PEP BB homesteading.sand.little.sanding - Sand an Icy Driveway and Paths

Sand icy driveway and all path bb submission:

My apologies! I was rushing to get this bb done and made some assumptions that I should have gotten clarification on. I also  should have described my process, especially since I appear to be the first one to try for this bb.

To Begin:

When I read "60 foot long', I assumed an equivalent amount of square footage based on standard minimum widths x lengths for driveways and pathways would work as well. If there is a reason that a driveway or walkway must always be 60' or longer, then I don't understand this bb and I will just move on to a different one.

Otherwise, please read on:

When surveying my drive and path, I did a quick visual estimate using my preset markers (explained below) but I will do the math and actually reference professional guidelines below:

* LandscapingNetwork.com is an independent resource for information about the landscaping industry.

https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/driveways/width.html#google_vignette
https://www.landscapingnetwork.com/walkways/width.html

Using guidelines from the LandscapingNetwork.com website, the minimum width of a foot path is 18". For our purposes, I will round that up to 24" to keep the math very simple. Also, because I am not just shoveling strolling paths through a garden, but functional, paved access paths to a house. 18" is not enough room to actually be functional (IMHO).

Minimum for a driveway/parking spot/single car turn-around is 10' x 20'.

Applying those width measurements to the badge bit requirements, minimum total square footage with 60' of length would be 720sqft.

My driveway measured at it's smallest width and length is 24'x40' (widening at the street- more on that later). My walkway is almost 3' when shoveled out. So let's be conservative and just say 2'x18'. That's a total of 996sqft.

So in terms of total square footage covered, that shouldn't be a problem.

I will go further:

Again, being mindful of accessibility, the path markers on our drive and path are not random. They are spaced a minimum of 10' apart going lengthwise to the street (see additional pics). They are set 25' across the width of the driveway except at the street entrance where they are set 28' apart. The little extra width at the street helps for turning and visibility.  The street plows do try to respect those guide markers and try not to plow us back in. But we are on a corner lot, and for a snow-load like yesterday (over 2'), we inevitably got plowed back in. The markers help me cut the snow back to keep the driveway open.

These markers are also to prevent 'shoveling drift' as I call it: the tendency for a path to become smaller and smaller the longer you shovel. I make a point to shovel past these markers every time to make sure we always have enough room to park side by side and comfortably open doors, walk around, etc.

Same goes for the foot path leading to the house. The 3' wide path has a slightly raised edge on each side. By shoveling all the way to that raised edge, it ensures that the pathway stays open and accessible.

I hope that clarifies my process. Thanks for your consideration.

Update: 1/31/21 @8am 2nd round of sanding pics added.
Update: 2/5/21 @8am 3rd round of sanding pics added.

We live in a place where it snows for the first time at the end of October (usually) and then the snow sticks around until the middle of April (usually). So we snowblow, shovel, scoop, plow, dig, etc. But it doesn't just thaw away to nothing and wait for the next snow to fall on the dirt. That staying cold that it does means that the walking surface is usually not too bad. It's just crunchy dense snow. But when it does get warm and melts on top, or all the way through, and then freezes up again, that's ice which is dangerous. You can chisel it away if you have boundless energy. Or you can use salt (and worse) if you don't mind inputs that damage your surroundings. Or you can just sand the top surface which provides traction and even helps it melt faster when the temps warm up and the sun hits the tiny grains of rock.

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
 - you must sand at least 60' of icy driveway
 - you must sand at least 60' of paths

To document this Badge Bit, provide proof of the following as pictures or a video (<2 mins):
  - icy driveway and paths before sanding
  - icy driveway and paths after sanding
  - if it isn't obvious that they are at least 60' long, please provide evidence

I don't really have 60' of path, so you're going to see the same path sanded again and again.

Dave Burton wrote: sand an icy driveway and all paths.

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
  - you must sand at least 60' of icy driveway
  - you must sand at least 60' of paths

To document this Badge Bit, provide proof of the following as pictures or a video (<2 mins):
   - icy driveway and paths before sanding
   - icy driveway and paths after sanding
   - if it isn't obvious that they are at least 60' long, please provide evidence

Clarifications:
   - the width of the driveways and paths doesn't matter, only the length of them

Here at WL, we're seeing our first freeze-thaw cycles. This morning it was particularly icy so I sanded a 60+ft pathway from FP house to the solarium and a 60ft section of the turtle lot. The tape measure to where the kid is marks 60ft in both before photos.