[Talk-us] Jefferson Notch Road and latest "GPS made me do it" in the news

[Bill Ricker]

> Burlington Family Rescued After GPS Leads Minivan Down Snowmobile Path.
BURLINGTON (CBS)
> It was an early morning rescue by ATV Sunday in Jefferson, New Hampshire.
> ... The family was stranded on Jefferson Notch Road, which is restricted
to snowmobiles only during the winter months.
> 2 days ago
>
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2019/12/29/burlington-family-stranded-after-following-gps-onto-snowmobile-trail

Yeah, I'm not surprised that a road that goes literally through Jefferson
Notch isn't plowed in the winter; the road's high point in the notch (aka
"col" or "saddle," the diminutive of "pass") is 3,009 feet (917 m), only
barely below the height of Mount Mitten (929 m) which the road passes, and
lower than Currier Mtn (838 m) just beyond.  Yeah that's not high in young
mountains, but at this latitude, that altitude gets plenty snow. I expect
even the winter snowmobile path through the notch should be attempted only
by parties of multiple experienced operators prepared for mountains'
changeable conditions.

(I'm guessing the gating/bollards will get upgraded so that only
snowmobiles, Cats, and emergency 4WD/6WD even /can/ enter during winter.)

In the summer, this road will provide a lovely if challenging shortcut
between US 2 and US 302, of which there are precious few in the environs of
Mt Washington and the Presidential Range of the White Mountains.

OSM - https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/18846225#map=12/44.3103/-71.3696
Our way does not (as of this writing) show a tag indicating seasonally
variable access.
Proposed tag winter_service=no
<https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/index.php?title=Tag:winter_service%3Dno&action=edit&redlink=1>
isn't quite strong enough but would be a start.

What is the right way to tag a road which is 3 season dramatic automobile
mountain short-cut and one-season snowmobile trail?


-- 
Bill Ricker
bill.n1vux at gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/n1vux
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