Moving west

You are only required to carry chains during a season where chains are required and if you are trying to drive in weather where chains might be required. If I head toward Eisenhower pass in January and there is not a flake of snow on the ground and there is no forecast of weather upcoming when I hit the bottom of that hill, there is no requirement to have chains on board (despite the requirements to have chains on board due to inclement weather). Even if this is a "legal" requirement, there is exactly ZERO chance that you would be stopped on dry roads with blue skies if you try to make the 11,000 foot pass East of Vail. I have done it while outrunning a snow storm I left behind in Glenwood Springs. I left Glenwood Springs in a blizzard which had just begun and I was pretty sure I could beat it to Vail. The DW was NOT HAPPY during the snowy part of the drive but as I anticipated, we drove out of the storm and got up the hill without incident before the storm had time to get there. The roads were dry and the skies were clear. Who do you think is going to stop me or the other 1,000's of cars/trucks/RV's making the same trip? This is a common sense issue (the DW said I had no common sense leaving Glenwood Springs in a blizzard!). If you drive in snowy weather then you need the things you need in snowy weather. If you come upon somewhere during the Winter where chains are required but there is no weather that would create any possibility that you could become a liability then you can breathe a sigh of relief and just continue on your drive.