▁car ▁raised ▁more ▁questions ▁than ▁it ▁answered . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁its ▁location , ▁ ▁from ▁Ch ico , ▁far ▁off ▁any ▁direct ▁route ▁to ▁Y uba ▁City ▁or ▁Mary sv ille . ▁None ▁of ▁the ▁men ' s ▁families ▁could ▁spec ulate ▁as ▁to ▁why ▁they ▁might ▁have ▁driven ▁up ▁a ▁long ▁and ▁w inding ▁d irt ▁road ▁on ▁a ▁winter ▁night ▁deep ▁into ▁a ▁high - e lev ation ▁remote ▁forest , ▁without ▁any ▁extra ▁cl othing ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁before ▁a ▁basketball ▁game ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁talking ▁excited ly ▁about ▁among ▁themselves ▁for ▁several ▁weeks . ▁Mad ru ga ' s ▁parents ▁said ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁like ▁the ▁cold ▁weather ▁and ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁up ▁into ▁the ▁mountains . ▁Ster ling ' s ▁father ▁had ▁once ▁taken ▁his ▁son ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁near ▁where ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁found ▁for ▁a ▁fish ing ▁week end , ▁but ▁the ▁younger ▁man ▁had ▁not ▁enjoyed ▁it ▁and ▁remained ▁at ▁home ▁when ▁his ▁father ▁took ▁later ▁tri ps ▁there . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁police ▁could ▁not ▁figure ▁out ▁why ▁the ▁men ▁had ▁abandoned ▁the ▁car . ▁They ▁had ▁reached ▁ ▁in ▁elev ation ▁along ▁the ▁road , ▁about ▁where ▁the ▁snow ▁line ▁was ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁of ▁year , ▁just ▁short ▁of ▁where ▁the ▁road ▁was ▁closed ▁for ▁the ▁winter . ▁The ▁car ▁had ▁become ▁stuck ▁in ▁some ▁snow ▁dr ifts , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁evidence ▁that ▁the ▁whe els ▁had ▁been ▁sp un ▁attempting ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁it . ▁But