[SIERA] Road conditions

[Terry Philbin]

For any of you out there considering anything symilar in the next few 
days, here's a cautionary tale.

In 1983 or so, Kris and I loaded up a Ryder truck, put our VW Rabbit on 
a trailer and headed from Carson City to a new assignment in Salt Lake 
City.  We ended up going down the east side of Pequop Summit in the 
snow, on packed snow surface.  Conditions were so bad that I could not 
even apply the brakes without going into a slide.  After a while (it's a 
long grade) I could not even take my foot off the gas too much without 
going into a slide.  That was one hair-raising ride.  You are faced with 
the choice of either continusly accelerating, or losing control. 

Bottom line here....  There are conditions that can get way over your 
head out there.  Chains might have worked....but I was outrunning a 
storm and had not yet even encountered snow on the pavement 'till after 
the summit. I went past the point of no return without even knowing it.  
Also;  I've encountered black ice in my day where chains or studded 
tires didn't do a damn bit of good.

My advice:  When the WX gets this bad,  Stay home, play on the radio, 
make some hot soup, enjoy.

Dick Young wrote:

>FWIW category...I pass this along in case there's anybody out there needing to tool on down 395 over the next few days.
>
>Had to get some stuff to a granddaughter in San Diego just getting situated in new digs in first year of college.  Needed to keep things "under cover" (vs the back of the pickemup) so rented a U-Haul trailer.
>
>Decided to leave Tuesday noon and "get as far as we could".  Toyota pickemup has all-terrain tires (nothing special) and vehicle is 4wheel drive.
>
>Anybody hauling a trailer behind a small pickemup last Tuesday afternoon over Deadman Summit and Conway needs to consider changing Doctors.
>
>Long story short, we made Bishop for the night!
>
>Purpose of this memo is just to let you know that the Caltrans plow folk along that piece of highway are super good.  They had conditions well bladed all along the route and, while things got kinda edgy a time or two or three, it really never appeared dangerous - even hauling a trailer.  I will admit to really not liking going down the hills - read that, down the South side of Conway - with that trailer.   
>
>Should I need to repeat the trip, and based on our experience this week, I'd not hesitate to do so - even with the trailer.
>
>Anyway.............
>
>Dick
>visit the SIERA website at www.siera-amateur-radio.org
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