I am quite familiar with the White Mountains and many other less populated areas of the US. Gloria and I left Maine some 15 years ago and have been living "on the road" since. Most of our time is spent in such places. We live most of the year in a 4x4 pick up camper. From that vantage point I would not recommend banking on the White Mountains as any sort of retreat except in the most dire circumstances.

Look carefully and you will see that most entry points have been restricted and are easily controlled. The "Whites" are very rugged and roads are narrow and lack any way to pull a vehicle clear of the road except in designated places. Actual useable camping spots outside of the managed campgrounds are few unless you are ready for some serious hiking.

Go there on a nice fall 4 day weekend. It becomes an urban forest. unfortunately many of the folks are inexperienced and in my opinion, do not make good neighbors.

It is sad to say that this condition prevails across much of the US. Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, National Parks and other land owners are constraining movement in an attempt to manage and protect the lands. You would not believe (whoops your are ex LEO..you would believe..) the stupid and destructive things we have seen in the woods. That and funding cuts have resulted in heavy restrictions in travel. Both regulatory and topographic.

In most National Forests it is now illegal to camp more than 30 feet from a numbered road. That is the regulatory aspect. With that ruling they are creating formidable physical barriers to topographically impede movement on all but numbered roads.

Here again, the effect has created "choke points" throughout the system. We have been Camp Hosts in a dispersed camping area in a large Arizona N.F. On any given weekend, traffic on the arterial roads becomes unmanageable and movement difficult. We had an AVERAGE of 7 helicopter medical evacuations per weekend, several fatalities and untold fender benders.

In contrast, as a responder with the Red Cross, I have spent a month in New Orleans during Katrina, Miami during Hurricane Wilma and others. These are not the best examples of prepared people helping each other. Yet, without a doubt, I believe I would be better off in in either community than heading into the woods.

Suffice it to say that the very last place I want to be in a disaster are the public lands. Instead, we have created many friends at locations all over the country where we will be welcomed into a caring and known community. We bring skills to contribute and a history of friendship. In my considered opinion, it is far better to be in a known community where you can plan, coordinate and provide mutual support than alone with a small group on the public lands.

Nomad