Beware of Internet Maps

So here is how the story goes….
The couple from L.A. wants to go to Crested Butte, Colorado for a wedding. The man, like many people would do, gets on Mapquest to find the nearest airport to Crested Butte.

Well Aspen is only 12 miles as the crow flies, so he investigates more by asking for driving directions. The information in mapquest gives directions right up and over Pearl Pass and describes the road as “Some parts are unpaved”. The guy figures he will just rent a four-wheel drive and everything will be fine.
Unknown to Mapquest, Pearl Pass is known to all the local four-wheelers as one of the roughest, rockiest, most difficult passes in the state. An all day four wheel drive over and back. This L.A. Couple leaves at 10:00 in the morning to get to the Early afternoon wedding in the Butte.

I hear it from a local gear-head later, who was also doing Pearl Pass on Labor day, that late afternoon about a mile from the summit they pass this brand new Cherokee that has been smashed on every side, driven to the rims, sitting on the side of the trail. About a mile further they pick up a couple, “Dressed in wedding clothes, heels, no food or water, hiking back towards Aspen. 11,000 ft. and at the moment they pass, the woman is begging for a ride back, and not giving her mate much respect so to say.”

SO remember that Internet maps are not the infinite knowledge that they assume to be. When linking to maps on the Internet, be sure to check with the local entity to make sure all information is correct.


Read the entry in Mapquest.