Silliness in the backcountry

[RedRoxx44]

This weekend revealed to me why some areas may be closed to certain kinds of traffic (motorized vehicle). Some friends and I took two vehicles thru Box canyon and into Martinez Canyon Saturday. We went early and arrived at the mining camp. My friend and ace auto mechanic and 4X4 spotter wanted us to jeep the loop trail out by the old mill and over the ridgeline. My other friends decided to hike this one as I had earlier.
Well, it was rock crawling central, I broke a leaf spring but we did a field fix and finished the route. The hikers were faster than I was. A very treacherous downhill on the backside required the lowest gear possible and two feet on the brakes and we still slid about 25 feet with no possiblity of stopping.
We had returned to camp and were preparing to leave. Lots of folks showed up; including a couple of guys from New Mexico in an International Scout. They tried to drive the route in reverse and rolled their vehicle at the slippery hill. No one was injured that we could see- observing with binoculars. Another group of well equipped vehicles also started up that way. From having just come down it, there was virtually no way to right that vehicle without rolling it off the hill side. I bet its still up there.
Driving out box canyon, slowly and with headlights, almost was hit head on by a dirt biker and a quad with a child on it!
You wonder when things like this happen in a popular area who takes the blame. If the "authorities" have to help get you out of there and spend taxpayer money, then areas get closed. I have done my share of silly and stupid things out hiking and jeeping but try to be prepared to be self sufficient when things go awry. This is a very beautiful area but I will understand it if it becomes "Closed to all motorized vehicles"