| Author |
Message |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.4)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 3:46 pm: | |
Hi All,
I've been offline for a couple of days, over
Christmas, and we had a bit of an "Adventure"
returning to the Bay Area.
We left Eugene, OR after a Sunday Brunch with our oldest Daughter and her Husband and headed south. We knew a storm was coming in from the pacific and we were trying to beat it.
We hit Ashland at 5:30, Gassed up and got in line for the "Chain Check" before proceediing over Mount Ashland. We pulled up to the inspection station in the Durango and the DOT guy said "Ya got it in Four-Wheel". I said, yeah, locked up. This was at Mile Post 11. We got in line, single-file, and headed up the mountain, perfectly happy at 15 - 20 MPH (I have done this before).
Keep in mind, this is the biggest amateur night of the year for driving over mountain passes, the Sunday after Christmas. Thousands of people that shouldn't be there are trying to pass those of us with many years of foul-weather experience under our belts. Keep in mind, I'm in a 4X4 Durango (the best 4X4 I've ever driven) and I'm carrying a premium set of chains(That I've never needed).
Sure enough, Hondas, Acuras, whatever-- with chains they just bought at the chevron (And paid someone else to install) are passing us on the right.
We only made it to mile post 8 before traffic came to a complete stop. We were stuck on the Siskiyou summit, at mount Ashland from 8:00 at night on Sunday until 2:30 PM Monday. Maybe you saw us on the news.
Luckily, our cell phones sorta worked, and we contacted the district State Police office, they let us know that they were working on the problem. They told us they were going to "Back us out" to a Red Cross station back in Ashland. At about 9:00 AM the Red Cross people came by with Food and Water. We turned them down (We do not travel without Food, water, etc...) But the second time I saw them, I couldn't resist a bottle of Gatorade.
Funny--the biggest demand was for Water and Gasoline.
Ok--Water. We were trapped in Snow for god's sake.
Now--Gasoline. Each and every one of us was driving over a mountain pass. Wouldn't you fill up before heading over?
Seems dumb. maybe it's just me.
They finally dug us out, one by one and we headed north, on the southbound lane of I5. We returned to Medford, had dinner at a Truckstop and managed to ask two State Police Officers about the status of the pass. They guessed that the pass would be closed for the night.
Instead of getting back in line (We were very fatigued after being on the pass overnight), we decided to get a cheap (Motel 6) room and watch a movie (Lord of the rings). We did, the movie was great, the beds were hard, but we slept well. We started late yesterday morning, around 10, got breakfast at the truckstop, and headed back down to Alameda, arriving at about 5:00 PM.
It was a very interesting way to end a Christmas Holiday, after 25 years of driving in all weather conditions, I can now say that I have been caught in a blizzard.
We're glad it's over,
Gary |
Robert Wood (Bobwoodsocal) (4.63.41.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 4:15 pm: | |
sounds like quite the adventure! welcome home, glad you made it ok. Bob |
jim mci-9 (65.243.36.2)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 5:13 pm: | |
glad you made it back.... kinda cloudy and 65 in san antonio on the riverwalk..... i'll toast you in a couple hrs...lol.... |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.28)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 5:25 pm: | |
No chains required here either Gary, 75 degrees, balmy. |
John Rigby (24.174.233.46)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 6:36 pm: | |
Gary
Thats nearly as bad as going to Witchitaw Kansas for christmas and on sunday get the stomaock flu at mother in laws. Still have a touch.
John Orange Texas |
Cory Dane (66.155.188.34)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 6:46 pm: | |
Glad all was safe.
For us who have never driven in "weather", posts like yours are informative and a warning as well for future experiences.
Have a good holiday as the first rolls by.
"Imagine Your Dreams"
cd |
jmaxwell (66.81.48.220)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 7:13 pm: | |
Gary: You just had to remind me, didn't u. I'm still in that mess u spoke of---In Redding. I doubt that it is as bad here as it was on the side of Ashland. Glad u finally got out of it. |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.64.127)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 8:00 pm: | |
Gary, glad to see you travel prepared. We're confronted with much the same thing on our winter trips from Prince Rupert to Seattle, especially in the Fraser River Canyon.
We carry two sets of chains and have needed them, along with a lot of gear and food. We've been stopped a few times because of road closures, but recently, broken windshields from badly screened road sand has become a big expense.
They've nicknamed it "Texas sand". Sometimes the rocks are well over an inch.
Glad you're fine and Happy New Year!
Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576
Suncatcher |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 8:56 pm: | |
jmaxwell-- You're in Redding? Are you traveling north, or is Redding your home base? It looks like yesterday's storm is blown over. I think it was about the same in both directions, at least in terms of weather. The big difference is that the southbound travelers were way dumber.
Tom--I have one set of the real expensive chains, never used. The Durango is a Badass when it comes to gettting around in the snotty stuff. I may just buy another set if I run across them though. If I had known our "Adventure" would end up with us spending almost 19 hours in a snowdrift, I would have taken more action in getting out of there.
Gary |
Sean Welsh (Sean) (64.81.73.194)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2003 - 10:25 pm: | |
Not that it helps now, but there is a great hotel/restaurant at the Siskiyou summit, though I imagine it might have been a stretch for the Durango to make it down the off-ramp if it had not been cleared. Callahan's Lodge, exit 7.
We head up to Washington on Saturday, and I'm hoping the summits are clear...
-Sean |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:12 am: | |
I've never pulled off there, always seen the signs.
Guess I'm more of an Iron Skillet kinda guy when I'm on the road.
We're supposed to get some rain here in the bay area tonight, I'm moving the bus under cover. Damn thing sat too long and the batteries are flat.
Saturday is anybody's guess, if you were heading up now, it would not be great:
http://www.tripcheck.com/RoadCond/rwzone7.htm
Gary |
jmaxwell (66.81.55.195)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:49 am: | |
Gary: I am based in Redding, but believe me, this is the last Winter in this place. I'm working on my latest conversion, or was until it turned cold up here and I fell behind schedule, otherwise this was the Winter that I was going to start spending elsewhere, anywhere, as long as it is below the 30th Parallel.
Sean: It has started raining up here again and still very cold. Snow forecast down to 1000'tmw. evening & Friday morn., so no doubt the Siskiyou will get closed again temporarily. Tapering on Friday, fairly clear for weekend. Check the truckstop in Corning as you go by: if it is jammed then there is a good chance I-5 is closed N. of Redding. If the truck stop S. of Redding is jammed: IT IS CLOSED! Going to see The Bus? |
Sean Welsh (Sean) (64.81.73.194)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 1:58 am: | |
I'll be OK as long as I can get past Shasta. We're not going to ths bus this trip -- we're heading to the Yakima valley to look at property. I'm planning on turning off at 97 and heading up through Klamath. I've got 4-wheel drive and good tires, so I should be OK as long as it's not snowing heavily when we come through.
I'm going up to Infinity for a week later in the month, to do the electrical start-up and check-out.
-Sean |
CoryDane RTSII (66.155.188.249)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 10:05 am: | |
Gary
I tried something I thought was a good idea just to try to maintain the bus batteries as she sat. I ran separate regulators from the solar panels to the bus batteries. The intent was to use the solar panel for the coach batteries as well as the vehicle batteries. It seemed to me that the work duty of the batteries are opposite each other. When you are loading the coach batteries, the bus batts are at rest and when you load the bus batts, the coach batts are at rest. Thus the solar panels seem to "share" the work quite well and I have never had a battery go bad from sitting since the installation.
Just my thought
"Imagine Your Dreams"
cdcdcd |
Mark R. Obtinario (Cowlitzcoach) (204.245.228.86)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 12:45 pm: | |
I am glad you were able to get off of the pass safely. Many times the story does not have a happy ending.
Your story reminds me of how "macho" some people are when it comes to driving in the nasty stuff.
When I first started driving commercially my first driver trainer taught us if you had to debate whether or not to put on chains, you need to put on chains.
I was at Mt. Hood Meadows last month with a ski school charter. During the day the rain turned into snow and dumped more than 3" while the kids were skiing.
About 1:30 P.M. I decided I needed to put on my chains. The older gentleman in the bus next to me "bragged" he had gone down the mountian when the conditions were a lot worse without chaining up.
I have always thought it is a whole lot easier to explain why you wore out a pair of tire chains "needlessly" than to explain why you got stuck in a snow drift.
As I sit here at the computer the snow is coming down again. (I live in Castle Rock, WA.) We aren't supposed to get snow here! Which is why we have so much trouble around here when the snow flies--no one around here really knows how to drive in the white stuff, particularly when all of the hills round here turn white.
Take care and have a great New Year.
Mark O. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 5:15 pm: | |
Jmaxwell--
On average, Redding should be the most comforatble place on earth--I mean if you "Average" Summer and Winter, you have what--Maui?
Sean-- Mount Ashland is the worst, IMO (It is the highest point on I5) One danger is getting through Shasta, and having Mt Ashland closed. Then you're stuck in Yreka. In any case, You're not really the deciding factor, it's the amateurs you have to worry about.
Mark-- I don't know if the story necessarily had that happy of an ending, we made it out, but we're veteran snow drivers. There was a secondary fatality (Heart Attack). Thanks though.
Now for some Busnut content, I didn't see One single bus. Do they follow the same regs as other coaches and trucks? We would have had to chain up rught?
Gary |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, January 01, 2004 - 5:22 pm: | |
Oh, and Cory--I'm not that far, I'm still getting the shell reskinned.
Gary |
Mark R. Obtinario (Cowlitzcoach) (204.245.250.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 10:30 am: | |
I don't know what the laws are in most other states because I rarely go out of OR and WA. In OR and WA, when the sign says traction devices required, it means all vehicles over 10,000 lbs. have to put on chains.
When it gets really nasty it may even say drag chains are required. That means trucks have to put chains on the trailer axles.
In OR, on many grades where you wouldn't think they would get much ice or snow, you will see signs that say it is a snow zone. Those signs have been put in place so when it does get nasty they can require you to put on chains.
This year the fine is a minimum of $145.00 for not having chains.
As the sun comes up this morning, all I can see out my window is white. It must have snowed at least 6" last night. I am thinking driving around OR and SW WA is not going to be fun today. The only upside of the mess outside is I put the chains on last night to get up the hill.
Have a great day and make sure you are prepared if you have to get out and drive in the white stuff.
Mark O. |
jim mci-9 (209.240.205.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 12:04 pm: | |
sure is great to have sun and 75 degrees out..... |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.43)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:25 pm: | |
Showin 81 here, nothing is white. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.86.118)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:27 pm: | |
I'll check back with ya in July.
Gary |
jmaxwell (66.81.32.173)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, January 02, 2004 - 4:50 pm: | |
Don: You're depressing me! |
john wood (209.137.231.73)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 6:04 pm: | |
-10 here this am and a steady wind out of the north at about 20mph.
I have never used (yet) chains on a public hwy. Only on all 4 when off road. The coach seems to do just fine as long as snow is less than 6" and icy superslab is no problem either. Guess I've been driving Montana roads too long. (25 yrs or so) Glad I don't drive the west coast. |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 6:15 pm: | |
It's funny--
last month, while driving on I275 in MI, I was going 85 and impeeding traffic. It was 18 degrees. I can't get used to driving fast in below freezing temps.
Gary |
Tony (64.215.196.142)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 04, 2004 - 7:27 pm: | |
Gary
It Is not always as It seems, other wise you wont be doing that all the time, when I first made my dayview In these northern states back In 65 I did not see the ground from Thanksgiving until April, and I expect It Is coming back to that style of weather now, the winters seem to be getting longer, and the Roads seem to be getting Gary
It Is not always as It seems, other wise you wont be doing that all the time, when I first made my dayview In these northern states back I did not see the ground from Thanksgiving until April, and I expect It Is coming back to that style of weather now, the winters seem to be getting longer, and the Roads seem to be getting sloppier.I believe that you will change your mind about the speed after you move.
Tony |
Gary McFarland (Gearheadgary) (209.128.99.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, January 05, 2004 - 11:59 am: | |
I've been traveling to Detroit for about five years, all times of the year. they always seem to be driving too fast in the freezing weather.
But nobody seem so Crash so, they must have it sort of figured out.
Gary |