Attach stone veneer evenly to irregularly shaped foundation

I’m planning to attach stone or stone veneer to the bottom 2–3′ of my house.

At the front of my house, the poured concrete foundation is about 3′ tall. Halfway from the front (toward the back), the foundation heigh changes to be quite low to the ground (around 4–5") with wood crippling to make up the same height as the concrete foundation in the front. See image .

• The blue outline is the concrete foundation
• The green is the wood crippling
• The area on the other side of the outlined area is all crawlspace

I’m not sure how best to plan the installation to maintain an even depth/distance away from the wall while accommodating the backing needs of the stone.

Initially, I planned to install Hardie board on the back half where there is wood crippling. But, if I do that, the surface wouldn’t be consistent (i.e., the thickness of the Hardie board would extend past the surface of the poured concrete).

I haven’t decided if I’ll use real stone or stone veneer (something like Eldorado or similar). I don’t plan to use panels, but I’m not opposed to it. Either way, the backing needs aren’t met by the wood crippling. I’d like to find a solution to this before purchasing the material.

What’s the best way to approach this?

Edit: I’ve added several close-up images that show the transition in foundation height, flushness of the crippling, and different angles for clarity.

In the pictures, it shows how the crippling ranges between flush and 1/4" inset from the exterior side of the foundation wall. At the point of transition, it’s flush. If I were to add 1/2" hardie board on top of that, the exterior mounting surface would be 1/2" proud. I’m cautious about using anything less thick than 1/2" due to the weight of the stone and general recommendations I’ve come across in my reading so far.

Also worth noting: It’s not uncommon for snow to pile up to 2.5′ during winters here. This is also partly why I’m considering the stone & cement board approach.