Forest Service Roads Etiquette?

[Allan1958]

I don't understand how people navigate a single lane road through the forest when there is oncoming traffic. Who backs up? Of course, if there is room somebody can simply pull into the grass, but sometimes that is not an option. 

Currently, I am not pulling a trailer so I would back up. If I do get a trailer, I would have a very hard time to back a trailer up any significant distance. So, if I do get a trailer and I am faced with another vehicle with a trailer on a single lane forest road, what the heck happens?

 

[B and C]

You get out and talk to decide. One of you will have seen a place wide enough. It hasn't happened to me, yet.

 

[Gypsy Freedom]

legally in most jurisdictions, the person traveling up hill has the right of way. but most of the time a simple solution presents its self and is obvious. i have been traveling small back roads for decades and have never had any problems with meting on coming traffic. no i have had some serious backing to do when i found the one lane trail i was on had been blocked by a large tree that had fallen. i had to back my skoolie up more than half a mile to find a resonable space to turn around. cliff drop off on one side steep rising hill on the other. that was fun

meeting people on one lane roads is just something you get used to, i dont eventhink about it any more

of course practicing your backing skills now, will make it less stressful when you need to do it later in the bush

 

[DLTooley]

The biggest issue is speed, adjust yours accordingly around blind curves, etc. Courtesy is key, if you have a wider spot use it, and stop if necessary.

Main Forest roads are built to spec for log trucks and should be good with a trailer.

Dropping speed around pedestrians is also important, including reducing dust.

 

[bullfrog]

One good reason to pull off at a wide spot and walk or carry an ATV, bicycle or dirt bike to scout ahead especially if their are two of you with radios. Watch some videos of the Moki Dugway which can be narrow in several places and see how everyone usually does just fine getting up and down it. Going slow and making sure there are no surprise meeting is key, everything else usually gets worked out.

 

[1shemp]

Just change your car horn to sound like gun shots.People will move out of your way real quick.

 

[Qxxx]

As Gypsy mentioned the person traveling "up" a narrow grade has the right of way, because it's much less dangerous to "back uphill" than downhill. For obvious reasons. I've been on many narrow roads and there are usually wide spots here and there, so you always need to keep the last one you passed in mind.

Regarding horns blasting, in Crete on the narrow mountain roads, the busses always blow their horns before a blind corner to warn oncoming drivers. Probably a good idea if in a Class-A or pulling a trailer. Or try to avoid such roads ahead of time. FWIW, Nomadic Fanatic recently drove his large Class-A on old Rte 66 from Oatman to Kingman, which is a narrow windy road with huge dropoffs, and he said he went over the line in a number of corners. I'll bet, I wouldn't recommend that stretch for a large rig. Starting about 9:30,

 

[MrNoodly]

I always thought the dude with the most bad-ass rig always had the right of way. At least they act like the do.

 

[Qxxx]

If I didn't l know you drive a van, I'd figure you were looking in the mirror, noodles.


But I had that experience last winter in Joshua Tree at Belle CG. I was way in the back, the access road is very narrow and the single set of tracks are deep. I was coming out and a guy pulling a trailer saw me coming from the wide stop ahead, but he didn't stop. So I just kept coming and pulled half off the road as we neared each other, which isn't a very good option, and made him do the same with his rig too. He didn't get stuck, but as he went by, he uttered a few choice words. Poor little muffin.

The proper courtesy is to stop if you see someone coming and you're at a wide spot in the road, even if it means having to wait for an entire 15-seconds. That's happened to me many times in the past, and we all went away happy, with a wave and a smile rather than a curse. LOL.