15 NOV 2008 Langley GTG

[icecap]

Thanks for the ongoing tips guys. I find it really useful to get this insider info before striking new ground in the winter like this.

You've been given lots of good advice by the people on this forum and I'd like to add a few if you are interested. I recently went the canyon (401) to Kamloops and Kamloops to Vernon and it is by far the long way but I took that route on purpose as I towed a 27' holiday trailer with an underpowered gasser pickup truck. The grades were easy going that route and the Coquihalla's adverse grades would have done the truck in. I've been driving for more than 40 years and in some of the worst imaginable winter conditions all over the province so make sure you have a good set of winter tires and if the posted speed limit is 90 you are not required to go that fast if road conditions don't permit you to drive at it safely. If you don't have a set invest in a set of cable chains, a pair of overalls if you have to lay in the snow to put them on, a tow strap and one of those folding shovels you use for camping can get you out of a bind. Adequate clothing for all eventualities, bottled water and some snack food will tide you over if you run into a problem like I did last winter as I headed for Kelowna to spend Christmas leaving after work on the 24th. It took me 9 hours to make the trip that normally takes 4 hours since traffic was at a complete standstill due to vehicles being spun out, in the ditches and semis unable to get moving from a standstill without chaining up on the highway where they were stuck. The conditions at the time were freezing rain on top of unplowed snow on the grade heading up to the snowshed. Once past this obstruction the going got much better at higher elevations as the snow was dryer and traction was better. My 2 cents worth. Enjoy skiing at silver star, it's a great resort that I've been to many times.
Frank

 

[vw4life]

Thanks for the tips Frank.I have nokian WR's with good tread, two strap, and chains. Good suggestion on the coveralls. Got water too. Hope to use none of it.

I drove to Leavenworth via Stevens Pass and Blewett Pass two years now and found traffic was very willing to space out (leave way more room) and slow way down when driving on hard pack snow.

I guess my question is does this happen on the coq or will jackasses trying to be rushing me? People don't try to do the speed limit on snow do they?

 

[icecap]

Thanks for the tips Frank.I have nokian WR's with good tread, two strap, and chains. Good suggestion on the coveralls. Got water too. Hope to use none of it.

I drove to Leavenworth via Stevens Pass and Blewett Pass two years now and found traffic was very willing to space out (leave way more room) and slow way down when driving on hard pack snow.

I guess my question is does this happen on the coq or will jackasses trying to be rushing me? People don't try to do the speed limit on snow do they?

You most likely won't have a problem going over the coq or being pushed by crazy drivers. The bad scenario I was caught in was caused by heavy holiday traffic volume and a freak weather sytem. The heavy traffic made it impossible to plow and once vehicles started to spin out and get stuck no one was going anywhere even if you had good winter tires and chains. The vehicles spinning their tires trying to go uphill or get moving made it so slippery you couldn't stand on it without your feet sliding out from under you. Of course that situation was only made worse by the people who only had treadbare all season radials on their vehicles. If you wan't to see some crazy drivers take a trip up to Whistler once ski season starts. When I used to ski I had a season pass at Whistler back in the 70's. They called it the highway of death not because it was a bad road but because of the idiots that bought the farm driving as if the were driving on a freeway in Nevada.

 

[tdi_sport]

in january of 07 i was one of those treadbare drivers headn up the coq after sunset. the blizzard stopped me at the first avelanche shelter with the rest of the traffic. i then did the smartest thing i could do. the second the plow passed by i stuck myself in 30 feet behind him. much to the chagrin of the 50 other vehicles. a few even tried to wave me to a stop. i dont know why. I WAS IN FRONT AND NOBODY GNA DENY ME MY POSITION!!

i followed plows all the way to kamloops and i garentee that if i were 50 cars back of that plow i would have been driving on an ice rink. in retrospect. next time around im going to get a room and wait it out.

thats my story of stupidity. good thing i made out very well.