| 122 | Tough Luck, Tacoma Truck | 2009-09-09 |
From 14ers.com there was an interesting picture of a "Stuck Truck" in the forum. Jokes about the truck being stuck, the driver, the driver’s mother, etc. are exhaustively covered there.
I looked at the area around the truck closely on a map to find out exactly where it was located. There is an old mining road that came up to the east of Bross and weaved it’s way close to the summit. The road also continued to the north leading toward Cameron. The topo of the area assigned the title of jeep trail to the roads.
You have to feel sorry for the driver getting his truck stuck, but at the same time you hope the driver has to pay a small fortune for the truck’s recovery in order to teach him a lesson. I am afraid that all the driver might learn from the incident is that he didn’t have a powerful enough truck. It could never have been the fault of the driver.
Or maybe, the driver could have been following directions from Google Maps on how to get to Climax Mine from Alma! If the driver blindly followed the map and did not have enough sense to turn around, then perhaps the recovery expense should even be a larger sum.
As an added twist, this driver probably crossed private property in order to get stuck! Ouch! I just hope this incident does not complicate the sensitive access issues to the area.
Lets not just pick on the "Stuck Truck" driver, every backcountry user should be aware of and accept the consequences of their actions also. We must learn and practice outdoor skills before going into areas where they might become critical for survival. If the conditions are more harsh than the users’ skills, then it will be time to find reverse in the old gear box and back ’er down. Pride is easier to swallow than the consequences of continuing head strong up the hill.
Happy trails.