The road that says "closed in winter" on my map is not the road with the gate. The road with the gate was a logging road that they turned off on by mistake in the snow and dark.

The articles I read says the "closed in winter" road is left unblocked for cross-country skiiers. It was impassable by cars, and apparently the Kims had already discovered this and turned around _before_ they wandered off onto the logging road.

My point was about unwise planning, not either the mistake of missing their exit or of getting on the logging road.