I found this page that shows the intended route, actual route, and route that James took to find rescue. This picture is the most up-to-date routes. The rest of the pages show different views based upon the initially reported vehicle position.

A lot of things went wrong. This is a lesson to constantly stop and re-evaluate your plan. Seems here simple survival tools would have gave him the information he needed to evaluate his plan.

Edited to add: I don't know if I would or would not have made the same decisions he did. I've just learned you need to take a look at the big picture occasionally, if you can.

Edited again to add: I looked at the "wrong turn" he made in Google Earth. It reminds me of many roads here in the Northeast. The map makes it look like you keep going straight, but no, you have to make a left or right turn onto a road that looks like a side street. That looks like what was presented to James Kim.

Google Maps - James Kim map points

The wrong turn is #4.

A good reminder to update your car kits; food, sleeping bags, tools, winter clothing, etc. Especially important if you travel with kids

t.

Yes, a very good reminder. I'm thinking about going for the modular approach, with a main kit with add-on parts for different seasons.

I think sometimes people (myself included) get so focused on "getting there" that they forget for a moment to stop and think.

I've been on some remote roads that, in all honesty, I shouldn't have. One of these roads was suggested by a reputable local of the area as a shortcut but halfway up my common sense got the better of me and I turned around.