Why does this happen so often on the left coast?

Well i can assure you it doesn't only happen on the Left coast, and don't ask me how i know.:S

Now my situation wasn't that bad but it came within a few inches of total disaster. The wife and i was on our way to a campground in the ozarks. I had the gps set to hard surface roads only but i soon learned not to trust that either. It had me turning on a gravel road and i thought no i shouldn't turn but i was commited so i went ahead and turned. So after turning and going a short distance it had me doing a very hard left angle turn up a very steep hill. I started the turn then my truck spun out and i said no way i'm not doing this. I then started backing and found myself within inches of going off in a steep ravine with the trailer :o Don't ask me how i got into that mess other than plain old stupidity :S. A longer story short we got out of that situation and now i'm really wondering if i should ever trust our gps again. :B