A March walk on a hill lane, a gate I thought I had shut, and sheep on the road two hours later. What that afternoon taught me about latches, hinges, and the difference between closing a gate and actually closing it.
A hard freeze is the only weather I know of that makes a farm road better instead of worse. It is also on a timer. Here is how I read a frost morning, how I plan around the thaw, and the two freezes I skip.
After a few years of scouting dirt lanes and field edges near home, I have a rough system for telling a route that will be worth the morning from one that just looks good on a map screen.