And what is the modifier key?

Using a hoe and making a path is exactly what I did. I set up a camp at a dense copper area where I had storage to store the copper, and then I'd bring it all back in one trip with my cart on cleared roads.

Originally posted by Arachnovia:

And what is the modifier key?

hold shift key while using the Hoe. be careful as you can make a big mess if you mis click, also be aware that you will still sprint even with the Hoe in use and you will drain stamina really fast.

Making it easier I stuck to the edge of the shore for making my path's it made it so much easier as it was already pretty smooth. There were some spots I had to put some work into like a huge bolder I would have to break it down same for trees ect. "Word of caution to this tale" If tin respawns [never seen it happen in any of my games] remember it is on the shore as well so I am not sure if it will if you path or flatten the ground.

hold the modifier key to help level terrain better

make a wide path, over 2x the cart width, very slow inclines use switchbacks if you need to climb a steep hill, or better yet use chests to store items and bring the cart up empty

To use the card sensefull in vanilla, No
You can Terraform streets, but you will need longer to make these streets than sail or Prooduce your stuff at the ressources

If you consider to mod
Valheim+ offer a option to reduce the amount loaded stuff affect the card physics
Valheim + offers to raise the slots up to 8x30
"Get of my lawn" offers the ability to spawn a Card with definable HP
And then (and i didnt used this mod past H&H) theres "beast of burden"

I just bring a hoe with me the first time I take a cart somewhere. Using the "Level" function, you can carve out a rough path with ease. Chop down whatever brush/trees are in your way, and pick a route that's somewhat level. If there aren't any routes, you might need to do a bit of picking, but it's not too bad. I generally go 2x the width of the "Level" for the hoe. Gives you a little bit of room to manuever.

You don't need smooth roads, just something that reduces the slope in places, and gives you a reasonable path to follow. Ruts and small holes aren't going to slow you down, and you should always have 10 wood to build a quick Workbench for field repairs.

I keep my weight around 1000-1400 at most, and my inventory empty except my usual gear. If your cart breaks, oh well, you have your 10 wood for a Workbench, so just grab the mats it dropped and build a new one. Eikthyr is absolutely fantastic for this btw, the reduced stamina cost for running is a godsend when you're dragging it back home.

This works really well for silver mining as well. I break my cart down, stick it in my inventory (or stash it in my boat), then head up the mountain. Quick Workbench, cart, and fill that sucker up. Then, just kick it down the mountain. Once it hits the bottom, load up your boat, break down the cart again, and off you go. I usually clear trees and rocks where I'm going to boot it down, just so it doesn't get stuck too much.

Get a harpoon and a freind and pull them with it while they are on the cart.

Don't go over 1800 units if you're going over an incline or rough terrain. Using a hoe for a path doesn't take as much time as you think, just do it while you're on cart, as long as you knead out the big inclines you're good. I took one all the way up a mountain once and found that 1800 seems like the threshold where the cart gets overencumbered and cant do much going up.