A Line on a Map May Not Be a Road (You Want to Go Down)
10-26-2015
Author: in RVing Ruminations by Russel
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Of course, in this day and age many folks rely on their GPS to find their way around. I always preferred using maps. But just as GPS can sometimes lead down roads you may not have wished to travel, so can maps. I always try to have the most detailed map of an area I can find and afford. One place to get them free is Mapsgalaxy, and of course there are many many others. One of the reasons for that is that often I am trying to get to a location that does not have an address, like a rock art site such as L&L Site 185 in Oregon.
The important thing to remember is to have a map detailed enough for the purpose you are employing it. It is one thing trying to find a restaurant with a street address, quite another, a place such as I have just cited.
Most of the time maps are pretty accurate, but a couple of experiences taught me that even though there is a line representing a road, there must be many different definitions of road.
Both these incidents took place in the South West U.S. Much of the fun of traveling in that area for me is checking out ruins and rock art of early indigenous peoples there. I was not pulling the trailer on this particular day and it had been a fine one, my partner and I enjoying a great rock art site. When it came time to head back to the campground, I pulled out the map. I hate going back the same way I came so if there is an alternative, I usually take it. There was, and I did. It was ten miles or so shorter too and my companion was flying out the next day for a visit back east, so I figured a few minutes saved would be extra time for her to rest. About a mile down the road it became evident I shouldn't have taken it. The boulders we had to traverse grew larger and larger (I wasn't worried, old Kloud Kicker had high clearance and four wheel drive) and at that point even had I wanted to, it would have been impossible to turn around. As I remember it now, some of the boulders we some how passed over were the size of old Volkswagen bugs. Several hours later after being tossed around like gravel in a cement mixer, we reached the end of that 20 mile “road.” She was not the happiest of campers that evening nor the next morning on the way to the airport.
There is a huge Canyon De Chille, that is full of ruins and rock art as well as some folks living there like their ancestors, and it was big on my list of places to see. I had just visited some rock art on a reservation to the east of it and on my map there was a road that would save half a day's driving on the highway to get there. I hardly thought about it twice as it headed up the timber covered mountain. Pulling my trailer, and alone, it wasn't long before the gravel turned to dirt and the dirt turned to deeply washed out ruts and one lane. I could not have turned around had I wanted to at this point, so there was no alternative but to keep going. It got worse and worse and worse; deep channels under all wheels; spine wrenching even at the snail’s pace it forced me to go. But I managed to get through it. I was almost afraid to open the trailer. When I did, it was even worse than I thought. Cabinet doors hanging open, a few hinges totally ripped off the wall. Canned goods and other food stuffs and pots and pans scattered from one end to the other. Refrigerator doors open and contents all over the place. The main table completely ripped off the wall and in ruins. Curtains askew and paper towels unrolled. It was if a tornado had been turned loose but kept everything confined to that space. I got to and enjoyed the canyon the next day none the less. And promised myself never to do that again. (I won't say how that worked out! I mean, come on, I drive a truck!)
What are the “take aways” from these experiences—other than don't ride with Russel unless you have a good chiropractor? While maps can be deceiving, it is often operator error that gets one in trouble. It is always best, if at all possible, before traveling an unknown secondary road to inquire locally as to its condition. The corollary to that, heed their advice Shorter is not always faster. Though these anecdotes did not touch on this, it is also important, especially at higher elevations and the colder seasons to consider what weather conditions might do to roads. There are way too many cases of folks following GPS directions especially who get stuck in snow storms and end up dying. In this internet age, there is one more navigation tool that should be mentioned—Google Earth . By all means, when planning a trip where you intend to use secondary roads, check them out nearly first hand. You may even discover some places to enjoy that you would otherwise have zoomed right past.
Know where you are well enough (it is a good idea to keep others in your company informed as well) at all times so that if you do get in trouble and need assistance you are able to direct help to your location. Being aware is also of great help in larger urban areas where traffic alerts or detours may divert you from the path you intended to take. Though many travel without maps these days, at least a highway map can come in very handy, if you suddenly find yourself through no fault of your own on a road that wasn't your first choice. Oh, and then there are those times—we've all been there, or will be—when we are just flat lost. A good map, and navigator copilot can go a long way to getting you on track again.
A trick I learned if I am navigating through a very dense urban area, such as Los Angeles, that requires many changes of freeways, is to look at the map before-hand and then make notes large enough to be read at a glance on a note card of the transitions necessary and keep them readily available. This is especially helpful if traveling alone. In the middle of traffic is no place to be trying to read a map or look at a GPS. (The ones that talk to you are good, until the signs you are seeing suddenly don't match what the voice is saying!)
I'm sure most of you have stories of adventures with maps and GPS and other navigation issues that other folks would love to hear, so why not share them in the comment section below.
Until next time, walk in beauty and keep it between the ditches.
Russel
Though from my travels I have come to roost
I hope my experiences will give yours a boost
About the Blog Author
Russel Micnhimer is retired after twenty-five years of full time RVing. During that time he was a sales representative for Southeast Publications selling advertising on Site Maps (aka Guest Guides) for RV Parks and Resorts and Fairgrounds. He traveled in a pickup truck and travel trailer primarily in the Western United States logging nearly 500,000 miles. In his blog he shares many experiences and insights in hopes they will be helpful to others who pursue the RVing lifestyle.
The important thing to remember is to have a map detailed enough for the purpose you are employing it. It is one thing trying to find a restaurant with a street address, quite another, a place such as I have just cited.
Most of the time maps are pretty accurate, but a couple of experiences taught me that even though there is a line representing a road, there must be many different definitions of road.
Both these incidents took place in the South West U.S. Much of the fun of traveling in that area for me is checking out ruins and rock art of early indigenous peoples there. I was not pulling the trailer on this particular day and it had been a fine one, my partner and I enjoying a great rock art site. When it came time to head back to the campground, I pulled out the map. I hate going back the same way I came so if there is an alternative, I usually take it. There was, and I did. It was ten miles or so shorter too and my companion was flying out the next day for a visit back east, so I figured a few minutes saved would be extra time for her to rest. About a mile down the road it became evident I shouldn't have taken it. The boulders we had to traverse grew larger and larger (I wasn't worried, old Kloud Kicker had high clearance and four wheel drive) and at that point even had I wanted to, it would have been impossible to turn around. As I remember it now, some of the boulders we some how passed over were the size of old Volkswagen bugs. Several hours later after being tossed around like gravel in a cement mixer, we reached the end of that 20 mile “road.” She was not the happiest of campers that evening nor the next morning on the way to the airport.
There is a huge Canyon De Chille, that is full of ruins and rock art as well as some folks living there like their ancestors, and it was big on my list of places to see. I had just visited some rock art on a reservation to the east of it and on my map there was a road that would save half a day's driving on the highway to get there. I hardly thought about it twice as it headed up the timber covered mountain. Pulling my trailer, and alone, it wasn't long before the gravel turned to dirt and the dirt turned to deeply washed out ruts and one lane. I could not have turned around had I wanted to at this point, so there was no alternative but to keep going. It got worse and worse and worse; deep channels under all wheels; spine wrenching even at the snail’s pace it forced me to go. But I managed to get through it. I was almost afraid to open the trailer. When I did, it was even worse than I thought. Cabinet doors hanging open, a few hinges totally ripped off the wall. Canned goods and other food stuffs and pots and pans scattered from one end to the other. Refrigerator doors open and contents all over the place. The main table completely ripped off the wall and in ruins. Curtains askew and paper towels unrolled. It was if a tornado had been turned loose but kept everything confined to that space. I got to and enjoyed the canyon the next day none the less. And promised myself never to do that again. (I won't say how that worked out! I mean, come on, I drive a truck!)
What are the “take aways” from these experiences—other than don't ride with Russel unless you have a good chiropractor? While maps can be deceiving, it is often operator error that gets one in trouble. It is always best, if at all possible, before traveling an unknown secondary road to inquire locally as to its condition. The corollary to that, heed their advice Shorter is not always faster. Though these anecdotes did not touch on this, it is also important, especially at higher elevations and the colder seasons to consider what weather conditions might do to roads. There are way too many cases of folks following GPS directions especially who get stuck in snow storms and end up dying. In this internet age, there is one more navigation tool that should be mentioned—Google Earth . By all means, when planning a trip where you intend to use secondary roads, check them out nearly first hand. You may even discover some places to enjoy that you would otherwise have zoomed right past.
Know where you are well enough (it is a good idea to keep others in your company informed as well) at all times so that if you do get in trouble and need assistance you are able to direct help to your location. Being aware is also of great help in larger urban areas where traffic alerts or detours may divert you from the path you intended to take. Though many travel without maps these days, at least a highway map can come in very handy, if you suddenly find yourself through no fault of your own on a road that wasn't your first choice. Oh, and then there are those times—we've all been there, or will be—when we are just flat lost. A good map, and navigator copilot can go a long way to getting you on track again.
A trick I learned if I am navigating through a very dense urban area, such as Los Angeles, that requires many changes of freeways, is to look at the map before-hand and then make notes large enough to be read at a glance on a note card of the transitions necessary and keep them readily available. This is especially helpful if traveling alone. In the middle of traffic is no place to be trying to read a map or look at a GPS. (The ones that talk to you are good, until the signs you are seeing suddenly don't match what the voice is saying!)
I'm sure most of you have stories of adventures with maps and GPS and other navigation issues that other folks would love to hear, so why not share them in the comment section below.
Until next time, walk in beauty and keep it between the ditches.
Russel
Though from my travels I have come to roost
I hope my experiences will give yours a boost
About the Blog Author
Russel Micnhimer is retired after twenty-five years of full time RVing. During that time he was a sales representative for Southeast Publications selling advertising on Site Maps (aka Guest Guides) for RV Parks and Resorts and Fairgrounds. He traveled in a pickup truck and travel trailer primarily in the Western United States logging nearly 500,000 miles. In his blog he shares many experiences and insights in hopes they will be helpful to others who pursue the RVing lifestyle.
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TrailmasterOctober 28, 2015 | 11:10 PM
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Author: Russel Micnhimer
