Camping In Snow

blt2ski wrote:
A friend of mine pulled a 35' triple slide 5w the same weekends I pulled my TT up to the same ski area with a rwd F250. In the mtns around here 4wd is NOT always your friend.

I got in a wreck in my 86 S10 one mid January weekend. The two WSP officers at the seen, realized I was a rwd rig. Pushed a 4wd subaru into the snow bank. They both had been working that part of the hwy for 3 winters. I was the FIRST rwd to knock out a 4wd. Every OTHER wreck was caused be a 4wd! i've seen Audi quattros in the median after going so fast, the slid into it, ALL 4 tires including the lugs and nuts were off the car from the speed and impact. More 4wd Suburbans, pickups, Jeeps etc on the side, tops, rolling over etc than I can think of in 35+ years of driving up to the local areas. VERY few if any rwd rigs!

The folks with AWD and 4wd seem to think they are invincible. Reality is, they can get going, go real fast, but stopping....hah! no better than the rwd rig on 4 tires. WAY the heck worst than a rwd with chains on, when the chains required sign is up. Oh, if you cause a wreck with the chains required sign, while the WSP will let you be the chain check, you will still get a hefty fine for no chains, along with paying, well insurance company will pay for the wreck.

Along with, this person may get there on a sunny day, no snow on the roads, have a great few spring sunny days, leave, without EVER seeing a trace of snow on the road! Done that a few times too!

Anyone remember the days when 4wd was few and far between? How did we all get around with rear drive only cars. Much less part time 4wd, awd or fwd or radial tires with better designs for snow and ice than the old bias ply tires that were available........

Marty

Please don't take this personally as it is not meant to be that way. After living 9 years in the PNW, CO to OR back to CO now, my experience is that in the PNW, most of the residents don't see snow that much and they don't learn how to properly drive on it and that is why you saw what you saw. I lived it and saw it too.

Now, go and live in a place where snow is a common event, yes, there are some knuckleheads, but most understand how to drive in those conditions, 2WD, 4WD, AWD doesn't matter. It was a lot more dangerous driving on snow in the PNW or CA. They just don't have the experience...that doesn't make them bad people, just not very experienced is all.

I've got a lot of experience driving in snow in the mountains and even I am nervous of driving over a couple of passes come April when I try and tow my TT out I70 to Moab. I am very much hoping there is no snow...and this coming from someone that is extremely comfortable driving in big snow storms.