Stranded on Imogene Pass for 3-Days

The following story provides proof that what we have written about high country weather being very dangerous.  You really never know when a deluge of cold rain will come down and fill all dry washes and streams.  

Snow storms in late spring or early in the fall can shut down many of the roads and trails we drive in the summer.  If you happen to be in the wrong place, you may become part of the white landscape as happened in the story below.

When we tell you to "Go Prepared", it comes from many years of high mountain experience.  PLEASE take this advice extremely seriously.  Your life may depend on it!!

From the PostIndependent

Serving Glenwood Springs and Garfield County, CO

Floridians stranded for three days on Imogene Pass

September 14, 2003

Heather McGregor
GSPI Managing Editor

In late August, part-time Glenwood Springs residents Don and Nan Seaton took a fun trip in their Land Rover over Ophir and Imogene passes in the San Juan Mountains.

So when their son and Danish daughter-in-law, Daryl and Jane Seaton, came for a visit from Florida last week, Don and Nan encouraged them to take the same excursion.

Caught by a massive cold front and snowstorm that pummeled all of western Colorado, Daryl and Jane spent three days and two nights trapped just below the 13,120-foot summit of Imogene Pass between Telluride and Ouray.

A rescue helicopter pulled them from the mountain midday Thursday and flew them down to Telluride, where Don and Nan were waiting.

“It’s kind of amazing what you can accomplish when you have to,” Daryl Seaton said Saturday, speaking by cell phone while waiting at Denver International Airport to catch a flight back to Florida. “You just look back and go, `Wow.'”

For his mom, the waiting without knowing was the hardest part.

“You want to help, but you can’t,” said Nan Seaton, who had high praise for the search and rescue crews and sheriff’s offices in Telluride and Ouray.

Don and Nan are former owners of the Caravan Inn in Glenwood Springs. They now own the four Sea Wake Resorts on the Gulf coast of Florida and divide their time between Glenwood Springs and Florida. Daryl and Jane, married 23 years, live at Oldsmar, Fla., and manage one of the resorts.

Nan said Daryl and Jane (pronounced ya-NAY) drove to Ouray and then over Ophir Pass to Telluride on Monday, Sept. 8. They called from Telluride Tuesday morning, and said they’d call again when they got down to Ouray that afternoon.

“Then we never heard from them,” Nan said. “So about 7 p.m., we called the sheriff’s offices in Ouray and Telluride.”

A search and rescue crew set out from Ouray that evening, but couldn’t even get halfway up the pass because of blowing and drifting snow. Searchers tried again on Wednesday, coming from both side of the pass. They got very close but couldn’t find the car in the raging blizzard.

Meanwhile, Daryl, 43, and Jane, 42, huddled in the Land Rover, a soft-topped 1994 Defender 90 model. Luckily, Nan had stocked the car with blankets, boots, down jackets and hot packs, and Daryl and Jane were wearing wool clothing.

While they were driving up the pass on Tuesday, it started to sprinkle snow. They drove over the summit and got about four minutes down the east side before getting blasted by the storm.

“It was a total white-out, winds blowing 50 to 60 mph,” Daryl said. “I got out and tried to guide the car down the road, when it slid down the hill. That was it. We were done. We were going to wait for them to come get us.”

The couple stuffed underwear and paper towels into the cracks of the soft top and settled in for the night, thinking they would be rescued the next day.

“I can’t explain how bad it was,” Daryl said. “It sounded like a freight train. It would go dead calm for about 30 seconds, then you could hear it coming like a train and it would hit us.”

High winds rocked the car, and they worried that it would be blown off the road. In fact, blowing snow packed in around the Land Rover, but it shook with every gust, he said.

Don and Nan headed over to Ouray Wednesday morning, and hung out at the Ouray County Sheriff’s Office while search and rescue crews made their second attempt at finding the stranded couple.

“I cannot tell you how good they were,” Nan said. “They kept us informed. They said, `Good or bad, we’re going to tell you everything.'”

On the mountain, Daryl and Jane realized their rescue would take longer.

“It never cleared up. It was a grueling day, mentally. The gusts of wind never stopped, and we knew they weren’t coming,” he said.

From the sheriff’s office, Don and Nan could hear about the rough weather conditions searchers were dealing with: high winds, deep snow and visibility of no more than 10 feet. The searchers gave up, and planned to try again Thursday.

On Thursday morning, with the temperature in the Land Rover hovering at 18 degrees, Daryl saw an opening in the storm. But his cell phone battery was dead.

He first tried to charge it up from the car battery, using turn signal wires from the dashboard. Then he took a close look at the battery, and saw that it was a 3.7-volt type. The car’s 12-volt battery wouldn’t work.

“Then I saw my camera. I had just bought a new battery, and it was a 3-volt.”

Using Band-Aids from his parents’ survival kit, he taped the signal wires onto the two batteries, and the cell phone immediately began to charge up.

“We were pretty excited,” Daryl said.

He waited a half hour for it to charge, put on boots and hiked back up to the summit in hopes of getting a signal.

From the car, Jane heard Daryl say, “Dad! Dad!”

At the Ouray sheriff’s office, Nan heard her husband’s cell phone ring. It was Daryl.

Two days of tension and worry dissolved into whoops and tears.

From Telluride, the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office sent a rescue helicopter up to Imogene Pass, while Don and Nan drove around from Ouray.

Because Seaton had a fishing license, there will be no bill for his rescue, said Jennifer Smith, spokeswoman for the San Miguel County sheriff’s office.

Daryl and Jane were taken to the Telluride Medical Center, where Daryl was treated for frostbite and his Jane was treated for exhaustion.

Then the family drove back to Glenwood Springs, where Daryl and Jane recuperated Friday before leaving for Denver Saturday morning. On their way to the airport, they drove through another snowstorm.

The Land Rover is still parked in the snow on Imogene Pass, but the staff at the Glenwood Springs Land Rover Centre is itching for a chance to go retrieve it.

Daryl said San Miguel sheriff’s deputies told him that if the vehicle stays on the pass until next summer, marmots will eat all the soft materials – the soft top, the seats, steering wheel and wires in the engine.

Mvcvccc9iDon is coordinating a plan with the Ouray County Sheriff, Nan said. They think there’s a good chance the weather will lift, and the snow will melt enough to drive the vehicle off the mountain, she said.

“We’ve got to have a break in the weather. But if it’s accessible, we’ll go get it,” said Randy Tuggle, manager of the dealership.

“That vehicle can be driven down on its own. It’s a matter of getting the right equipment up there to make a path, things like snow ladders and tire chains,” he said.

“It’s up to Don and the sheriff’s department,” Tuggle said. “We don’t want to jeopardize anyone’s safety, but the majority of my staff are trained in extreme off-roading and recovery. That’s something the manufacturer does for us. As for volunteers, we are more than willing to attack the task.”

Contact Heather McGregor: 945-8515, ext. 517

hmcgregor@postindependent.com

 

 

High Mountain Driving – part 4

High Mountain Driving – part 4

By Jerry Smith

Director of Environmental Affairs for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations

Some of the Hazards

In the mountains, you are going to encounter a few obstacles and situations that are seldom seen in other areas.

The Weather

At the higher elevations, the weather is a very, very, fickle thing.  You may begin your day as a bluebird sunny day with the top down and the doors off.  You’ll be thoroughly enjoying your day when over the mountain top comes a rain or snowstorm.  Unless you’ve experienced a mountain deluge, you don’t know diddly about how cold rain can be. 

Even just a misty rain can soak you in minutes and you can suffer hypothermia in a very short time if you don’t find or make shelter and get dry and warm.  Find yourself in a soaking rain, and this all happens even faster. 

Then there are the storms that run inches of water down the road in just a few minutes.  Yes, flash floods can happen on the road surface and can wash away the road right before your eyes.

Figure 1 Flash floods can do enough damage to stop you from getting to camp.

I have seen 3” to 4” of water RUSHING down a steep mountain road.  Let me tell you, when you start thinking about the fact that you and that water are going the same direction, and as you go more water will be joining what’s in front of you already making washed out roads and bridges a distinct possibility.

Don’t forget about lightning.  It often accompanies these violent storms.  You haven’t seen hell’s fury until you’ve been through a high-country lightning storm.  It is best to stay in your vehicle in one of these, but it is a very good idea to find something taller than your vehicle to park under or near (not the only tree for miles).  A low gully is good, but don’t get caught in a flash flood.

Other weather you may encounter will be thicker than the rain.  Every kind of white precipitation known can occur, sometimes all in one storm.  These storms can happen at ANY time of year, so foul weather gear is mandatory, not optional.  If you happen to be in the wrong place at the right time, heavy wet snows are common.

High winds can be a problem too. They come from nowhere and can carry limbs and even trees from the forest to the road.  Usually, these heavy blows will be brief, but don’t count on that.  High winds and rains can even trigger rockfalls that can be dangerous. 

I have driven roads in a deluge of wind and rain in steep mountains and have seen rocks the size of large beach balls come tumbling down the mountainside, bounce on the road, and continue over the roadside.  If one were to hit your vehicle, you could be severely damaged and/or hurt.

Another hazard in that kind of storm is falling trees.  You never know when a tree will reach its final ability to stand up in high winds.  We’ve all seen the damage a falling tree can do.  All you can do is be where they don’t fall.

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is a phenomenon that most people don’t give a thought, yet it is very real at the altitudes you will find yourself driving in the Colorado high country.

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Admittedly, I have no reason to think this accident happened due to altitude sickness.  There is a slight possibility that it may have had a part though.

Altitude sickness is a sneaky thing that slowly begins taking away your ability to focus.  Then you may have a dull headache that keeps intensifying.  Nausea may accompany the headache as well.  If you allow this to continue, there is a chance you may pass out.  If you are alone, there is a chance you may die. 

If you are driving, your concentration may begin failing and you could drift off the road or hit something without knowing how.

About the only thing you can do is to quickly drop down in altitude significantly.  Try to breathe deeper than you normally would.  This is difficult to maintain because it is not normal, and your concentration is compromised.

Altitude sickness is nothing to ignore.  In fact, you’ve been warned about it now.  Pay attention to what your body is telling you.  Remember, high country roads are unforgiving of small lapses of concentration.

Soft Road Shoulders

On steep mountainsides where roads have been cut into the mountain (shelf roads or dugways), the outside road shoulders are often soft and unstable.

I often kid people I see who tightly hug the uphill side of the road in narrow sections as “amateurs” or inexperienced.  Truth be told, they are taking a prudent course for their level of expertise.

With over 50-years of mountain driving behind me, I have a bad habit of riding the outside bank of many mountain roads for the “better view”.  I do this with total concentration to the “look” of the roadside to keep from “finding” that soft place unexpectedly. 

If you pay close attention; it is easy to see potential soft roadsides.  When the road is being bladed, the operator will be pushing whatever loose material out and over the side.  This soil will require several very wet storms or snowmelt to “firm-up” before driving on them will be safe. 

I have learned to “read” the outside bank with nearly 100% accuracy and because I constantly practice tire tracking of all 4-tires, I will chance the possibility of hitting a soft shoulder for the closer view of the valleys below.  I do NOT recommend this practice!!!  It takes years of experience and a good knowledge of soil compaction to pull this off.

YOUR best bet is to stay in the middle of the two-tracks on most roads to be safe.  Being safe on mountain roads should be your first priority.  Few people will take the time to learn critical tire tracking on Jeep roads.  They only want to enjoy a day on the trail.  That is a very good choice.

It is fairly common for mountain roads to have soft shoulders due to the amount of rains and snowmelt found in the high country.  As rain and snowmelt accumulate on a road surface, it will increase in volume and velocity until it finds a place to exit the side of the road.  At those points, there is often a “V”-notch carved into the side of the road.  These “V”-notches are dangerous and should be avoided.  The other thing is that they sneak up on you.  Many are difficult to see from very far, so you are surprised by them often.

In my younger years, I would stop and throw rocks and other stabilizing debris into the deeper “V”-notches to keep the roadside from excessive erosion.  If you catch them before they are too big, they don’t require too much work.  Allow them to grow and soon the trail will not exist.

When I reopened the Pace Lake Jeep trail back in 2008, I worked a whole afternoon filling a 3-foot deep and 3 to 4-foot wide trench of about 75-yards length to re-establish a passable road base.

Let’s resume this on part 5.

Happy Trails.

High Mountain Driving – part 3

High Mountain Driving – part 3

By Jerry Smith

Director of Environmental Affairs for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations

By now, I hope you are seeing some of the differences of mountain driving from other terrains.  Of course, much of it is the same, but not all.

Animals

In the high country, you may encounter animals you won’t see anywhere else.  Always give them respect by slowing down or stopping to allow them to move off without a huge amount of energy expenditure.  Late winter till late spring and even into early summer is calving season. 

Pregnant females don’t need the stress of running away from you.  They need that energy to grow the life within them and to keep them warm.  Feed in the winter is not always abundant, so they must make the most of what they can find.

Hydration

Stay hydrated.  During the day, you may not notice it, but you will dehydrate in the often-dry air.  This also helps keep you from experiencing altitude sickness which is very unpleasant.

Don’t burn

Use a good sunscreen.  The sun is particularly intense at high altitudes.  That exposed left arm that often has direct sun on it all day is very vulnerable to a nasty sunburn.  The sleeves that many bikers use to protect themselves from the sun while not being too warm to wear are very useful.

Slow Down

Why did you come to the mountains?  Think about it.  Wasn’t some R&R a big part of the reason??  Why bring all that city rush with you??  Take your time to just be in Nature at her pace.  Not everything in Nature is a rushing stream or a wind blowing the trees sideways.  Slowing down to “smell the flowers” or to see more than just the road surface is how you’re going to get that R&R you came in search of.  Otherwise, you may as well have stayed in the city.

When you see something that interests you, you won’t be a half-a-mile past it when you get slowed down.  Stop if it is safe to look.  Distracted driving on a narrow mountain road can leave you “off road” literally.  At speed, things go bad faster.

Air Down

Deflating your tires to a lower air pressure has some great advantages.  Your overall comfort will improve is one you’ll be thankful for.  It causes less fatigue as the day goes by.

Your traction will improve on the loose gravel and rocks.  Stopping power will improve too.

Tire Tracking

Here is one tip that will help your off-pavement driving anywhere, but particularly in the mountains and rougher lower country. 

KNOWING where each tire is at all times is a necessity on narrow trails wherever you go.  So, how do you learn this??

Whenever I go out on a dirt trail, I look for opportunities like a small round rock in the road ahead.  I try to put a tire sidewall within 2” of that rock without sticking my head out the window.  If you look in the mirror soon after passing such a rock, you can usually see your tire track near the rock.  Practice doing this with the inside and outside tire sidewall of all four tires going straight and in cornering at different angles.

When you can do this consistently, your confidence to drive any kind of obstacle or narrow road will go up exponentially.  It will also keep you from having flat tires as often.  In over 50-years of wheeling, I’ve had exactly one flat tire.  This is having driven many difficult trails and obstacles.  I’m not easy on my Jeep!!

That might be the most important thing you can learn in off-roading.

There are other little things I could relate, but experience will be your best professor.  I hope these things will help you enjoy your adventures safely and with pleasure.

There are two last things to remember. Go prepared is the first one.  Last, when you come to a fork in the road… take it.  That is where adventure begins.

Happy Trails.

High Mountain Driving – part 2

High Mountain Driving – part 2

By Jerry Smith

Director of Environmental Affairs for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations

Let’s continue with some thoughts about the differences between mountain driving and the other types.

One of the first things on your list is to leave word of where you are going and when to be expected back with a reliable person.  Furnish them with phone number(s) for you.  If it is convenient, show them on a map.  If you don’t show up or call when the time is up, ask them to call the authorities in the area to start looking for you.

Unless you live in or near the mountains, your journey will be a long one.  Unless you want to spend your precious vacation time shopping, spend some time with the packing.

Laying out your gear close to your vehicle is one of the best ways to be sure you have it all.  Put the camping gear in one pile and take inventory.  Imagine being out in the woods and setting up camp.  Is EVERYTHING you’re going to need there??

Use the same technique with clothing.  If there are two or more of you, get the other person(s) involved with their own clothes.  If THEY forget something, it’s not your fault. 

Have the cook go over the foodstuff.  Ask them to plan for a few extra meals for safety.  Make sure they inventory the cookware and the eating utensils. 

Doing all this also gives you an idea of the room requirements for all your gear.  Before starting to pack, think about what you will want out first when setting up camp.  Start packing the least necessary pieces and pack the first thing you’ll want last. 

Next, do a pre-trip check of your vehicle.  Fluids, lights, loose things, tire pressure, top to bottom, and front to rear.  Check it all or have it done by a trusted mechanic.  Fixing everything a week ahead will turn the tension down and give time to order parts if they are needed.

Check the short and long-range weather report for the area you are headed to.  This might trigger a thought about some different clothes.  Don’t trust the weather forecast.  Mountains can be fickle and dump on you just because they can.

Carry maps of the area.  Don’t rely on GPS only.  A good compass is another must.  Mountain roads tend not to be straight.  They go in and out and around and will leave you confused as to what direction you’re going.  Keeping a map handy and knowing roughly where you are on it helps you make decisions as the day goes by.

At intersections, slow to look at each one to KNOW which way is back to camp.  A wrong choice later on an empty fuel tank can be fatal.  If the roads are marked, keeping a log of the numbers or names you follow is a good idea.  I like to put a simple symbol with the direction I turned there too.

Keep a mental note of good-looking camping areas as you drive.  If you have need of one, you’ll know where to find it later.  Look for things like water, firewood, and shelter makings (remember, your tent is set up in camp already).

Of course, you ALWAYS have an ax, bucket, and shovel on your rig, don’t you??  A bow saw is another good tool to carry.  Sometimes a small tree will block your way and cutting it is much easier with a saw than an ax.

While driving around, if you see something that you want a better look at, STOP, then look.  Don’t take your attention from your driving while moving.  We’ve recovered several who didn’t from precarious places off the side of the road.

Water Crossings

Crossing water, especially fast-moving waters, can be very dangerous. My Aussie friends taught me to get out and walk into the stream BEFORE committing the vehicle. I have to admit, I don't do that, but in probably over 400 crossings around the country, I've never lost a vehicle or stalled one.

I have found that you need to look at streaming waters like a surfer. Good surfers learn to "read" the waves and pick the best ones. There are tiny giveaways as to the depth and the bottom composition if you study the waters long enough.

Big rocks in the way tend to have a bulge in the waters just downstream from where they are.  Rocks large enough to cause a small eddy downstream should probably be avoided. It's all about becoming a student of the trails and of Nature. Never stop learning what Nature is telling you in whispers.

Water Crossing Rules

BEFORE entering large bodies of water, especially swift-moving water, there are some things you want to do.

First, unbuckle all seat belts.  You don’t want to struggle with a seat belt if things go wrong.

Second, roll down all windows.  Make egress or rescue easier.

Third, remove clothing that will hinder your ability to swim.

We’ll pick this up again in part 3.                                          

High Mountain Driving – part 1

High Mountain Driving – part 1 

By Jerry Smith

Director of Environmental Affairs for the United Four Wheel Drive Associations

Most 4-wheelers think that high mountain driving is the same as wheeling other terrains. 

While there are many similarities, there are many differences. We will try to explain some of those little things that you may or may not have heard of.

Yep, the Colorado high country can turn white with deep snow ANY time of year. Yes, it can be that cold over about 9000 feet.  

You can start in the morning to a blue-sky day and sometime during the day, a dark cloud will appear coming over the mountain. Some of these storms are surprisingly violent.  

Many of us like to run with the top down or off and the doors off our vehicles. Where are you going to ride out the storm?? Will you have some warm clothes that will keep you dry??

This is why the United Four Wheel Drive Association and the Colorado Four Wheel Drive Association both preach; "Go prepared to spend at least one overnight out in the country EVERY TIME YOU VENTURE into the Colorado high country. I live this no matter where I go.

You never know about a calamity that will strand you for a day or two in the mountains. Landslides, rockfalls, washouts, wildfires, and blown down trees are some of the possibilities. Has anyone ever had a breakdown?? These things can happen before or after you pass by and then you cannot return to your camp or hotel. Be ready to survive a cold night on the mountain. 

Can you build a fire?? Do you have at least warm clothes to wear?? Blankets or a sleeping bag are even better. A small tent or tarp will be like a palace. Food and water are other necessities.  If it rains, will you be wet and cold or at least semi-dry??  You’re going to be cold.  One other thing, you need to drink plenty when in the high country.  The air is usually drier than most people understand and will dry you out.  This will eventually cause altitude sickness to more easily invade your self, and it is often too late when you notice the effects.

How about a flashlight and spare batteries you can find?  These seem like such a hassle and will take up a lot of room.  One cold dark night without all this stuff while you're stuck under a tree high up in the mountains and you'll think of this warning long and hard.  Some of us speak from experience.

I was out with two others one day reopening a trail that Nature had closed a long-time ago (maybe 25+years).  We had made good progress and were near the end of the loop when it got dark and we were stuck behind obstacles in both directions.  Crossing, either way, would have been dangerous in the dark, so we set up “camp”.  One of my companions had awakened late and had zero with him (no coat, food, or other warm clothes). 

Between all the gear I pack and the third guy, we were able to feed and outfit the second with enough to keep warm that very cool night and feed him again the next day.  People have always told me I carry too much, but the second man had no such thoughts.

Your first gear purchases

The first thing I bought when I purchased my ’73 CJ5 was a Hi-Lift Jack.  It was a few months before I could afford a winch and that jack saved me a few long nights out digging my way out of deep snow I insisted I could drive through.  In the years I owned that first jack, I literally wore out the pins and springs and rebuilt it once. 

With the attachments they have for the Hi-Lift Jack now, you are a fool not to have one with the attachments you may need (IMHO).  Learn how to safely use that Hi-Lift before you’re out in the bush in bad conditions.  You will thank me for that advice.

Your second gear purchases

The same advice applies to your new winch.  Learn the proper use of the winch and the recovery gear you’ll need to use it. 

You’ll need some stout recovery anchor points on both ends of your rig.  Those are NOT a maybe thing, those are mandatory.  You don’t want a recovery point being jerked off the vehicle flying around looking for someone to hurt.

You will want to KNOW how to rig a winch in differing configurations to do what needs doing when the time comes.  Not all pulls will be straight ahead.  There are plenty of videos on the internet to learn from.

Next will be another piece of recovery gear… the kinetic snatch rope.  This will be called to duty many times if you wheel often.  Hopefully, it will be to pull others out of a predicament, but the first time YOU need it, the cost to own one will no longer mean much. 

Get to KNOW the difference between a tow strap and a kinetic snatch strap if that is the way you choose to go.  The snatch strap can be used to tow, but except in dire emergencies, never try snatching with a tow strap. 

**** One note of interest about snatch straps you seldom hear.  Snatch straps have a very limited use cycle.  Each time you make a pull/snatch with it will make it less stretchy.  After about 10 of these hard pulls, most will have no stretch left and should be retired. ***  This is why I recommend using a kinetic ROPE rather than the kinetic strap.  If not abused and taken proper care of, the kinetic rope will last for 200+ hard pulls.

MOUNTAIN DRIVING

Okay, let’s talk about the business of mountain driving and why it is different from other wheeling you may have done. 

High mountains and their thin air will make your rig labor more than usual.  That is one small thing to remember.  Overheating can and will happen easier even though the air may be cooler.  Be extra watchful of your temperature.

High mountain roads and trails are often steeper than lower elevation roads.  It is often best to stay in a lower gear to keep from overheating or slipping the transmission on the uphill climbs and to use the engine as a braking force rather than riding the brakes for long distances going down.  DO NOT overheat your brakes by riding them for long distances. 

Those with drum brakes will notice brake fade before the ones with disc brakes, but either will “fade” or diminish as they heat.  You want brakes that will stop you without fail on mountain roads.

Using your low range and turning off the overdrive at times will help the engine hold your speed on most hills.  Try to never use your brakes to learn this technique on a steep downhill.  It can take a bit of experimenting to find the right gears to keep your speed down.

One more thing about the brakes.  Whenever you drive through water, slush, or runny mud, apply the brakes for a short distance to dry them every time you exit the water.  Watch the guy ahead of you.  If his brake lights aren’t coming on after a water crossing, tell him you’re watching.  Make a game out of catching each other forgetting.

Rules of Thumb

Rule of thumb number one.  Uphill traffic has the right-of-way.  In Colorado, it is a LAW, but the law states there are exceptions that should be made.

 You’ll hear all kinds of reasons for this law/rule, but here is the right one. 

Have you ever had to back down a hill on gravel?  What happened when you tried to stop??  The vehicle may or may not stop and it may change direction which can be more than dangerous on a narrow road. 

That is the “rule”, but there are going to be exceptions to that rule.  Common sense must overcome the “rule” if necessary or circumstances make sense.  Just be VERY careful if you are the one backing downhill.  Do not hurry for any reason!!

Rule of thumb number two.  Unless otherwise marked, the legal speed limit on most mountain roads is 25 mph.  Although you will seldom see this enforced, this is one of the rules. County road speed limits will vary.

Be Courteous

You will be sharing the backcountry with others.  We ask that you treat any others like you would want them to treat you.  A smile and wave should be the minimum you offer.  If someone is broken down, ALWAYS offer assistance if you can.  There may come a day when it will be you will be the one needing help.

This subject is a loaded one.  When someone in a faster rig pulls up in back of you, please move over at the first opportunity and allow them to pass.  Here is where the “loaded” part comes in. 

When passing another rig on the road, do it in a safe and sane manner.  Don’t speed by at full-throttle spraying rocks, gravel, and dust all over the guy who was polite enough to move over for you. 

The same thing applies when passing a pedestrian or bicyclist.  Don’t go by and leave them injured from flying debris and/or choking on dust.  SLOW DOWN!!  Show some class.  Share the trails with others graciously.  We are all out there for the same reasons and showing a little courtesy won’t hurt you.  

We’ll pick this up again in part 2.