PILOON
Super Star Member
I could write a book on the subject of DIY roads.
I got roped into a 2.5 mile project to service some 40 lakeside cottages in vergin forest in the Laurentians north of Montreal.
We passed the hat and collected $24,000. (and spent it all).
Project lasted about 3.5 weeks and we had a D8 to do rough layout, up to 10 trucks hauling fill, a D6 spreading the fill a Cat 950 loader filling the trucks.
We crossed marshes, climbed hills that the Cat could barely negotiate and moved boulders that were car sized.
Not helping was the fact that there was barely 1-2 ft of soil covering solid granite bedrock in most places, hence the cartage of fill to create reasonable slopes.
At one point in the project we had to fell trees to create 'steps' for the Cat to climb up a steep grade as he was bottlenecked.
What saved the project was the Cat driver as he was accustomed to building logging roads in vergin forest plus the fact that we'd basically let him 'design as he went'.
As a result some of us have long drives while others are tucked up close to the road.
The alternative would have been a gazillion dollars of blasting.
At one location we had a crew of volunteers with chainsaws felling trees to create a wood tree mattress over a marsh in order that the Cat could cross and push back fill to create the road bed.
Since that was all on government land we told them where we built the road after the fact and they eventually ceeded the passageway which today is fully 'municipalized' and serviced.
After all they sold us the land without access and said that it was up to us to make a road. No agency had any funds so we DIY'd it.
Actually 1/2 way into the project we did get a $5000. 'grant' that gravelled the hills.
As me about retrieving trucks sunk in a marsh almost up to the cab? or emptying a 10 wheeler by hand whose hydraulics gave out? etc etc. or a D6 that sunk in a marsh up to the driver's seat?
PS, The HD6 was my new 'toy' at that time, and boy did I have fun learning on it.
Paid $4k, earned $8k, sold it for $4k and did all I wanted on my land to boot.
When delivered the float driver stated, " There she is, you get to unload it" oops, and that was in an area sourounded by cars.
I drove her home without incident and boy was the wife impresed when it arrived at the back door pushing trees down as I wandered into the yard.
That was my first hour of 'Cat driving' (it was a gear and clutch machine)
When I got 'experienced' I could brake with one foot, stear clutch with my knee lift and push all at the same time.
Sorry for the long post, but I could not help recall good memories and wanted to share (and brag a little?)
I got roped into a 2.5 mile project to service some 40 lakeside cottages in vergin forest in the Laurentians north of Montreal.
We passed the hat and collected $24,000. (and spent it all).
Project lasted about 3.5 weeks and we had a D8 to do rough layout, up to 10 trucks hauling fill, a D6 spreading the fill a Cat 950 loader filling the trucks.
We crossed marshes, climbed hills that the Cat could barely negotiate and moved boulders that were car sized.
Not helping was the fact that there was barely 1-2 ft of soil covering solid granite bedrock in most places, hence the cartage of fill to create reasonable slopes.
At one point in the project we had to fell trees to create 'steps' for the Cat to climb up a steep grade as he was bottlenecked.
What saved the project was the Cat driver as he was accustomed to building logging roads in vergin forest plus the fact that we'd basically let him 'design as he went'.
As a result some of us have long drives while others are tucked up close to the road.
The alternative would have been a gazillion dollars of blasting.
At one location we had a crew of volunteers with chainsaws felling trees to create a wood tree mattress over a marsh in order that the Cat could cross and push back fill to create the road bed.
Since that was all on government land we told them where we built the road after the fact and they eventually ceeded the passageway which today is fully 'municipalized' and serviced.
After all they sold us the land without access and said that it was up to us to make a road. No agency had any funds so we DIY'd it.
Actually 1/2 way into the project we did get a $5000. 'grant' that gravelled the hills.
As me about retrieving trucks sunk in a marsh almost up to the cab? or emptying a 10 wheeler by hand whose hydraulics gave out? etc etc. or a D6 that sunk in a marsh up to the driver's seat?
PS, The HD6 was my new 'toy' at that time, and boy did I have fun learning on it.
Paid $4k, earned $8k, sold it for $4k and did all I wanted on my land to boot.
When delivered the float driver stated, " There she is, you get to unload it" oops, and that was in an area sourounded by cars.
I drove her home without incident and boy was the wife impresed when it arrived at the back door pushing trees down as I wandered into the yard.
That was my first hour of 'Cat driving' (it was a gear and clutch machine)
When I got 'experienced' I could brake with one foot, stear clutch with my knee lift and push all at the same time.
Sorry for the long post, but I could not help recall good memories and wanted to share (and brag a little?)
