Comments on: James Kim family missing. Could they have taken the infamous Merlin / Galice road ?

By: kat

kat — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:59:50 +0000

After the tragedy of the Kim family I find it incredulous that there continue to be no signs on this road that warn of the driving conditions. I just took this road in an attempt to get to Gold Beach. While there was no snow, it was trecherous and remote. Only until I had driven some twenty miles did I realize how unmarked and dangerous it was. I was unsure whether to retrace my steps or continue on.
I flashed on the Kim tradegy and suspected I was on the same road, which turned out to be true. Signs need to be posted that this turns into an unmarked, unlined, trecherous road. There will surely be more loss of life on this road in the future without warnings. The first 20 miles appear innocuous.
The culprit here is the state/county for not posting clearly what is ahead.

By: J

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:58:54 +0000

Hi, It’s me, Boo!! You Know your daughter? I just Thought I would leave a comment and say thanks for doing all your stuff about the kims… I guess everybody’s sayig that.
and, wow, I actualy live in he same house with you! what a kwinky dinker! Am I actualy putting too much ”personal info”? See ya, dude.

By: benshead

benshead — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:29:29 +0000

(cont)

…(in spite of a few bad ones that you helpfully point out) in his last few days.

To me this story is about a father who’s love for his family led him to do something so physically challenging that most of us would have given up long before he did.

You say, “A better move would have been a brightly-colored distress sign fashioned from the contents of the vehicle and luggage, plus some nice tire fires in the daytime. Doing that, they likely would have all been found safe.” But isn’t that exactly what they did, from what’s been reported in the media? After 7 days and no response from the searchers, wouldn’t you have questioned whether it was going to work? Wouldn’t you have started thinking about other options?

I expect I would have.

So Spungo, I’m glad you’re safe and warm and have the advantage of hindsight and clear reasoning. Please don’t forget that James Kim did what he did without the benefit of those advantages. What he did, as far as I can tell, is quite incredible. We should all be in awe, even while we try to learn from the story.

By: benshead

benshead — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:22:26 +0000

Hi Spungo-

How are things where you are? Inside? Warm? Eaten in the last few days? Good. Those factors allow you a kind of clarity that James Kim was lacking in his last week. In spite of this, he made some good decisions (in spite of a few bad ones that you helpfully point

To me, this story is about a father who

By: spungo

spungo — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:19:29 +0000

I went all the way through on that road (east to GP) just as the Blossom Fire was underway summer ’05. There was a detour at the time that split traffic onto a logging road. Great drive…in the summer! It’s my favorite part of the USA, I’d say.

It’s a shame when city people don’t respect wild country, and even worse when they put their kids in danger. This guy messed up so much that it plays out like Gilligan Does The Rogue.

- Failed to properly assess change of route after missing turn.
- Passed several signs warning of snowdrifts making the road impassable.
- Failed to make a simple phone call to check road conditions.
- Low on fuel, food, and water. NEVER drive through a remote national forest without having several days worth of sustenance and warmth.
- Left vehicle, which is usually not the best move.
- Left road to bushwhack through rugged terrain, which is almost never the best move.
- Removed clothing.

A better move would have been a brightly-colored distress sign fashioned from the contents of the vehicle and luggage, plus some nice tire fires in the daytime. Doing that, they likely would have all been found safe.

Never forget that tragedies are often the result of a chain of bad decisions.

By: joeduck

joeduck — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 06:36:52 +0000

Hi koko – I’ve experienced that feeling up on that road as well (in summer) and you are right that they don’t have anything like an RV situation. I was really hoping they’d find them today. I just hope they exhaust the area on the east side of the mountains between Agness and Glendale. There are TONS of logging roads up there and it would only have taken one wrong turn to be lost up there.

By: koko

koko — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 05:49:52 +0000

Thank you for bringing this whole Galice-BearCamp-Gold Beach possibility up. Unfortunately, they are in a station wagon with very little food, no heat (like that motor home last winter). My immediate thought was that they took that infamous route. My husband and I tried it a few years ago, right after the Biscuit Fire. The road was closed and they detoured us on a logging road for at least 20 miles – it was a clear day, early Sept., we had a 4 wheel drive… and yet, it was still creepy. Just too isolated and sheer cliffs. If the Kims took the original route (now re-opened), it still must be harrowing during inclement weather. The thought of those poor people stranded out there because the maps and road signs just do NOT tell people …”FORGET IT.” This is the same route that we had a family lost on last year – and we had given up hope about them as well. Unfortunately, the Kim Family does not have a motor home with heat and food for a week. They need to CLOSE THAT ROAD from November to March. Why they leave it open is a mystery to me.

By: joeduck

joeduck — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:24:11 +0000

I just heard on our 6pm news that they now appear to be focusing on the Bear Camp road which I think is a good idea. I sure hope they are OK.

By: Justin Kownacki

Justin Kownacki — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:47:52 +0000

I just learned about this story today and I think it’s great that you’ve actually taken the effort to contact the officials who could help in this situation. Reposting the news all around the internet is one thing, but in a geographic situation like this, knowing whom to call and alert is even more important.

Best wishes.

By: A-M

A-M — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:08:40 +0000

My gut feeling is the same. The Galice route looks shorter, more direct, but it is notoriously deadly. With the cold front which moved in over the weekend it is likely they may have been caught off guard. I hope they are all well, and that someone finds them ASAP. (This route has a sign which states that the road is NOT maintained nor patrolled during the winter)