blues2cruise wrote:Thank you ,BuzZz for telling them about winter tires. They seem to have missed the point of "driving through the mountains in winter" requires good winter tires.
I am so glad I got the 4 new tires on my car for this trip. It started to snow beofre we left the lower mainland. By the time we got to Hope and the junction of Hwy# 3 the roads were covered with snow. As we got into the twisting mountain highway before, through and after Manning park, (before Princeton), we say 2 dump trucks (one a tandem) spun out and crashed into wach other...then another double flat bed on a semi stopped on the curve where the dump trucks were to chain up...we had to sit and wait because of the curve....oncoming traffic and no visibility around the curve. Finally the truck driver watched the road for us to go around....we had good traction because of the tires.....
then just after the lodge, there was a car spun out facing into a ditch.....too fast on an icy curve wit inappropriate tires. Then a short time later, we had to stop again.....a fatality this time...
A car had spun out; a fire and rescue truck came from Princeton to help, then another car came and slammed into the rescue truck...
too fast on a snowy road and wrong tires....equals one dead person.
We were there for three hours.
Shortly after that there was another vehicle that had slid down a gulley.... too fast for conditions....
Bottom line......good tires and adjusting driving for conditions keeps you going. I could not have made that drive there on Friday and home today with regular tires.
Well he said exactly what I did with the exception of ice. But even in the mountains you get lots of snow and not necessarily a whole lot of ice. Even so when I lived in the upper peninsula there were MANY 45 degree hills over 1.5 miles high that my old ford taurus with all season tires would go up without any problems. Even on ice no sliding or nothing. Same with going down. Its all about learning to properly drive in the conditions given with what you have. That doesnt mean snow tires wouldnt have made things EASIER for me but im sure it wouldnt have made it that much easier. Now I was used to driving that car. If I was to try that in my truck I just started learning to drive last week I prob wouldnt make it up the hill.
I remember 1 day when everything was a sheet of ice (even tops of houses). Everyone took the long way to where we were going (which was the low incline takes 3x as long way) and I decided to take the 45 degree hill. I made it up NO issues and back down without any issues. Most of my friends thought I was nuts but you know what if you dont try how will you know? Besides if you dont feel comfortable doing something then dont do it. I have people ask me why I do 60mph when its snowing out? I just answer because I know I can and I am confident in my abilities. Does that mean I wont get into an accident? No I am sure one day a deer will run out in front of me and I wont be able to stop in time. BUT I know enough to start slowing down WWWAAAYYY earlier than I normally would if there is say a car up ahead or I have to turn soon. Note, however, that since I started driving this truck I havent gone over 45mph yet. I dont now how to drive this truck very well, its 2 wheel drive, and its a stick. I did the same thing when I first started driving the van till I got used to how it handles in the snow (which btw is a ton easier to handle that van in the snow than this 2 wheel drive truck).
*edit to remove possible confusion.
*edit again when I say 60mph that doesnt mean I do 60mph no matter what. I mean when you cant see more than 2 feet in front of your bumper its kinda moronic to be doing 60mph. Those situations I usually do 35-45 in the van.
roads too damned icy to ride
