Can't get there from here. Crossing 20' stream?

[cbc58]

I came across a piece of land with a nice bold trout stream that is about 20' wide bank to bank.  No rocks in it to step on.  From the road, the stream is about 25' in with some decent sized trees on each side of the stream.  There is a nice building spot for a small rustic getaway cabin on the other side.  Can't get there from here.

Spent some time asking about what it would cost and take permit wise to build a bridge.  Way too expensive and a hassle with permits, surveys, etc. 

Wondering if anyone has seen, or theorized, a zip-line type contraption where you could create a basket/box that you could stand up in to get back and forth across the stream.  Maybe a cable with a rope pully system or something like that?  Just curious as I have seen some lots with beautiful streams where there is not enough land to build near the road, but when you get on the other side there is space for a rustic cabin. 

[cbc58]

Homemade aerial tram...  sorta like what I was thinking...

https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/aerial-tram-zmaz81mazraw

[MountainDon]

 

[JRR]

Your creek may be similar in flow to Dukes Creek in Georgia's Smithgall Woods State Park.  Four of their rental cabins/lodges are accessible only by crossing Dukes Creek.  There is an elevated foot bridge.  Other than that, you drive across the creek.  The paved roadway leads right up to one, of several, natural flat granite shelves along the creek.  They improved the situation by laying down reinforced concrete "planks" ... each approx. 12 ft. long by 1-1/2 ft. wide by several inches thick.  The planks are gapped by a few inches, this allows a good bit of water to flow below the top surface of the planks.  But usually there is a few inches of water flowing above the planks, making it look a bit treacherous. The girl passengers always scream as I dash across.  It can be a bit nervy crossing, but thinking rationally, you realize there is little risk of being swept downstream.  Unless the water gets high enough to hit the rocker panel, there is little sideways force.

You would think a photo of a car crossing the creek would be interesting.  But if you look at the Kazillion photos at their website ... not one such photo!  In fact, you have to look down over several photos to finally see just one of the pavement ending at waters' edge.

I wonder if you did something to improve the surface of your creek bed, you might not be wiser to design an open spoked wheeled wagon that can be guided along a steel cable, but pulled across with in-place pull ropes.  You might have to have steerable axles at each end, but other than that ... you might have a load bearing functional solution.  Just thinking.

[cbc58]

JRR - thanks for the info and ideas.  That's a pretty interesting concept though I don't think I can put something in the stream bed (or would want to).   A contraption that rolls across with spoke wheels is a possibility but it would depend on a lot of factors.  That GA park is beautiful.

[JRR]

We are lucky, in GA, to have several excellent State and Federal Parks.  I've visited only a few of them.

Just curious, having seen photos of Dukes Creek ... how do you compare to your creek?

[JRR]

If it is to be a week-ender sort of place, and the water is suitable for crossing with hip-waders ... you might consider installing a temporary tow rig/cable and using a white water styled rubber raft. Those rafts can be pretty tough and you could walk away leaving nothing behind after each visit.

[JRR]

The bad ideas keep coming:  I have seen this somewhere;  a person set up a raft/boat that was pointed upstream.  The contraption was secured with cable that was anchored several (hundred?) feet away to point in midstream.  (A bend in the creek helps this concept)   The raft had a rudder and swung from one side of river to other using flowing water as propellant.

[cbc58]

We are lucky, in GA, to have several excellent State and Federal Parks.  I've visited only a few of them.

Just curious, having seen photos of Dukes Creek ... how do you compare to your creek?

The stream is very similar to Dukes Creek.  I've come across a number of lots like this and have always passed on them because you couldn't get to the other side without a hassle... if at all.  A lot of what you can do depends on where on the property it is and what can be seen from the road.   

Wonder if there is any kind of cork screw contraption out there that moves along a screw line...  bet someone has theorized that.  I did see some motor driven trams on a small scale.  They make trams for lake property that allow you to up and down a steep hill.   Another idea (which might not work) is to get a huge stone or cement block and drop it into the center of the stream using a huge excavator, and then run planks on either side.  The military I am sure has this type of access figured out... 

[JRR]

If allowed, the easiest would be an array of drain pipes covered with a few truck loads of large stone ... to get the water overflow shallow enough for the likes of a Jeep.  Will require an occasional cleaning.

[NathanS]

If you could truck/tractor materials across either during summer when the creek is low or winter when it's frozen, a seasonal cabin without easy access sounds nice for security when you're not there and solitude when you are.

Just for fun - Persians, Greeks, Romans all built pontoon bridges in antiquity.. they are still sometimes used today in the military and otherwise. Anchor your boat with the front facing up stream, lay planks across, tie it all together. Not a permanent solution but you could use it to get stuff across, potentially for cheap.

[cbc58]

Using a pontoon is another interesting idea.  I did a search for pontoon bridges and there are many amazing videos of military pontoon bridges getting set up and taken down. 

I guess you could create some kind of pontoon that is secured with cables to trees on both sides, and then lay planks or whatever.  Also had the idea of buying an old large equipment trailer, beefing up the tires to raise it a bit, and just backing it into the stream.   Or get and modify a shipping container that allows for water to flow through and drive over that.

Or maybe just wait until Amazon sells a $299 jet pack or drone that can carry you across....

[Don_P]

There are a number of "swinging bridges" cable suspension foot bridges across mountain creeks. I have a soft spot for covered bridges if you need a real project.