Tahoe this weekend

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Never driven in the snow. Never driven with chains. Of all the people I'm going with I believe I'm the only one with a snowboard and all the gear. Half our group dropped out and I'm not even so sure I wanted to go. It seems the rest of the people going now are going for the sake of not throwing our $800 cabin payment into the water.

I got a pair of chains and I'm looking to head out in 5 hours. I'll be the first of the group meaning I leave before the storm hits the Bay Area. There are people leaving after work and stuff too. I wish them the best of luck. The bad news is I guess I get to drive on snow first. If it's anything as bad as I imagine it to be I'll turn back and notify the others meaning they miss out on the danger. The good news is if I find it ok, I'll be the one driving under the easiest conditions since I'm heading out at least 3 hours before everyone the next car.

Am I excited to go snowboarding? Kinda, but this whole weather and driving deal is worrying me more than the excitement is getting to me, so I don't know.

I hope I make it.

 

[QurazyQuisp]

Just remember to drive in slow motion, and what I mean by that is start everything earlier and take longer to do it. If it's braking, start stopping before you normally would, and gently, not slamming on the braks. If you're changing lanes, do so slowly. (not speedwise but the movement to the other lane)

As long as you don't make any quick movements, you'll be fine. Winter driving really is not bad at all.

 

[Glayde]

It's the winter crashing that gets to you!

But yeah to repeat what he said, just give yourself extra time/space.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp
Just remember to drive in slow motion, and what I mean by that is start everything earlier and take longer to do it. If it's braking, start stopping before you normally would, and gently, not slamming on the brakes. If you're changing lanes, do so slowly. (not speedwise but the movement to the other lane)

As long as you don't make any quick movements, you'll be fine. Winter driving really is not bad at all.

Fixed your speleng for ya...

Break is NOT the same as brake...

 

[DrVos]

Practice putting on your chains before you leave! They can be a pain to put on the first few times especially when its cold and dark. If you are unsure about installing them there should be installation crews at the checkpoints. Just make sure you don't drive around when there isn't any snow or ice on the ground and stay under 30 mph. Good luck!

 

[QurazyQuisp]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp
Just remember to drive in slow motion, and what I mean by that is start everything earlier and take longer to do it. If it's braking, start stopping before you normally would, and gently, not slamming on the brakes. If you're changing lanes, do so slowly. (not speedwise but the movement to the other lane)

As long as you don't make any quick movements, you'll be fine. Winter driving really is not bad at all.

Fixed your speleng for ya...

Break is NOT the same as brake...

Hehe thanks, sometimes spelling gets the best of me.

 

[meltdown75]

lmao. snow n00b

 

[FoBoT]

you can do it

leave sooner, leave now

good luck







can i have your stuff if.... something bad happens?

 

[JoeKing]

bring a shovel and a bag of sand for when your car gets stuck!

 

[iamwiz82]

find a snow covered parking lot or something and explore how your car reacts.

 

[dr150]

Good luck with a HUGE commute. We went up last weekend. No problem getting there, but.....

On the way back, snow threatened closure of roads coming out of Tahoe. It was bumper to bumper to bumper all the way out of the mountains. I have a stick shift.....can you imagine my pain???!!

What usually took 4 hrs to get back to San Francisco took 10 HOURS!!!

Remember that Tahoe has single roads with traffic lights. When you have tons of people leaving at 11AM, you can imagine the que. Tahoe is badly set up for huge numbers.

It was a huge slog of a drive. Thank God for Sirius radio!! It help melt away the hours.

At Heavenly, strong winds closed many lifts and visibility was poor with the flurries. Bring a face mask...or your face will freeze!!! And an extra glove liner (available at REI, etc)...your hands will freeze no matter how high falutin your gloves are.

When you leave Tahoe, leave EARLY....say 6AM before the rest hit the roads at 9AM. It'll make the drive easier. Also, fill up the tank before leaving. You'll burn A LOT of gas in bumper to bumper driving!

When you skid on the road on the black ice, use pumping brake to regain control...this is Ice Driving 101, btw! Drive slowly. be mindful that ice will be prevalent in the early morning which should make you drive more cautiously than usual.

Regarding chains, it's $30 to put them on and $15 to take them off at chain control centers....unless you do it yourself.

Have fun.(?)

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: DrVos
Practice putting on your chains before you leave! They can be a pain to put on the first few times especially when its cold and dark. If you are unsure about installing them there should be installation crews at the checkpoints. Just make sure you don't drive around when there isn't any snow or ice on the ground and stay under 30 mph. Good luck!

I definitely second this idea. Learning to put chains on while you're on the side of the road in crappy weather is NOT the way to do this. If you don't want to bother with it, then pay the guys at the chain points to do it for you.
Remember, chains have their limitations. They will help you go, but don't help a lot when you have to stop...
I don't miss snow and cold a bit. Tire chains are a PITA.

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: dr150
Good luck with a HUGE commute. We went up last weekend. No problem getting there, but.....

On the way back, snow threatened closure of roads coming out of Tahoe. It was bumper to bumper to bumper all the way out of the mountains. I have a stick shift.....can you imagine my pain???!!

What usually took 4 hrs to get back to San Francisco took 10 HOURS!!!

Remember that Tahoe has single roads with traffic lights. When you have tons of people leaving at 11AM, you can imagine the que. Tahoe is badly set up for huge numbers.

It was a huge slog of a drive. Thank God for Sirius radio!! It help melt away the hours.

At Heavenly, strong winds closed many lifts and visibility was poor with the flurries. Bring a face mask!!

When you leave Tahoe, leave EARLY....say 6AM before the rest hit the roads at 9AM. It'll make the drive easier.

When you skid on the road on the black ice, use pumping brake to regain control...this is Ice Driving 101, btw!

Have fun.(?)

That's when I hate skiing...when the roads are bad on the mountain and you end up stuck for hours.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: dr150
Good luck with a HUGE commute. We went up last weekend. No problem getting there, but.....

On the way back, snow threatened closure of roads coming out of Tahoe. It was bumper to bumper to bumper all the way out of the mountains. I have a stick shift.....can you imagine my pain???!!

What usually took 4 hrs to get back to San Francisco took 10 HOURS!!!

Remember that Tahoe has single roads with traffic lights. When you have tons of people leaving at 11AM, you can imagine the que. Tahoe is badly set up for huge numbers.

It was a huge slog of a drive. Thank God for Sirius radio!! It help melt away the hours.

At Heavenly, strong winds closed many lifts and visibility was poor with the flurries. Bring a face mask!!

When you leave Tahoe, leave EARLY....say 6AM before the rest hit the roads at 9AM. It'll make the drive easier.

When you skid on the road on the black ice, use pumping brake to regain control...this is Ice Driving 101, btw!

Have fun.(?)

You should not be pumping the brakes if you have ABS.

 

[Schfifty Five]

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp
Just remember to drive in slow motion, and what I mean by that is start everything earlier and take longer to do it. If it's braking, start stopping before you normally would, and gently, not slamming on the brakes. If you're changing lanes, do so slowly. (not speedwise but the movement to the other lane)

As long as you don't make any quick movements, you'll be fine. Winter driving really is not bad at all.

Fixed your speleng for ya...

Break is NOT the same as brake...

Hehe thanks, sometimes spelling gets the best of me.

Still not fixed haha. You still have "braks" =P

 

[homercles337]

Where are you going? I grew up in tahoe. Dont worry driving in the snow is a piece of cake. Have you never done it or something?

I miss tahoe.

 

[Josh123]

Come pick me up in Texas dude, we can take my truck. I want to go snowboarding .

 

[TallBill]

It'll be well worth it... as long as you dont actually die.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: homercles337
Where are you going? I grew up in tahoe. Dont worry driving in the snow is a piece of cake. Have you never done it or something?

I miss tahoe.

Nope. Last time I went in the snow was as a kid so I don't really remember. As for driving, I've always driven in the clear weather. I've gone 3 times this season and it's with those bus trips so I haven't driven in a while into Tahoe.

Originally posted by: dr150
Good luck with a HUGE commute. We went up last weekend. No problem getting there, but.....

On the way back, snow threatened closure of roads coming out of Tahoe. It was bumper to bumper to bumper all the way out of the mountains. I have a stick shift.....can you imagine my pain???!!

What usually took 4 hrs to get back to San Francisco took 10 HOURS!!!

Remember that Tahoe has single roads with traffic lights. When you have tons of people leaving at 11AM, you can imagine the que. Tahoe is badly set up for huge numbers.

It was a huge slog of a drive. Thank God for Sirius radio!! It help melt away the hours.

At Heavenly, strong winds closed many lifts and visibility was poor with the flurries. Bring a face mask...or your face will freeze!!! And an extra glove liner (available at REI, etc)...your hands will freeze no matter how high falutin your gloves are.

When you leave Tahoe, leave EARLY....say 6AM before the rest hit the roads at 9AM. It'll make the drive easier. Also, fill up the tank before leaving. You'll burn A LOT of gas in bumper to bumper driving!

When you skid on the road on the black ice, use pumping brake to regain control...this is Ice Driving 101, btw! Drive slowly. be mindful that ice will be prevalent in the early morning which should make you drive more cautiously than usual.

Regarding chains, it's $30 to put them on and $15 to take them off at chain control centers....unless you do it yourself.

Have fun.(?)

Yup, good tips. I always gas up because you never know what will happen. Did you return on Monday or Sunday. I went on Saturday (day trip), and I was back before the bad weather settled in so I don't even know how bad it was. I was home in the South Bay the next day (Sunday) and it didn't seem so bad but my friend told me that the car she was in returning on Sunday got totaled and they had to stay another night at a friend's cabin.

I've practiced chains already last nighta fter buying them and I drove around the block. The bumpiness is scary but I guess it'll force me to stay under 30 for sure.

As for temperatures-wise I should be ready. Last time I went to Northstar, it was the day after the storm and highs werein the 20s. When we got off our bus it was 7 deg >.<

I think I'm probably the most prepped out of our whole group. I've charged extra batteries, extra cell phone battery too, found 2 flashlights, prepped my GPS, bookmarked CalTrans road conditions sites on my phone, and I should be good to go. I've tested the chains out, practiced putting them on, driven around too, kinda got the hang of it. I think the worst part of this is that I'm just worrying too much.

If I die FoBoT, you can have my gear =)

 

[d33pt]

we came up there earlier this month, during the HUGE storm when everyone was telling you to stay home. it was the BEST snowboarding trip ever. not alot of people were around, and the powder was unbelievable. we have a 4x4, so we didn't need chains. it got pretty hairy the last 100 miles or so. but even my friend with an acura tl made it on chains.

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: DrVos
Practice putting on your chains before you leave! They can be a pain to put on the first few times especially when its cold and dark. If you are unsure about installing them there should be installation crews at the checkpoints. Just make sure you don't drive around when there isn't any snow or ice on the ground and stay under 30 mph. Good luck!

I definitely second this idea. Learning to put chains on while you're on the side of the road in crappy weather is NOT the way to do this. If you don't want to bother with it, then pay the guys at the chain points to do it for you.
Remember, chains have their limitations. They will help you go, but don't help a lot when you have to stop...
I don't miss snow and cold a bit. Tire chains are a PITA.

Yep. Like others said, practice chains in advance.
But usually there are people there who'll put them on and take them off for you. $20 to put on, $10 to take off if I remember correctly.

 

[0roo0roo]

yup practice, and don't forget emergency supplies if ur stuck...foods...clothes..

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: QurazyQuisp
Just remember to drive in slow motion, and what I mean by that is start everything earlier and take longer to do it. If it's braking, start stopping before you normally would, and gently, not slamming on the brakes. If you're changing lanes, do so slowly. (not speedwise but the movement to the other lane)

As long as you don't make any quick movements, you'll be fine. Winter driving really is not bad at all.

Fixed your speleng for ya...

Break is NOT the same as brake...

Well, now they're Braks, not Breaks. Sounds like something I would fight in Diablo II.

But really, winter driving isn't that bad. Unless you have a car that is naturally very bad in winter weather. I drive a 2003 Chevy Impala. Its "traction control" makes it harder to drive, and it just starts sliding as soon as you accelerate in snow.

Basically, just be more careful and do everything slower - braking, accelerating, turning.

 

[Kelvrick]

Oh, and since there hasn't been an ass in this thread yet, I'll be the first.

Since it seems you'll either be crashing or driving 10mph, please stay in the right lane and out of my way since I know how to drive in snow and don't feel like being stuck behind a bunch of slowass cars/suvs that couldn't take a corner at speed if their life depended on it.

I personally like to get there on friday and leave saturday or get there saturday leave monday to avoid the sunday traffic.

Make sure your spare is fully inflated. Here's a list of what I have in my car:

Flares/glow sticks
waterproof matches/bic lighters/magnesium fire starter
about 5 1 liter water bottles
a couple mre's
a couple energy bars
2 wool blankets
2 emergency blankets
folding shovel
kitty litter
camp axe
water purification tablets
10 hr emergency candles
about 20 feet of paracord
basic first aid kit (cold pack, splint, bandages, antibiotics, gauze)
emergency crank am/fm radio/flashlight
bottle of fix-a-flat
jumper cables
2 quarts of oil
gallon of antifreeze

Being in a subaru wagon with a roof rack, I'm at home up there in the mountains.

EDIT: These all fit in a nice rugged backpack. If I wasn't in Kalifornia, I'd have a permanent folding stock .22lr and 357 4" revolver and ammo in there too.

EDIT2: I love bypassing the chain checkpoints. They see the subaru star badge, they wave me by while you suckers have to get out of your car.

 

[axelfox]

I'm heading up this weekend, and I was trying to practice with the chains/cables. IT SUCKS PUTTING THEM ON. I'll just pay the money.