AN SMA WAS GIVEN A CLRNC THAT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE ARPT AND THE TERRAIN.

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ON MAY/SAT/93 I FLEW WITH MY WIFE FROM TRI-COUNTY ARPT (48V; N OF DENVER) TO CROOKSTON MUNICIPAL ARPT (CKN IN CROOKSTON; MN). THE WX AT 48V WAS ABOUT 3/8 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG WITH TOPS AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. WE BOTH HOLD COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATES WITH INST RATINGS. I WAS PIC. I FILED THE FOLLOWING FLT PLAN: 'IFR; SMA NX 150 KTS; 48V; XA30Z; 9000 FT; RNAV DIRECT PIR DIRECT CKN; CKN; REMARKS: RNAV NOT APPROVED FOR APCHS; 3 HRS 45 MINS; 6 HRS 30 MINS; GFK; PLT BASED AT 48V; 2 ON BOARD; WHITE WITH BLUE AND GOLD.' AT PM50Z DENVER AFSS READ ME THE FOLLOWING CLRNC BY PHONE: 'ATC CLRS NX FROM 48V TO CKN AS FILED. CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT; EXPECT 9000 FT. ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS. SQUAWK XXXX CONTACT DEP ON 126.1. CLRNC VOID IF NOT OFF BEFORE PM00Z. IF NOT OFF BEFORE PM00Z CONTACT FSS BY PM10Z. TIME NOW PM50Z.' I WAS PLANNING TO FOLLOW TRI-COUNTY'S PUBLISHED DEP PROC; AND WHEN I HEARD THE PHRASE 'ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS' A MUTED ALARM WENT OFF IN MY HEAD; BUT IN THE ARBITRARY HASTE OF A VOID TIME DEP; IT FAILED TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF CONSCIOUS THOUGHT. WE SPRINTED TO THE PLANE; TAXIED OUT TO RWY 33; WENT THROUGH OUR PRE-TKOF PROCS AND DEPARTED AT PM59. AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL WE WERE SOLIDLY IN THE FOG; AND THAT'S WHEN MY MENTAL BUZZER FINALLY GOT MY ATTN: 3 NM FROM THE CTR OF TRI-COUNTY; ON ABOUT A 023 DEG MAGNETIC BEARING IS THE 300 METER TWR KNOWN OFFICIALLY AS THE BOULDER ATMOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY AND TO LCL PLTS AS THE 'VFR STICK.' IT'S WHY THE DEP PROC READS: 'RWYS 9; 15; 27; TURN R. RWY 33; TURN L. CLB TO 7000 FT VIA DEN R- 318 TO FOSEL INTXN DEN R-318 21 DME AND CLB IN FOSEL HOLDING PATTERN; NW; L TURN; 138 DEGS INBOUND TO ASSIGNED ALT OR AS DIRECTED BY ATC.' I DIDN'T EVEN CONSIDER TURNING TO 020 DEGS; BUT FLEW RWY HDG TO THE DEN 318 DEG RADIAL AND CHKED IN WITH ATC. HAVING US ALREADY IN RADAR CONTACT; THE CTLR QUERIED MY HDG; AND I REPLIED THAT I WAS PROCEEDING TO FOSEL PER THE DEP PROC. HE GRUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT ME BEING EXPECTED TO FOLLOW MY CLRNC; BUT DIDN'T SEEM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED SINCE THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO CONFLICTING TFC AND WE COMPLETED AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO MINNESOTA. WITH HINDSIGHT; SEVERAL THINGS ARE NOW CLR TO ME: THE PHRASE 'ENTER CTLED AIRSPACE ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS' IS A BOGUS CLRNC. IT DOESN'T TELL ANYONE ANYTHING. ATC DOESN'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO; AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING ME TO DO. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE 1000 FT OBSTACLE; ATC SHOULD HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE RWY IN USE. EITHER THEY FAILED TO DO SO; OR SOMETHING FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS IN PROCESSING THE CLRNC THROUGH FSS. I SHOULD HAVE FILED '48V TO FOSEL INTXN VIA THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC; RNAV DIRECT PIR DIRECT CKN' TO CALL ATC'S ATTN TO THE FACT THAT I EXPECTED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC. I SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE ORIGINAL CLRNC PASSED TO ME VIA FLT SVC; OR FAILING THAT; I SHOULD HAVE TOLD DEP ON MY INITIAL CALL-UP THAT I WAS FLYING TO FOSEL INTXN.