What the spring grading found,
and what's next before monsoon.
The contractor finished the spring pass on April 11th, two days, 6.4 miles, $180 under budget. Most of the system held up well through the winter — the upper run had less freeze-thaw damage than expected, and the gravel we put down in November is still mostly where we put it.
That's the good news. The other news is that two ditch lines on the north loop are filled in worse than we'd hoped, and the culvert at the lower switchback is making the kind of small noises culverts make right before they decide they're done.
What we're doing about it
We've scheduled a volunteer ditch walk for May 16th — bring boots, gloves, and a thermos. The plan is to clear what we can by hand and mark anything that needs the small machine. If we get enough hands, we'll knock it out in a single morning.
The culvert is the bigger conversation. We have a quote ($3,000 all in), a crew, and a window in mid-June before monsoon. We're $840 short. The treasurer is happy to talk through the numbers with anyone who'd like to look closely; the project page on the site has the breakdown.
"The cheapest road work is the work you do before something fails. The most expensive is the work you do after."
Memorial Day potluck
Saturday, May 23rd. Same place as always. The agenda's on the meetings tab. Treasurer's report, summer plan, vote on the contractor for the fall pass, and as much potato salad as you can stand.
See you there. — The board