While some believed Wright was making a perfectly logical decision based on the difficulty of the terrain, others, like the owners of the roadhouse at Williams Lake, claimed that Wright had ulterior motives, and was changing the route simply for the sake of the profits he stood to gain by diverting the majority of the traffic to his own roadhouse.
Some people believed Wright made a rational choice due to the tough terrain, but others, like the owners of the roadhouse in Williams Lake, speculated that Wright's true intention was to profit from the increased business he would receive by diverting the majority of travelers to his own roadhouse.