I will for sure scout on foot before plunging ahead. And FWC, that was a great point about looking at the tire tracks. The problem, of course, is that when I am crossing a stream bed, recent storms will have erased the tracks.
Here is a sample of what I am talking about -- although this stream crossing is more, well, extreme than what I would probably attempt -- this stream looks to be about 80 feet wide.
In this photo, the main BLM road is on the left. The access road drops down at the center. You can then see where the access road continues, on the other side of the stream:
Click For Full-Size Image.
As I said, this particular crossing is too tough for me, but I am thinking about sites that involve easier sandy stream beds.
