Towing in the snow

Longest for me was pulling our 30' TT from Wells, Nevada to Terrace, BC on our way home from Vegas. I was trying to get ahead of a huge storm which I knew was coming, but didn't make it past Wells. Had to hole up in a truck stop in Twin Falls, Idaho for a couple of days to wait out the worst of the storm, then north on I15 to Coutts, Alberta, then to Edmonton, Alberta, and to home in Terrace, BC. About 1500 miles I think.

I have to say that Western Canada could learn a thing or two about snow and ice control from you 'Mericans. Nevada, Idaho, and Montana crews were right on it. Got to the Alberta border and it was like night and day. It was like 2 tracks of ice for the last 1,000 miles or so. Took 3½ days from Coutts to Terrace.

Not many idiots and only a couple of white knuckle moments in the mountains, so not so bad.

Just had ta get home, ya know!!

ssthrd wrote:


I have to say that Western Canada could learn a thing or two about snow and ice control from you 'Mericans. Nevada, Idaho, and Montana crews were right on it. Got to the Alberta border and it was like night and day. It was like 2 tracks of ice for the last 1,000 miles or so. Took 3½ days from Coutts to Terrace.

Not many idiots and only a couple of white knuckle moments in the mountains, so not so bad.

Just had ta get home, ya know!!

In the hours of trying to miss the idiots I have often wondered if much of the money spent clearing roads would not be better spent educating people about how to prepare/stay home until roads clear. What makes you think you are so important that you must get to work? Push that paper next week.
I can remember the state transportation dept would dump piles of cinders along the side of hiways. Steeper the hill, piles closer together. Every car was expected to carry chains, bucket, and shovel. Can't get up the hill? Spread cinders. And if in town, the car in front of you was stuck, you got out and helped push them.

I agree, although it seems like the older I get, the more I see the difference between educated and intelligent. Not to generalize, but wow! I had a disagreement with a Civil engineer awhile back when he stressed that the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle was shorter than one of the sides. On a battered wall, he argued that the difference in elevation was not the vertical distance, but the distance along the slope from bottom of wall to the top. And the top elevation was critical. The Pythagorean theorem is pretty basic, but I digress.......

I agree that education could make a difference, but a rigid budget over a life doesn't make sense. I realize that trying to budget for snow/ice control is a **** shoot, but that's what contingencies are for. It would be great if one could always have something in the pot for unforeseen events. A cap could be established and protected so that the money doesn't disappear to pay for something else if it is not used.

In the not too distant past, in anticipation of snow, brine was used in my area on the roads before an anticipated storm if it was not too cold to be effective. Wasn't always needed but was there when it was and gave the boys a good head start when the plows came out. Nowadays, proactive is not part of the program, because it's not a pay item in the contract. And naturally the owner has to look after his dollars while the contractor can't do work for free.

I'm out. Not sure where all that came from. I just have to vent now and then. Lol

No disrespect to engineers. This was a one time only occurrence with this one particular person.

JRscooby wrote:

ssthrd wrote:


I have to say that Western Canada could learn a thing or two about snow and ice control from you 'Mericans. Nevada, Idaho, and Montana crews were right on it. Got to the Alberta border and it was like night and day. It was like 2 tracks of ice for the last 1,000 miles or so. Took 3½ days from Coutts to Terrace.

Not many idiots and only a couple of white knuckle moments in the mountains, so not so bad.

Just had ta get home, ya know!!

In the hours of trying to miss the idiots I have often wondered if much of the money spent clearing roads would not be better spent educating people about how to prepare/stay home until roads clear. What makes you think you are so important that you must get to work? Push that paper next week.
I can remember the state transportation dept would dump piles of cinders along the side of hiways. Steeper the hill, piles closer together. Every car was expected to carry chains, bucket, and shovel. Can't get up the hill? Spread cinders. And if in town, the car in front of you was stuck, you got out and helped push them.

Well, shoot. Lol
I can answer the question to your years of wonderment.
What you’re saying makes zero sense. And that’s why snowplow money doesn’t get spent on educating people to stay home…..hahaha.
Thanks for the laugh.

CR CRUISER wrote:
I have to tow my 27'fifth wheel about 80 miles tomorrow. It's calling for 6-8" of snow today and tomorrow. Any tips or tricks?
I have a GMC Sierra 4X4 with good winter tires. I do have cable chains.
Thanks in advance.

I think the OP’s needs either have or haven’t been met, but the comments are getting nasty (and some are just absurd).

CR CRUISER, you’re welcome to ask me to reopen your thread if you want to discuss it further.