IMO you have to take local advice, all advice really, even the stuff you read here, with a grain of salt. I wouldn't ignore any of it but I wouldn't take any of it to be the final word.

I'm reminded of an account by some hikers. They asked some locals about how long it would take to hike up to a peak and back. What they didn't take into account was that the locals grew up climbing steep hills, they know the paths, and travel light because they have little need for supplies like extra water because they know all the little streams.

They were told it was an easy one day round trip. Took the hikers better than two days to complete and they had to rest a day afterward. It was a potentially fatal trip if the two days had meant they got stuck in a storm or walked off a cliff trying climb down in the dark.

Yes, locals can talk without really knowing. Some of this comes from people making easy assumptions. People walk up to a guy in some rural area and assume he knows the area. For all you know he is a trucker delivering a load who knows little about the area. But if you ask a specific question he is likely to give it a shot without telling you he doesn't really know. You didn't ask if he knew anything. His opinion might not be any better than yours. Or they can mislead you as a joke. But even giving you their best estimate can be deceiving.