Driving Highyway 99 Lilloet to Whistler

We are going to be using that route in August, but I had not read about it online. So, thanks to the OP for his timely question and thanks to the rest of you for doing all my research for me. Once again, I am sure glad Ford couldn't produce that max tow-HD payload F-150 I ordered in time for my trailer delivery, so I had to substitute a Ram 2500 CTD with exhaust brake instead. Sounds like I'll be using that exhaust brake a lot more than I anticipated on this trip.

Kootenay, Okanagan Valley, Sea-to-Sky Highway, and Victoria. It's been four years since our last visit in that area and we can hardly wait to get back!

You left off High Bar Road
http://www.kamloopstrails.net/high-bar-road/

I started with the 23% downhill. Half way down the front wheel hubs on my cute-ute were too hot too touch. Otherwise it was an interesting drive.

The road to Rennell Sound on Haida Gwaii has a short steep drop to water level. Something like 24% for half a mile.

garyhaupt wrote:
I find the hill going east, down into Little Fort on #24 to be much much worse. That bugger just goes on and on...and on....
Gary Haupt

Probably getting off topic and perhaps worth of it's own thread. Here are some comparative ascent and descent numbers that I have collected over the years. All measurements and distances have been rounded and converted from metric to imperial.

Duffey Lake Road to Pemberton
3380 feet in 8 miles
Max 15 % grade (average of 8%)

Duffey Lake Road to Lillooet
1564 feet in 4 miles
Max 13% grade (average of 11%.)
Only a very brief section above Seton Lake is at 13%

Highway 99 - Lillooet to Pavillion
1710 in 14 miles
Max 12% grade (average of 7%)

Highway 24 - Little Fort to McDonald Summit
3015 feet in 13 miles from Little Fort to Eakin Creek
Max 8.5% grade

Highway 97c - Ashcroft to Highland Valley Summit
3077 feet in 10 miles from Ashcroft to the brake check sign
Max 11 % grade (Although the brake check sign says 11% grade down to Ashcroft, the overall average is less then 8%.)

Highway 20 - Bella Coola to Heckman Pass Summit
3860 feet in 12 miles
Max 15% (sign at the summit says 18% but a protion of the road was moved years back and sign was never updated.

Edit: Added Heckman Pass and corrected some mileages.

I find the hill going east, down into Little Fort on #24 to be much much worse. That bugger just goes on and on...and on....


Gary Haupt

EsoxLucius wrote:
On those 12 and 15 percent downhill grades slow down and use lower gears. Going the speed limit will get you in trouble. We had to stop half way down to cool the brakes.

Good rule of thumb is use a gear that holds your speed without using the brakes...

That's right... it is no where near the "speed limit" on a 15% grade :)

rogersnl wrote:
Lots of good stuff! Do rv'ers ever put their 4 ways on?

yes I do.

When climbing a long grade I find a gear (manual trans) where I can set the cruise at 2200 rpm or so and let the truck pull at part throttle, like you drive a big rig

I don't cane the truck the whole way up the grade as hard as it will go upshift downshift upshift run the engine to the gunver upshift downshift trying to "stay out of people's way..."

I look at it as yer makin payments on that 459hp V8 SUV so use the power and drive around me...

Downgrade I use the retarder brake and a gear that will control the speed with hardly any Flintstone brakes applied.

Oh and I use turnouts and also "2 blink" the left turn indicator when safe to pass - to help vehicles come around me... California drivers catch on to this right away... recieve lots of thank you waves ...

I don't hold up traffic unecessarily but I don't overdrive the Flintstone brakes either - no need to injur or kill someone because someone behind me didn't leave early enough...

For folks not used to old math, 15% down grade means the road descends 15 ft in a 100 ft ... and gravity is not your friend:)

Safe travels

On those 12 and 15 percent downhill grades slow down and use lower gears. Going the speed limit will get you in trouble. We had to stop half way down to cool the brakes.

Lots of good stuff! Do rv'ers ever put their 4 ways on?

garyhaupt wrote:
I just hope that the OP isn't dissuaded from the drive. All the information presented is correct, but it is kinda off-putting. The hill is just that...a hill. Driven accordingly, like many challenging driving conditions, it is quite safe.

I totally agree. As I mentioned up thread, let the transmission do the work. That image that Sue posted with the warning sign, if you are not down in 3rd or 2nd gear by then (depending on weight), you maybe smelling the brakes before the bottom of the decent.

When I go descend, it is max 3rd gear then down to second and first on the steepest sections and switchbacks. Don't constantly ride the brakes and you will be fine.

As for the comments about following a semi down the hill. Not a good idea as depending on weight, they will crawl down at 3-4 miles per hour and less in the switchbacks. If you follow them at this low speed, you will toast the brakes as you will continuously be applying them to keep slow enough behind the semi.

I may be coming home via Duffey Lake in a couple of weeks. If I do, I will attach the GOPro to the truck before descending then post some video so that people can see that the descent is not as bad as made out to be.

Following a truck down is a good idea. In case of brake trouble with the Flintstone brakes pickups have just roll gently into the back of him and let him hold you on the road.