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

[Bill Ricker]

On Fri, Jan 3, 2020 at 2:21 PM Kevin Broderick <ktb at kevinbroderick.com>
wrote:

> However, that assumes that you can trust the news to be accurate,
>

Always a questionable assumption -- whenever you know the facts behind a
story, you see what they get wrong.

> and the distinction between "closed in winter" and "not maintained for
> winter travel" is not one I expect the news media to get right. The article
> I saw quoted the driver has having seen a "Not maintained for winter
> travel" sign and continuing because he didn't think that implied a closure
> (which is true, even if it may be a poor choice in a minivan).
>

At this point i wouldn't trust the driver's statements even without a
reporter re-writing them.

I would want to see, or see a photo of, the sign before I personally
touched that road and it's gate nodes.

(Is there a NH list where that discussion should move? My question here is
what tags are appropriate for the several possibilities.)

Given that it is a snowmachine trail, "closed" seems more likely
>

That the news reports the driver was cited (given a ticket/summons) for
something like driving a car on road closed to cars does indicate that the
cops consider it closed, whatever the sign actually says.

> (and it would be exceedingly impolite to put wheel ruts into a groomed
> trail, even if legal),
>

Yes indeed.
(Emergency services excepted.)


> but it's been long enough since I traveled it that I can't recall the
> signage.
>

I don't recall if we ever used that scenic shortcut - we certainly did
various 2/302/Kancamagus loops, mid last century, through all the other,
major notches, both summer and leaf-peeper.
Now I want to drive this notch sometime before peak-leaf-peeper :-D.

(I am painfully aware how rusty my snowmobile skills are and would not
attempt it in winter unless in a group tour with a paid professional guide
and roustabouts to get me unstuck ! :-D  Knowing your own limits is key in
the back-country.)


> My fuzzy recollection is a gate on the Base Station end.
>

There was already an old Note requesting clarification of the
status/signage of the Gate there in OSM, so you are likely correct that it
is (or was!) there.

I can't find a definitive answer on the NH DOT site, and the WMNF MVUM
> shows it to be a non-forest road through the forest.
>

Thanks for searching !

// Bill, exiled in Boston, Flatland, USA
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