Making a Tractor Road - I've got questions

[TonyF]

You can probably get away without the pipe. No sense making it more complicated than it has to be.

 

[newbury]

The spot you can see (except that it is dry in the pic) is 7-10 feet I think. The issue I have is not so much the bumps, but the tire rut nearest the pond (and it is only 12-18 inches from steep drop into the pond) is like 6 inches lower that the other tire rut, and in 2wd (which is my default state) the tractor goes sideways slightly in the muck and clay. I would HATE to drop the tractor into the pond...

I also need the tractor road to be passable for my riding mowers.

My reference to "a few bumps" was a preface to suggesting you build a "corduroy road" out of slabs from your logs. I think your riding mowers could handle it easily AND you've got a good source for more planks.

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Here are the pics I could not post yesterday...

Shots 1-4 show the spot alongside the pond. First two are looking from the barn back up the hill, the 2nd specifically was an attempt to capture the entire section of tractor road I am working on. Shot 3 shows how close the pond is to the road (the pond is currently about 1 foot below). shot 4 shows the NOT LEVEL cross section of the road bed where the side near the barn is more firm and higher ground.

Shots 5-6 show a smaller spot up the road, near the head? of the pond, here the pond is a good 3-4 feet below.

Shots 7-8 show where the bend is that this tractor road forks off of the existing tractor road. I have a serious mud bog there right in the corner, but I can swing wide and largely miss it and drive on fairly stable ground.

This is all of the pics of my road issues thus far.

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

You can probably get away without the pipe. No sense making it more complicated than it has to be.

I really like this idea. I rarely actually have water flowing, what I have is a long slow seeping which takes forever to dry out.

I do not have a backhoe, but I suspect my bucket will do for my little tractor roads. I need to find a source of geotextile fabric it seems, and get some rock...

Very interesting.

Thanks,
David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

But then you mentioned the short difference to the drop off to the pond and what sounds like a slope.

You might want to stack some rocks on down slope side of this hole to act as a retaining wall for the gravel. ...with rocks/rip rap acting as a retaining wall the gravel will not move.

Given the margin for error with the pond I would be looking to at least level out that spot.

Instead of the pipe to drain the water... Check out the following document.

Later,
Dan

Dan,

The doc was interesting and gave me some ideas. I have another water/road problem I've not brought up yet that maybe those ideas might help...

There is very limited space alongside the pond and the road to place rip-rap, but I like the idea.

I also am VERY interested in ideas for how to level this section while I am doing this. because the idea I am MOST scared of is winter with snow/ice and the tractor sliding sideways... and SPLASH... I'm not even sure how deep the pond is there... I do not want to test it with my DK50... The "slope" makes me worry...

I do have an alternative route I can (and will on occassion) take, but it tears up the visible yard areas. I really need this to be an effective road. maybe even eventually one my pickup with a trailer of hay can use.

Thanks,
David

 

[sfloggie]

Dave,
A friend of mine in Arcadia, OK had this same problem. Your road is your ditch and the water naturally flows down and across the road to the ditch.

I think you need a ditch on both sides coming down the hill. The ditch on the right (uphill side) should continue down the road. We did these with a tilted box blade on my friends road.

Then you need the rock for the crown and so the ditches can do their job. That was a close one at the pond as you were inches from going in!

Jim

 

[MossflowerWoods]

That was a close one at the pond as you were inches from going in!

Jim

Jim,

I think is was actually not a close as it looks, but in 2wd it was a bit of what I refer to as a "pucker factor 15" moment... (on a scale of 1-10 )

Ice or snow would make this section impassable I feel... Too risky as is...

The "ditches" idea I am looking into, I heard a "Potato Plow" makes a good ditch. I will NEVER be ale to afford all the gravel this place COULD consume. That is part of why I made sure the tractor was 4x4... It is part of why eventually every vehicle on the property will be 4x4 (but that is another thread, not going there on this one).

Be well sir.
David

 

[Ken45101]

Jim,

I think is was actually not a close as it looks, but in 2wd it was a bit of what I refer to as a "pucker factor 15" moment... (on a scale of 1-10 )

Ice or snow would make this section impassable I feel... Too risky as is...

I would pile up the rip rap on the pond size several inches above the road level to give you a comfortable passage. Even if some of it goes into the pond.

Heck, you can even use local rocks for the fill. If you don't have enough rocks in your place, you are welcome to all you need from here

(Which is funny, I saw a Craig's list add for someone locally selling rocks from the creek at $1 each! That would make us millionaires if I could find a buyer :laughing

Ken

 

[MossflowerWoods]

If you don't have enough rocks in your place, you are welcome to all you need from here

Ken

PM me your address, I'll be right over!

:laughing:

David

 

[studor]

I have a similar situation in a couple of places. On one I used the corduroy approach since it is back in the bush and I did not want to incur any expense in maintaining what is a tractor - ATV path. It has held up well but I do not use it in the winter so no problem with snow removal or slipping sideways.
The other site I trenched on the upside and dug a trench across the middle that I filled with stone and then gravel. I dug the trench with an old rear bucket attachment I bought at an auction for fifteen bucks. After a year or so I put some gravel on the road surface and I use that spot for all types of vehicles, winter included. I think the secret is to get the water to run off as fast as possible because once it sinks into the clay it takes forever for it to dry out. The problem spots above only have evidence of water flow in the spring melt -- the rest of the year it is just a slow seep.
I fixed those spots only after getiing the tractor stuck up to the starter -- probably better to fix them before that