quote:

Originally posted by sigcrazy7:


Awesome! Is this in Park City? I almost hit a cow moose just inside SF Canyon just before Diamond Fork. Their population seems to be increasing in Utah.

Yes, Park City.

And I do feel like I've seen more moose the past few years.

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
I've lived all around the US, and yes, there are different types of snow and ice. How many words for snow and ice do the Eskimo's have?

Very true, but it's dependent on the air temperature, ground temperature, etc at the time of the storm. I can assure you, all of the types fall here too. It just depends on the time of year.

Hey, my comments are in jest. It really sucks to be put in a situation you aren't prepared for with either equipment or skills. I'd be really bad at catching alligators or poisonous snakes. That doesn't mean I wouldn't expect to catch heck if I posted a photo of me wearing snake boots and using a steel cable loop to catch a garter snake in my lawn.

I've posted this photo before when discussing snow tires.

This is 6" of snow (car clearance 6.1") with drifts up to 18" If you look at the packed snow in the grill it looks as if she was into some of them at just above axle height.

The factory tires on this particular car were absolutely horrible. The car would slide off the road if you looked at it funny. Once the proper tires were on it would go anywhere a plow truck would (around here at least).



I'm usually in my work trucks which are a bit heavier, are four wheel drive, and I run proper tires on them as well. There's not much that will stop me weather-wise.

What I have noticed is all of the people who tend to give me winter driving advice (four wheel drive doesn't mean four wheel stop!) usually lack the proper equipment, skills, and experience themselves.

quote:

Originally posted by Bisleyblackhawk:

quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:
To all the GDY who laugh at Southerners and Snow:
The thing you might remember before you laugh at us too hard are the following:
1. We get snow once or twice a year. It doesn’t pay for us to invest too much in snow removal equipment that isn’t hardly used any more than you might buy Suntan Lotion. Also Snow Removal equipment is slightly more expensive than Suntan Lotion.
2. Since it never gets too cold here, when we get winter weather, it typically goes back and forth right at the freezing temperature. This means we get black ice, and there ain't nobody can drive on black ice.
3. North Georgia is NOT flat. It is very hilly and this means that with the addition of any ice, our roads become large Luge runs.
4. Along the same lines as #1, we don’t invest in “snow tires” or “studs” because we just don’t get enough snow to worry about. We also don’t get a chance to “practice” our snow driving like you Northerners do for 6 months out of the year.

He speaks wisely

Yup, this event is not Snowmageddon or Snowpocolypes but I got a good 8" of snow in West Cobb County/Marietta. Being from the "Mitten" I can tell you there is not a patch of flat road to be found. Straight maybe but never flat. Surprisingly few accidents, because folks, 1 used common sense 2 see #1. I ventured out twice during the worst of the daylight storm. We had above freezing road temps with just below freezing air temps. Where brine was applied we got lucky for the most part and did not have a lot of rain. Ventured out this morning to see if my cancelled flight was leaving. Major expressways have 2-3 lanes out of 4-7 lanes clear, major surface streets have a single clear lane each way and the rest, eh I was not the first one out of my neighborhood but the tracks were not fresh.
Oh and I seem to remember the first snow storm every year up in Michigan it seems 50% of the drivers seemed to forget how to drive on ice, slouch and snow.

quote:

This means we get black ice, and there ain't nobody can drive on black ice.

Perhaps nobody there, but there are those who can indeed drive on solid ice safely. We get the occasional ice storm here. I was just stuck in one last year. Idiots all over the place.

At one point we were stopped on the highway so I decided to step out of the truck and put on some bibs in the event I needed to get out and rescue some schmuck. I could barely stand on the ice without falling. My truck didn't have a problem seeing I had the proper tires for the conditions I was driving in. I could have made it home in 30 minutes but it took me closer to 4 hours due to those who didn't have the proper gear to be out on the ice.

Not with hills thrown into the mix.

quote:

Not with hills thrown into the mix.

Up and down hills too! Driving ability. Equipment. It's that simple.

quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:

quote:

Not with hills thrown into the mix.

Up and down hills too! Driving ability. Equipment. It's that simple.

I grew up up north. Even with studded snow tires or chains you’re not going to traverse the icy hills around here. Period. Good day, sir.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
I grew up up north. Even with studded snow tires or chains you’re not going to traverse the icy hills around here. Period. Good day, sir.

They aren't mountains?

Agree to disagree. Cheerio!

quote:

I grew up up north. Even with studded snow tires or chains you’re not going to traverse the icy hills around here. Period. Good day, sir.

I once used a wheel lift with a spade chained to the end to drag a 20,000 pound medium duty wrecker up an ice covered 30-40 percent grade. Since I'm lazy and didn't want to spend more time than necessary, I tied the full UPS truck (maybe another 12,000-15,000 pounds) to the front of mine so they would both come up at the same time.

I can assure you that with the proper equipment there is not a single place on this planet I can not get.

So I know there are those of you who think this can be done, and that can't be done. Then there are those of us who have actually done these things and know what's possible.

I have used chains plenty, being stationed in Korea and at Drum helped....but I also serviced I81 south of Syracuse.
Syracuse as a field tech....trying getting a plow out at 0200 in the morning

I Korea I broke a half shaft going up to a retrans site (754), the chains were the only thing that saved my ass coming down.

Yup even though I live in NETX I still have chains....the ice storms are no joke here.....mainly because they have never heard of salt

Bought the set right after I bought the X, we were heading to the smokies for new years....ice and paved hills = pucker factor....with chains just put it in 4lo and go slow.

They are also good.in mud....

Good on ya for being prepared

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Snow is just technique, experience and a decent set of all weather tires.

In general I agree, but I do believe that a decent set of winter tread tires are priceless. All Season is a temp rating and when they plug with snow, they're useless. You get the right mixture of snow/temp to plug tires, and the only proper technique with all seasons is to stay home.

Our chains are pulling the shifter back to lock in the 4-wheel drive.

It's ok. The first significant snowfall in the north is an absolute mess. Tons of crashes. I'm sure some are new drivers but most are people who seem to forget how to drive in it. Probably the same people I see riding each other's ass like they are drafting in a NASCAR race.

I've driven in northern Minnesota winter conditions most of my life. My Subaru Forester will go anywhere as long as the tires are on the ground. My Expedition 4wd is the same.
The biggest factor is visibility. If the wind is blowing a blinding snow and you can't see beyond your windshield nothing else matters.

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
It's ok. The first significant snowfall in the north is an absolute mess. Tons of crashes. I'm sure some are new drivers but most are people who seem to forget how to drive in it. Probably the same people I see riding each other's ass like they are drafting in a NASCAR race.

^^^This.

We got our first significant snowfall late yesterday into last night. Just cold enough to snow so it was greasy as heck. I had to take the dogs back to my daughter's place so I was out driving in it. Wasn't long slipping the Toondruh into 4Hi, it wanted to get sideways every time it shifted. 4hi, locked into 4th gear and 35-40mph all the way to town. No issues.

On the way back, got behind someone who, for whatever reason, would NOT go over 25mph, usually around 15mph and touched the brakes every time there was the slightest down hill grade. Aggravating as hell, but even I am not stupid enough to try and pass in those conditions. Between hills and curves, Route 1 only has about 3 places in 20 miles you can see far enough to pass safely on clean, dry pavement around here.

I was amazed that I didn't see anyone off in the willywags. Did have one moron try to pass the line behind the slowpoke. He got by me and thought better of it.

The chains weren't needed after the road grader hit the street and the gravel truck followed.

They worked very well before the crews came out. They were fun to play with on the farm. One of the hills is so bad, even dry my truck spins tires trying to climb it. With the chains in the snow, it just dug in and clambered up with no problem.

The number of 4wd vehicles bogged in the ditches was amusing as I could just panzer by them. My favorite was the Audi AWD buried in the trees from sliding down one of the hills and the smartass in the F150 4x4 with downed power lines wrapped up in his axle from driving in the ditch to pass the stuck cars.

The BMW with its really wide tires, limited slip and DSC just made my truck look pathetic. It would just go with not the first complaint. The DSC light stayed lit, but it would go. However I stayed away from the buried AWD Audi. Not going to try a luge run on ice.

Tabitha's smashed up little Sentra with new tires soldiered through this stuff like it wasn't even there. It has a viscous limited slip diff in the transaxle that REALLY got the job done. Why can't ALL cars have this feature?

My Frontier is front heavy and pretty much one wheel drive as it has no limited slip diff will stick itself on dry pavement.

Marzy, how much weight do you carry in the back of your truck, up where I grew we put railroad ties in the back. Or a couple hundred pounds of sand or kitty litter.

If I lived where you do, I would have the same set-up. What type of ballast do you have in your pickup bed.

quote:

Originally posted by blueye:
If I lived where you do, I would have the same set-up. What type of ballast do you have in your pickup bed.

. I suspect he loads his snowmobile for ballast!