A 2-rail cedar fence borders many of the ranch roads. The Buffalo Creek Covered Bridge spans over two flood control ponds and lies between just in front of the Apple Orchard at the intersection of Orchard Road and Covered Bridge Road. The Vineyard area can be seen behind the bridge and is easily identified with its 6” x 6” redwood end posts. The completed vineyard will have approximately 5,000 grape vine that are to be planted five feet (5’) apart, with ten-foot (10’) spacing between each row. The vineyard will consist of four (4) varietals, two (2) red (Frontenac and St. Croix) and two (2) white (La Crosse and Brianna). Motion detector sprinklers and flood lights will help keep the deer from entering. A thirty-foot (30’) wide service road surrounds the vineyard and will also be seeded, like the Apple Orchard, with a clover cover crop. Weeping Willow trees have been planted to add character, scale and shade to all of the five (5) ponds which surround this area.

A view standing past the main entrance gates, just above the upper Covered Bridge pond, overlooking the Covered Bridge, two Weeping Willow trees and the lush, fertile and green Carson Valley. There is a large pond that flows into the two separate Covered Bridge ponds, that, in turn, flow into three additional ponds (all of which will be aerated by a wind mill located on top of the Wind MIll/Pump House) that have been engineered directly in the path of what was once a major dry river bed. By building the ponds directly in the way of annual mountain spring run off, David has insured flood control and silt retention for the residences and property owners down stream. In the event of the proverbial 100 year storm or event (which has already occurred once) these ponds will protect the ranch and all the surrounding property owners. Directly beyond the 2-rail cedar fence will be the home for the future 3-acre fruit orchard consisting of approximately 300 peach, pear, apricot, cherry and walnut trees.

At first glance, this stonewall, located at the main entrance, with its colorful shrubs in front, thirty-foot (30’) towering Douglas Fir tree to the rear and the Buffalo Creek Ranch sign appears to have been constructed to serve as the identifying feature for the property at its main entrance. While, this is true, the granite stonewall (built from rocks taken from the clearing of the Apple Orchard) actually serves several additional purposes. The wall acts as columns to support the entry gates and also helps mute the sound of the 55 KW back-up generator for the entire ranch. In reality, the wall is more than just a wall, it is the sidewall to a ten-foot (10’) by fourteen-foot (14’) partially subterranean utility building. Behind the stonewall, on the south side, this weatherproof building houses the ranch’s main 600 amp power service, electrical transformers, telephone systems, cable television, video and security equipment, well pump controls and other equipment servicing Buffalo Creek Ranch.