A man who survived getting lost in the Colorado mountains reunited with his family Monday night at the Colorado Springs Airport.

Jason Pede of Indiana spent four days stranded north of Highway 114, when his GPS system told him he could take a short cut on a road that simply doesn't exist any more.

He says he was just trying to save gas when he went for the short cut. It was all as a way to help his freight business - he uses his own car to drive small items across the country.

He had picked up a dog and some chairs in California, and was headed to grab a cat in Aspen before going to Pueblo when he completely lost his way on Thursday morning. Both his cell phone's GPS system, and even a local at a gas station along Highway 114, told him he could take a county road that he later discovered is no longer in use. After driving on the rough terrain for several miles, he realized he needed to turn around. But when he tired, his Lincoln Navigator got stuck in a snowbank on the abandoned road.

During the days that followed, Pede kept warm in six-degree temperatures by burning wood he found around his car, and even burning the chairs he had been hired to transport.

He spent the days living off of melted snow, a couple of low-calorie chocolate wafers, and some Mountain Dew. By the third day, he began writing letters using a crayon his kids had left in the back seat of the car. He wrote one letter to the person who would find him, and one letter to his wife, telling her he was sorry he got lost.

On Sunday morning, his satellite radio was reporting a major storm headed his way, and he knew he only had a little bit of time left before he would be buried by the snow. He left his car and walked seven miles back to the main road. He saw five cars coming up the hill, and he collapsed. All of the cars stopped to help him.

Monday was a whirlwind for Pede, reuniting with family and friends that live in colorado springs. At about 10:30 p.m. Monday, his wife and three kids met him at the airport in a tearful reunion.

Editor's Note: The dog also survived the ordeal and is said to be doing well.