Tuesday, January 12, 2010

What do you mean, primitive?

The LH and I used to laugh when we came across one of these big bold signs on a county road. Our basic response was, "you don't know from primitive". As best we could tell, there was some legalism involved in the label, "primitive road". Might even have to do with the feds.

We considered these graded and drained roadways the next best thing to a black top. For real primitive, you go to the Forest Service map or the topos and try out one of those single dotted lines. Now that's a primitive road; double dotted lines tended to be somewhere in between the broad expanse below and a two track - but we could almost always make it on a double dotted line in our Sube station wagon.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's a very nice, lovely graded road. Too nice to be called "primitive".

:-)

~Anon in AV.

azlaydey said...

I agree Granny J........this type of road is FINE! I wish the road in front of my house was this good. It's paved and I get dizzy trying to avoid the potholes!

Steve said...

I guess that is the term used to let you know we don't maintain it.

Granny J said...

anon av -- agreed! Much too smooth to be labeled "primitive"

lady -- that's just what I mean!

steve -- but actually, the road is regularly graded and designed so thst it drains properly. I'm sure that if there's a big storm that leads to ruts, the county will have a blade out within the week to scrape the road down.

Avus said...

Reminds me of the "unsealed" roads out back in Western Australia.

Granny J said...

avus -- in reality, so-called "primitive" roads like this are well maintained, for a simple reason -- they generally lead to major ranch spreads and ranchers count for a lot in a county like Yavapai.

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Yeah, that doesn't look too primitive to this Utahn. Primitive roads up here are the ones that didn't exist... until we showed up. :)

Kathleen said...

hehe - I figure the pot holes (aka caverns) actually slow down the traffic - if they go to fast, it stops 'em =p

Granny J said...

kate -- we have a lot of back roads like this in ranching country. They're fine roads.

frame -- you and lady work that one out between the two of you...

 
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