RV is free after spending a week stuck on Lime Creek Road

[John E Davies]

Don't be this guy, always scout difficult terrain before deciding to tow anything large..... Google Earth is really helpful!

"A Colorado man driving a 38-foot motor home is finally free after spending about a week marooned on Lime Creek Road, a narrow and rugged dirt road high in the San Juan Mountains north of Durango. The driver became stuck about June 5 after failing to negotiate a left turn, causing the left rear wheels to slip off the road, said Wayne Barger, owner of Animas Towing and Recovery in Silverton, which helped free the vehicle Sunday. “He just took the corner too sharp,” Barger said. “He said the road gave out and his back left duel went off the road.” The driver was also pulling a sedan on a car dolly."

He apparently thought that removing the car to drive for help might send the RV 400 feet down the cliff......

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/rv-is-free-after-spending-a-week-stuck-on-lime-creek-road/

John Davies

Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

Wow.

[Mike and Carol]

Odd way to get a scenic campsite….

[Ray and Susan Huff]

22 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

Odd way to get a scenic campsite….

Or any campsite, considering how hard they are to come by these days 😀

[Overland]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:

Odd way to get a scenic campsite….

We’ve had surprising success. 

[SeaDawg]

Just now, Overland said:

We’ve had surprising success. 

He probably would have enjoyed that back country tent you carry.

[TexasGuy]

Unreal.   I don’t think I’d want to drive that road with either of those vehicles.   

[Overland]

Apparently he was going to an established campground, but came down the road from the wrong direction.  This looks to me like the spot where he got stuck - the mileage is about right, and it looks like the photo, especially in Google Earth.  It doesn't look so bad in Google maps - the switchbacks north of that spot look much tighter, and apparently he had no trouble with that.  But if like JD suggested, you check the same spot on Google Earth, the slope and tightness of the corner, and even the fact that it may be washed out a bit, become evident.  Though to me, it looks like he could have made the corner if he had been paying a bit more attention.  He also passed up what looks like a really nice spot about halfway between the switchbacks and where he ended up.  I'm surprised that he didn't walk it out.  Perhaps age or mobility was a factor, but he was only about three miles from some houses toward the other end of the road.  But I supposed that sitting tightly is almost always the best choice - true disasters usually happen when you start compounding bad decisions atop one another.

So I can see how this could easily happen.  The guy hears about a good camping spot, hears that it's easy enough to get to, maybe knows someone who's been there.  He's headed in from the north so naturally looks at taking the road down from the north end.  The route looks a little tight on Google or Apple Maps, but not terrible and he's been told that it's fine.  So off he goes.  

I've been very surprised at times where these RV drivers will take their rigs.

[source3]

Lime Creek is only 25 minutes north of my house.  A few dispersed campsites at the north and south turnoff along Highway 550.  The road is narrow with sharp turns.  There is a small dispersed campsite halfway.  Portions near halfway point where the campsite is will ill chatter your teeth, even with modified suspension.

[SeaDawg]

@source3 it doesn't look like a road for motorhome plus  toad . But, it does look beautiful !

I'm sure you have adventures to share.