of any kind on the property no matter what size it will help. Then put the dirt that you dug out back on top, crown and you should be all set.

Harv · Nov 4, 2001

You need to make the road higher than the surrounding area, not lower

No argument there, Von, and that was the plan. Consensus from the board (and other sources), though, was that without the road fabric, any rocks tossed on there would just get pushed into the mire and the mud would get "pumped" right back to the surface. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

If I can find the time/money/source for the fabric, I might yet take a stab at your suggestion. Located where my property is, I was hoping my rippers would turn up a few gold nuggets. Didn't happen. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird · Nov 4, 2001

Jim, I had to wait until someone felt sorry enough for me to do it for me./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird · Nov 4, 2001

There's gotta be a firm base down there somewhere, doesn't there?

Yep, I'm sure there is, but if it were on my property you won't find it in the first 15 feet (I haven't gone any deeper than that yet)./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

scruffy · Nov 4, 2001

Harv, I just kept dumping shale (which I know you don't have available) on top, eventually created a solid road bed where previously it had been a 12" deep mud pit in the winter. Been stable for 20 years at last look. It was a red clay, extremely slick mire in the wintertime before the shale.

beenthere · Nov 4, 2001

Harv
I agree with Von. You need to get your road above the water, not below. Get some major ditches on both sides of the roadway, and drain those ditches toward your culverts, and then away from the roadway. If you can get 2 ft deep ditches on both sides and bring the ditched material onto the roadway, you will be on your way to a road (might look like a dike!) that will have a chance to stay firm. Then gravel it on top, with the large stone first and small stone last. If limestone, include some fines to get it to pack good. Without fines, you can have just marbles on the surface. You may have to cut some trees to get the width you need. Right now (last weeks picture) you have a gutter that will only hold water and then mud. Do something before the rains come, or you'll have to kiss the road goodbye until next year.
Good luck.