The Road

When we bought the property there were no roads on the property.  Without a road it was impossible to get any kind of heavy equipment or deliveries of building materials because of the depth of the sand and pockets of clay.  It took several months to complete the road back to the building site for the barn and house because of rain and then snow.  The road back to the ranch is dirt and clay and the roads become impassable for days on end during the Monsoon season.

To build the road I first had to grade the surface, trying to get past the sand and into the loamy soil underneath.  You have to clear the sand because it constantly moves so over time any gravel you put down will be swallowed by the sand.

I was advised to use what is known as ABC gravel (Aggregate Base Coarse) which is a combination of crushed stone, topsoil and dust.  I am  not convinced that was the right because after almost two years it has become very uneven and bumpy.  But we live and learn.  The basalt I put down at the front of the property has stayed much more level and smooth.  I will probably lay basalt on top of the ABC this summer to level it out.