Date:         Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:26:09 -0800
Reply-To:     Jeff <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: How not to explore the back roads of Death Valley
In-Reply-To:  <15169194.8439.1260650181940.JavaMail.mcneely4@127.0.0.1>
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Personally, I know quite a few "rare modern, educated Germans (not university though), wealthy enough to travel" who do not read English, and do not speak it fluently.

Too bad the sign didn't say "4x4 Only".  That's probably universal...

Cheers, 

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 12:36 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: How not to explore the back roads of Death Valley

It would be a rare modern, educated German, wealthy enough to travel,
who did not read English and speak it fluently.  In my experience, the
National Park Service goes out of its way to warn visitors off from
terrain that the service considers dangerous.  Certainly, in Death
Valley, and in Big Bend, I have been admonished not to travel into
certain areas because of vehicular capabilities.  But, not everyone is
astute regarding the vehicle he is driving and the terrain he is
entering, even if warned.  Whenever I have spoken with park personnel
regarding particular roads/trails, they've always asked me specifically
what kind of vehicle I have, not just the general type.  In such
conversations, I've been told such things as, "I would not take that
vehicle on that road," or "The road is listed as four-wheel drive, but
folks with experience and high clearance do ok there.  Are you prepared
in case of breakdown or getting stuck to camp for several days until
someone comes along?"  I have also been asked if I have two spare tires,
and if I have two jacks, a shovel, and something to provide traction,
like a span of carpet.

So, I believe that if the group had mentioned to the park personnel
their intentions, they would have been strongly warned off that trail.
I think they must have been unaware of the nature of the terrain they
were entering (maybe they read the map and believed the trail was a
developed road), or they were simply lost.

Reminds me of the Edward Abbey story of his trip down the River Road in
Big Bend National Park in the early fifties, in his fiance's brand new
Ford sedan, after being told by two different rangers that the trail
shown on the map was not a road, and vehicular traffic was forbidden.
He passed by the sign stating "No vehicular traffic past this point,"
and eventually did make it out the other end, after traversing the
entire track, but destroying both the car and his engagement.  Of
course, the River Road has been "improved" now, so that high clearance
vehicles can travel the eastern portion, and 4wd the western.  There is
enough traffic most of the time, that if one waited with the car,
someone would come along in a day or so.

this is a sad tale of a family being unprepared for what they were
attempting to do.  But it sounds like it was a trail that no one should
be attempting in summer, anyway.

DMc

On Sat, Dec 12, 2009 at 12:53 PM, Karl Wolz wrote:

> No argument about the lack of wisdom demonstrated by Herr Tourist, but
> the
> though crossed my mind when I read the article that perhaps, if he did
> not
> speak English, he did not comprehend the meaning of the "4 wheel drive
> only"
> sign mentioned.  Just a thought, and something to keep in mind when
> visiting
> foreign lands ourselves.
>
> Karl Wolz
>
> Driving around Death Valley mid summer in a rented van on backcountry
> roads
> IS pretty stupid..
>   Don Hanson