Further Progress in the United States at Wolf Creek Ranch

This is the mighty “Rock Pond”, now ready to be filled. This is the site where we drilled, blasted and crushed hundreds of thousands of yards rock to create our miles of road inside the ranch.
Looks are deceiving. The perimeter of this pond is about the size of a football field. The sheer rock cliffs that take in three sides of the pond are about 50- feet high.

The Wolf Creek Bridge is complete. We are now in the process of filling the lakes to capacity. The three lakes will be full when water reaches the top of the fractured rock you see lining the perimiter. In the center of the lake on the left, you can faintly make out a sunken, 1950’s era boat and it’s mast. This steel boat hull was stripped of all toxic components and is essentially a shell. The primary purpose for this sinking has been for fish habitat. Secondly, it will be fun for swimmers to dive down and take a closer look. Top left of picture, note there is no fractured rock. This will be a beach area with comfortable human access and an adjoining shaded park.

North Lake, it as well needs to further fill. By spring, the top soil around the lake where we have been working will come alive with greenery and will make a stunning contrast with the water.

Some final touch-ups of the bridge

A misty morning view from the Main House site. Southern pond in the foreground and the mighty Pend Oreille River, center, flanked by beautiful mountains teaming with timber.

Here is just a small portion of the more than lovely, mile-long driveway leading to Wolf Creek Ranch. This road far exceeds loading parameters and standards of local, state or federal guidelines. The road is comprised of a properly compacted native soil base. Over the base, we installed a geo-textile fabric to keep the running surface and sub-strata from, ‘mushing’ into native soil. Over the geo-textile fabric, we laid six-inches of ¾”-minus fractured rock followed by another 5/8”-minus fractured rock top-coat. Both rock layers were comprehensively compacted with a vibratory-roller. The road is properly crowned to shed water. Where the road shares space with rather steep slopes – those slopes are, ‘rock armored’ to assure no-nonsense slope stability. Extensive drainage and a system of culverts have been installed allowing this road to service this ranch for many decades to come…year around.

This is the Southern-most pond on Wolf Creek Ranch. It too is in the process of filling-up to capacity. Like the other lakes, it will be at full-capacity as it reaches the top of the perimeter.
From this Southern-most lake, a sub-marine 25-horsepower electric pump sends 1200 gallons per minute, underground, up to the Northern-most lake and discharged. The water makes its way across the uppermost pond, under the bridge and then cascades down a 425-foot, ‘spawning stream’ (for ‘cut throat’ trout) into the lower most pond. The process repeats itself.