I comment on this as a National Park Service retiree, with a 40+ year career in the parks. Use a bit of discretion, even when dealing with advice from a ranger. Don't take anyone's advice uncritically, just because they happen to bein uniform.

Ideally, you are talking to a competent, knowledgeable old hand who has current, up to date experience and a vast store of knowledge.

You might also be conversing with a new, wet-behind-the-ears punk who hasn't a clue, and hasn't even found the restrooms yet(universally the subject of the most frequent question in any park).

Back to the OP:

Aha, another example of a situation where 4x4 gets people *into* trouble instead of out of it. This is becoming a common theme.

Local advice is useful, and indeed sometimes indispensable. It can lead you to amazing stuff you would never find otherwise. But it's never complete or thoroughly considered. You need to do your homework and fill in the gaps with experience and uncommon sense.

When taking back roads, there is no substitute for a well-tuned "situational B.S." detector. If you start down the local shortcut and your spidey sense starts tingling, you better listen to it ... and back off from the natural tendency to keep pushing on. Stop, get out of the vehicle for a minute and look around, have a cup of tea, look at the map again, and make a decision.

I am not politically correct. When I see stupid, I call it stupid.

This guy didn't make just a little wrong turn -- the Kims didn't make this big of a boo-boo, and people called them stupid.

If those of you who don't know Colorado would look at a map, note where the very HIGH Continental Divide is, then see where Saguache is, and then where Aspen is. And I'm not talking about the height of the mountains in that area, I'm talking about the elevation of the ROADS. Except for luck, he would be as dead as a wedge, and the poor little dog that he left behind, too.

No one in their right mind would try that. No one with an IQ at least as high as his shoe size, anyway.

Sue

I guess it was the jump from merely calling someone stupid to say that this guy shouldn't enjoy the luxury of life or having kids. And yes, I've had a great time reading about Darwin awards.

But hey, I probably take it all to seriosly. I don't want a political correct forum. Political correctness has nothing to with my honest opinion that namecalling someone based merely on inaccurate media reports is slander.

But let's stop there, shall we? I've made my point on this issue. I don't feel like involving in further debate about this, I'm OK with honest disagrement, and suggest we just leave it there. Back on topic?

I have learned that the value of information you receive is directly proportional to the quality of the question you ask, and your level of concentration when offered an answer......Peace


Edited for grammar

Excellent point, Byrd_Huntr.

But backing up a bit, I think that an essential point to consider is "how do you gain the essential experience to judge the validity of local advice?"

You're not born with it. You won't get it in the dealership that sells you a 4x4. The only real answer is that you get it the hard way. Perhaps from someone who knows and has been there (ideally), or in small increments from say, weekend excursions in friendly conditions. Mostly, you learn a process. Some get it all at once, and the outcome is not generally happy.

Sue's point about crossing the freaking continental divide is valid. It's either gross stupidity or gross naivety. I'll bet real money that it's the latter. (I say this understanding the number of stunts I've pulled and survived, out of which I should be getting a bill from the squadrons of guardian angels assigned. So I'm not inclined to throw stones.)

My $0.02.

This is rather speculative, but quite possibly the reason he was asking a local was because he did not have a map which would have provided him with all the relevant information. I am amazed at the number of people who travel long distances without a map or who cannot interpret a standard road map.

Any time we travel out of state now, I stop at the first rest area when we enter a new state as there are usually welcome centers there with free maps. I have one of those school type zip up binders that I store under the seat and collect maps there.

Slander isn't when you don't like the opinion, slander is when it isn't true.

BTW, this guy has changed his story, and is now blaming his GPS.

And... "Pede, 31, has made his living escorting big loads across the nation's highways..."

Except he's never seen Colorado, apparently. It has mountains.

*snort!*

Sue, who has also traveled over a lot of country, and has never made a decision remotely that bad

I think you are spot-on with this comment. Map and compass reading are becoming an arcane art in some circles. I carry an old regional atlas along with current state highway maps. I also have a high quality dashboard compass, a button compass in the glovebox, and detailed topo map books for the two states where I go into the back country a lot.