Hurricane Hilary Destroyed Our Road…Now What? 

These are all amazing suggestions! Thank you! A few things that factor into all road repairs: 1) the road is a county owned/maintained road. So any changes has to be approved by the county and go through the whole government process. 2) the road location was picked and developed in the 1860s when the town was a boomtown. I cannot change the location of the road because it's surrounded by government land. 3) the 'back road' you see is more than 30 miles to get to town, instead of the normal 8. That road also goes through a National Park which there would be extreme approval process to do anything. 4) my goal with this repair was just to make the road passable for as cheap/quick as possible. I know it isn't the permanent solution, but the best we could do with 3 days or so... Thank you all so much for all the thoughts on all these challenges here. They are greatly appreciated!

The solution to your road problem isn't adding something, it's removing the excess rock. Modern technology will allow you to break the ridges of the rock away (large excavator with a breaker) allowing the bedrock to be the road. This means even if there's a big storm event the road should still be passable.

I remember when your first video dropped and I distinctly remember thinking this knucklehead just bit off more than he could chew. I honestly thought you would disappear after a few videos. But the interesting thing is that instead, we watched you grow as a person. Nobody in their right mind would have done what you did. Watching you take one on the chin repeatedly, yet get back up and ask for some more has been an inspiration for many people, including me. You almost broke several times, but each time you got back up and just kept going. As I watched this video, it was awesome thinking back how far you have come. 3 years ago it would have been hard seeing you on a tractor tackling the road. Even last year you almost broke when the road washed out. Your becoming a gravitational force and your pulling people in to make this something much more than a individual dream.

I feel the real challenge living in a ghost town is they were only ever built with temporary residence in mind. All those that built these towns knew that sooner or later the gold, silver etc.. was going to run out. Kudos to Brent for taking on this life changing challenge and for being an excellent caretaker of the property and preserving history before it all was gone by looting, natural destruction or destroyed by idiots. Cerro Gordo couldn’t have a better person looking out for her.

You are very fortunate to have the friends you’ve made since moving to Cerro Gordo. Daniel and the dump truck was a game changer, without him and the truck you would still be working to make the road passable. With your will and your friends you will make Cerro Gordo into something very special. Never give up !

Hey Brent. I told my dad who was a civil engineer about this and this was his response "The road will probably always be a problem. Basically, he needs rock-lined ditches along the sides of the road, and wherever the wash crosses the road he needs to pave the road with concrete so floods can go over it without damaging it. And he may need culverts alongside the road where it is too narrow for roadside ditches. All this would work for most smaller storms, but a big one like he just had will still do lots of damage. All it takes is cash."

As a retired general contractor from Northern California, I agree with the idea, of using the bedrock as the road. Even with out a hammer hoe, you having blasting capabilities will help. Keep going Brent

BRENT!!! Your resilience is inspiring!!! My favorite quote by Charles Kettering "It does not matter if you try and try, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again".

You probably have all the suggestions you need but I remember being in Sweden and seeing them break up roads by drilling holes into the rock and filling hundred / thousands of funnels in those hole with water. When it froze in winter, the rock fractures and creates a relatively level surface. Nature did most of the work for them.

My husband and I got HAM (amateur radio) licenses and antennas on our car as well as home --- great for when there is no cell service and no electricity for communication. Maybe you guys can radio in and out. Thank you for sharing--truly inspiring! I love your community.

Hi Brent, I see alot of comments here and a lot of helpful ideas, Having lived in similar terrain in Nepal and the Himalayas, and the European Alps I have seen the same scenarios after monsoon and summer storms, so can safely say , the best methodry for you to do a more perm. fix is GABIONS...essentially loose stones in wire mesh boxes you construct yourself..., in effect you need to make a 'leaky dam' at the sections where the waters collide and flow most like rapids to slow that water down as much as, and maintain as much silt/ finer particualte capture and retention as possible, and alter the terrain at the path sides to diver the water , you'll need a rock breaker adapted back hoe to splice and break apart the roadside rocks that create the narrows and rapids and this will also provide you with your base layer, larger materiel. If you can, utilise as much flat bedrock as possible, not covered with fine grade materials, then in-fill areas with gabions and large stones/rocks, then keep adding on top in finer and finer gradations untill infilled where there are greater terrain level shifts, then and only them do you add the shales, then gravels, then grits then sands to infill all the smaller gaps and holes - I thought all this would happen again to you after watching last years repairs, when the county repaired the rd for you by only dumpin all those sands and grits onto the pathway to create a new level bed..it didnt prevent the problems reoccurance and was bound to happen again at the next big washout....its a massive job but with logistics, planning, grit gumption determination and TIME, chipping away each section by section like you know and do so well!!! , in a month youll have it all done, and it will LAST more than one season or year...so todays word is Gabions, they are also needed to fringe the rd edges as well to stop more loose material washdown from the sides, and they can also be arranged as you like to make the needed culverts and storm drainage without blasting away at the bedrock...then you can employ dry stone walls and rock rows in all the mini rivulets and gullies to again create water slowing leaky dams to prevent fast flowing erosive water flows and washing down of more loose material - hope this helps fella! love from a long time subscriber watcher from the getgo! ;) 100% behind you and your crew& always rootin for ya! :)

If ever there was someone who needed to aquire a D8, it was you. On the bright side, it's wonderful to see a lake in the background.

Your attitude towards challenges is 100% why this all has worked so far!

I am very happy and proud that my great-nephew was with you and restored the road. Hey Avery, well done. Your uncle from Hamburg!

Think it has already been suggested but in Ireland we have to deal with alot of rain so on rural and dirt roads usually we dig a ditch/drain about 1m wide and 1m deep along both sides of the roads, we also allow for a slight camber in the road, so when it rains heavy the rain naturally runs off and collects either side of the road instead collecting and eroding the road itself

HEY TOYOTA! Send this man an endorsement contract and a TRD PRO! Nice work Brent...your optimism is unbelievable. Truly inspiring.

I discovered you about a month ago. I'm am desperately searching for My Cerro Gordo Book, the one that is out of print. About 15 years ago I became a docent with the LA conservancy and started doing a lot of research - and the importance of this town became very apparent. I am in awe of what you are doing to bring it back. I really enjoy the videos, the mines and the people who are coming together to make something so positive happen in these mountains. Keep up the good work, you spirit is amazing.

Brent will forever be the worlds most knowledgeable person of that 8 mile stretch of road.

What is crazy HOW beautiful green the plants are after the rain the desert is.

You need to do two things: slow the runoff to reduce damageand stabilize your road base. If you can, place gabions (metal cages filled with rock) as check dams in the washes that feed into the road, to slow down the runoff. You can also use gabions and geocells (a cellular confinement system) to stabilize the road base.

Thats a really nice view of Owens Lake from your patio. Good to see so much water in it- a positive side to all the rain.

I’m so happy Brent keeps pushing though all the struggles it’s motivating just to see how he resolves problems

UK Based Senior Civil Engineer here specialising in Highways for the last decade: Have a look at the byproduct of the steel industry, PFA pulverised fuel ash - blast furnace slag, it can be infused into sub-base still allowing water permeation but tends to bond together rock hard, we use it precisely on haul roads around open cast mines and quarries and also in early stages of highway construction. It is very heavy duty, don't ask me about the chemistry behind it but it does keep together very well. I can shoot a few specifications your way if you need, not so sure about DoT standards that side of the pond but I'm sure it does rain a lot more here in Wales than it does there.

Need large drainage “under” the road to prevent washout. Additionally would be nice to have a mound of dirt topside so you can fill in from above, ie. a fill dirt area for when it washes out again.

Brent, you and your team truly are inspiring. Seeing your evolution from when the American Hotel burnt down, to the first destruction of the road, and now this, *is* inspiring to me personally. Thank you for letting us all be witnesses of your adventure.

I think there is a way we can plan out the drainage so the road won't wash out. By using swails, nalabunds, rock damns, culverts etc. Where there is a plan there is a way.

I've been checking up on these videos every couple months/years. Every time I do, I see you taking the town almost like it's a tycoon-like video game. "Oh, my road got flooded? Just gotta rebuild it..." It's insane to me how you see the destruction time and time again, and just a couple hours or days later, have the calm attitude to sit down, record it, and have a plan all laid down to fix it. House burned down. Road collapsed. Snowed in. The obstacles never mattered to you; every time, and each time, you're somehow almost just as excited as the first time you arrived. Maybe **slightly** less excited - given the circumstances - but point is, the effort you put into the things you do are astonishing and it makes me wish I could be there just to help and be apart of something like that. Fat chance, and it's the only skills I could offer to someone so far away, but send me something to edit as a trial if a free editor is something you're looking for. I'm not a professional by any means, but if there's anyway I can help you, it'd make a couple of my months. The editor you already have is show-biz quality, but I would more than be willing to learn whatever I can from them if it means I could help out. Either you see this or don't, but either way, good luck and don't fall down any deep dark mines!

That water in the background is epic! Our lake came back! This is one of those years/times.. here where the water flows continuously holds a huge story

You definitely need culverts and flash flood drainage pipes alongside the road and maybe even under it.

I think now is the time for you to purchase either a used D8 sized dozer or motorgrader. Preferably you need both to maintain your roads & drainage. You're the owner and the mayor of your town. It is your responsibility to provide access to your town and maintain the roads. This equipment is a good start.

2 ideas: 1. pre-stage gravel at strategic locations to make recovery much quicker. That way you don't have to use a dump truck during an emergency. 2. find a way to slow down the water through those locations, such as putting small rock barriers across all the small ravines that lead into those canyons. Also see if the county is willing to put dragons teeth concrete barriers along the creek to slow the water.

To avoid land slides dig swales on contour on the hill side and plant trees, bushes and other plants on and near the berm of the swales. The swales will catch rain water, hidrate the land gently and the roots of the plants and trees will bind the soil.

Blessings, Brent. Hope Heavy D can help at some point. You mentioned getting input from a civil engineer to put in drainage so the road doesn't keep flooding out. We are rooting for you! Cerro Gordo SHALL go on!!!

Your level of chill through this whole video was pretty remarkable. Hardship has stregthened you.

I'm a salesman at Toyota, I love seeing yours being put to the test, it reconfirms the confidence I have in the product I sell 💪💪

Brent! You are a Trooper like I've never seen! Great job keeping it together.

Dude you and everyone up there are really just the embodiment of positivity and effort. No one would blame you for feeling defeated or like it's not gonna go well but you and everyone just taken everything with strives and kept foraging ahead. Things will turn out okay it's almost like the universe is giving you another test.

From a follower perspective know you have gotten a lot rougher and coarse on the outside yet ever more sturdy and appreciative on the inside. You are maturing in character to be one of these legendary figures who left their mark on this town. Keep going strong.

God Bless your buddy with the dump truck. You would have been a lost ball in high weeds without him!

Wow to think I could sit through half an hour of a video about rebuilding a road without fidgeting just says something about you and your resilience and strong willpower. It makes me feel empowered as if anything you can put your mind to is possible.

One of the last scenic views you showed while panning down the valley from your porch area, struck me with awe. For once, the Owen's Lake was an actual lake. It's been about 100 years since was a lake, instead of a toxic dust Basin. Beautiful. So glad the road has been fixed, again. Now, the hotel needs its second floor and a roof up. I just wish that I could have been there to help. Oh btw, you should rename the road to Hurricane Highway or Gullywasher Road. LOL.😅😂

Can you imagine the work the pioneers did there to dig those tunnels, keep the road maintained and get though the likely hundreds of setbacks over decades there? Great to experience what they might have gone through watching you experience it today Brent. Way to stick with it! Inspiring!

My goodness Brent....this is such a big mess and you have the patience of a saint to take it on again...what can you do? I hope you can figure something out for the future. So wonderful that you have friends who come to help. Have to say, you are getting very good at this emergency road repair! I would think that if you put in ditches along the road on both sides, you might be able to steer future waters from ripping the road apart. My son did that for our driveway here in VT, and with that last big rain we had here in July, my driveway stayed intact. Keep that optimism going Brent....you are a great example of what man is capable of!

I visited today and the newly repaired road looks amazing! I can't believe how quickly and to what quality the road was fixed. Great job everyone - Cerro Gordo guys and Inyo county!

Keep working hard, Brent! Nothing worth while is ever easy! Your dream is coming true and you will see it through!

You definitely seem to be taking this setback better than last year. I hope that when the high of getting it done wears off that it doesn't leave you in a dark place... Even if the power gets turned back on. You have so many more skills than you ever thought you needed 3 years ago.

There ain‘t no Good until you do it :: Good people , good houses, good road, good work, good project, good video! Well done! 😊✨🌱✨

I think I might be better to break the rock in the areas where the big drop offs are to make it easier to navigate when the soil is washed away. Also put larger rock in the lower sections of the road to help hold in the soil in place. Also they make a mesh of round short pipe that is set on edge then fill in the open centers that help hold soil in place.

CG is evidence of its inhabitance's resilience. And Brent, you are carrying on this tradition of resilience, supported by some amazing volunteers. They are willing and able to do the work, to get the roads back and passable. By the way, the Toyota Tundra was in BEAST mode!!! 😍 Very impressive!!! Thank you for sharing this with us. We have so much faith in you and your community. You got this! 💪 Until the next time, take care.

thanks so much to the volunteers that showed up to help Brent and the town of Cerro Gordo in this trying time!

In the desert that experiences flash floods, they construct dams to hold the water (and later use for irrigation). You might place culverts on top of the present road, and then put asphalt on top to drive on.

Brent, I truly applaud you for your unbelievable perseverance and determination. You're an inspiration man. Keep up the amazing work!

Brent, you are such an inspiration. The worst things happen and you triumph over the adversity and turn them all into positive learning experiences, even blessings! We can all learn a thing or two about that. Thanks for a another remarkable story!! Stay safe! ❤️

Try building a road bed with bigger rocks that won't wash away and then cover with gravel.

I found this series during covid and i love coming back to check up on you every couple months

You amaze me with your resilience and how much you strong you have grown under the burdens of your dream.

A M A Z I N G ! Your spirit and drive is so uplifting 🌞

It is by sharing our struggles that we lift all of us up. Humanity needs one another and Cerro Gordo is the living proof.

Aaaahhhh… the desert life. ☀️

Best of luck to you, Brent, you and all your buddies that are working so hard to get things together

Thank you, Brent, for including us in your road repair adventure! I feel like I better understand what you went through a year ago. (Actually, I can’t believe it’s been a year since the road was washed out twice.) God be with you in your effort to find a permanent solution to your road problem! (Someday your time at Cerro Gordo will make an inspiring movie!)

Massive cheers to the people that helped you!

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Your passion for your town is admirable. I do love your optimism and willingness to do the hard work. Shout out to all those who come to help you and your mission. Continued blessings of abundance and wisdom

Your positivity with all l this hardship is amazing.

All of our lives are filled with trials and tribulations. It's how you overcome these obstacles in life that makes the person you become. You are a perfect example of this. I hope that your trials you share will inspire others to do the same. Keep on keeping on. 💯👍🏻👍🏻😉

More proof that determination and a few guys can move a mountain. You are a true visionary Brent. I love that you push yourself to do what many would say can’t be accomplished. Keep pushing boundaries and it will all pay off with more satisfaction. You are a true inspiration and tamer of the Wild West.

On Australian dirt tracks we cut swales on the steep and often flooding sections of road. Diagonally across the road from high side draining to the low side. They only have to be a foot deep to divert enough water to save the road.

you are an absolute inspiration. thank you.

So cool to see you keeping Cerro Gordo alive. I used to live in Olancha and last adventured up that road around 1980. 😊

Well done to you and your team. You guys broke through by repairing the road enough to allow more repair vehicles up to Cerro Gordo. You are hero’s all of you. Shouting out to the Diesel Brothers might be an idea….maybe not. I don’t know how the local council would eel about that. Well done guys - all the from Scotland

Thanks for the updates!!! Keep on moving forward!!!

It is interesting watching your progress over time. I wish you the best of luck!

Brent you have come such a long way. Imagine what the miners faced without the technology you have today. I think what you have done is amazing having history all through my back yard. You are so strong to keep going in this way. 2 Years ago you relied on the shire to fix the road now you are more than capable of doing the road yourself.

It's funny, I just finished watching the cemetery video and learned that Bosco passed away 🙏🐕🇺🇸.. When I realized I missed the show, so I watched it even though it wasn't live.. Brent, you are an amazing individual with a heart a gold (or sliver) lol.. Keep going my friend..

I love the way you preserve the town and its history, and how you give us a new perspective on its past life and insight on the ways they might have lived. its also interesting just watching you find purpose in it all of it.

Well done Brent and crew!...You guys have accomplished so much with hard work and determination! The pioneer spirit lives in you.

Everyday "problems" simply diminish when I watch you face and overcome challenge after challenge. I remembered the road damage from the two heavy rains last year. I thought of Cerro Gordo even as I was sitting in last minute accommodations after evacuating from a location in the San Bernardino mountains just ahead of the storm. Your resilience and dedication to getting beyond survival mode and moving towards sustainable solutions has and will continue to pay off!

I love that you share the adventure. I’m impressed by your tenacity and appreciate your words of wisdom. Kudos to everyone that gives of themselves to make the rebuilding of Cerro Gordo possible.

I have second hand frustration about the road and having to put the hotel on hold again. You are definitely a 'glass half full' kind of guy. It's beautiful to see the love and dedication to this old town. Your words make all of us also fall in love with history and this town.

Thanks a Lot for your great Adventure you Share with us. And the positivety you spread. Love this Channel ❤

That is nature. Thank You for sharing and updating us what is happening. Stay Healthy and Safe.

Thanks for all your film making. I can't imagine how much extra time it took you to shoot this while doing the actual work too. Amazing.

Never back down never what? Keep up the hard work Brent! It can be stressful having these things happen, especially if you already had to fix it once. We love all the work you do to keep Cerro Gordo growing!

Keep ur eye on the pie! The amazing empowerment you must be feeling every time u pass and every time u resolve the situation!!! U can u will ! Love u!!!

You are amazing. When I heard about the storm, I immediately thought about you, your animals, the hotel and the road. So glad everyone is safe. Wish I were closer so that I could help. Keep up the good work, you got this!!!!

Great update. I'm seriously glad that it is you that took on the upkeep of that little town on the hill. Most others would have given up long ago. Evidence suggests this setback, too, is only temporary. We'll keep doing what we can to encourage and support you in your endeavors.

After you pack the fill dirt, add asphalt millings, usually from the county, and pack that on top. Did my grandparents driveway with a wheelbarrow in Dolan springs Arizona in 2006 and it's still holding.

Thank you for your positivity, Brent! I have an immense amount of difficulty in "doing", and your little snippets of wisdom are very helpful to me in breaking past the analysis paralysis. I hope you have some respite and a chance to rejuvenate after all this!

I kept watching for any Serro Gordo updates during the storm (I'm in Santa Cruz County, so we were out of the path). For some reason, I was more worried about you guys up there than anywhere else. I guess you've really affected me with what could be seen as a thankless task, bringing back the glory of the place. Your fortitude is astounding, and inspirational. Glad the kitties are okay!

Huge congratulations to Brent and his team for getting the dirt road passable again. Woooooooooohooooooo!!! I'm glad everyone is safe and sound.

Is sad that the road get sooo damage, but it nice to see you fix it!

Hello Brent, you are amazing, keep going and smiling x

The power of rushing water is phenomenal.....the destruction in some areas is just mind blowing.....good luck with the ongoing repair work Brent.....truly great effort so far.👍

Brent, your work and determination is astonishing, but something creepy distracted me on this video, at 11:35 immediately after discovering the lone shoe, the appears to be a person in the distance staring at you. Upper left middle of the screen, a few hundred yards away at the foot of the hill in front of you. It also seems to turn slightly at 11:39, play it in slow mo. Stay safe dude

Look into Baselok Geocell to use after the next washout. You put that on the ground before putting in new soil/rock. It prevents soil erosion.

You are a fine role model Brent. Very positive and uplifting.

One of my favorite things about your videos is that you include your self doubt, epiphanies, struggles and solutions and then you always reflect on it and end up with a positive outlook on the future. You truly inspire me to think that way and see the that there are always solutions to problems!

All said solutions listed here are correct,but the single most important factor is road preparation right guys, so blasting could really move all that rock and dirt ,widen that rain gutter called a road. God bless you and good luck, i first went to cerro gordo in 1965 and you have no idea how much enjoyment i get by seeing you being there doing your work.thank you bro ! Hope to see you soon,😊

Way to go team. Love that dont give up attitude from Brent and all the others. Cant wait to see what developes with the road and the town.

Love your ingenuity & determination!