Driving from Alta to Heavenly

Hi all..

I am going to be skiing at Alta/Snowbird on the 6th and 7th of December,
then driving on the 8th to Heavenly and skiing there for 2 days... Map point
says that it will take about 9 hours, which is fine..

However, what I didn't realise is that this motorway is pretty "high" (asl)
and it seems to snow there.. my question is, how likely is the highway to be
closed, and if it does snow and stay open, how much will this affect my
journey?

Also, I'm hiring a car in LA (we're doing a 3 week trip going out as far as
SLC) and I need to get some snow chains. Just need them to last three
weeks.. anyone got a suggestion about where to buy some cheap ones?

"AH" wrote in message
.uk...
Hi all..

I am going to be skiing at Alta/Snowbird on the 6th and 7th of December,
then driving on the 8th to Heavenly and skiing there for 2 days... Map
point says that it will take about 9 hours, which is fine..

However, what I didn't realise is that this motorway is pretty "high"
(asl) and it seems to snow there.. my question is, how likely is the
highway to be closed, and if it does snow and stay open, how much will
this affect my journey?

Also, I'm hiring a car in LA (we're doing a 3 week trip going out as far
as SLC) and I need to get some snow chains. Just need them to last three
weeks.. anyone got a suggestion about where to buy some cheap ones?


Costco has cheap chains...as does wal mart I believe. If you don't use them
you could take them back to either of them I believe. If you do use them,
sell them on ebay after. I-80 from SLC to reno may get bad but they really
don't close it. Its only around Heavenly that it might get bad. The canyon
to alta might be closed to everyone but chains and 4x4 if it keeps up like
the past 4 days! yes

Root wrote:

"AH" wrote:

I am going to be skiing at Alta/Snowbird on the 6th and 7th of December,
then driving on the 8th to Heavenly and skiing there for 2 days... Map
point says that it will take about 9 hours, which is fine..

However, what I didn't realise is that this motorway is pretty "high"
(asl) and it seems to snow there.. my question is, how likely is the
highway to be closed, and if it does snow and stay open, how much will
this affect my journey?

Also, I'm hiring a car in LA (we're doing a 3 week trip going out as far
as SLC) and I need to get some snow chains. Just need them to last three
weeks.. anyone got a suggestion about where to buy some cheap ones?

Costco has cheap chains...as does wal mart I believe. If you don't use them
you could take them back to either of them I believe. If you do use them,
sell them on ebay after. I-80 from SLC to reno may get bad but they really
don't close it. Its only around Heavenly that it might get bad. The canyon
to alta might be closed to everyone but chains and 4x4 if it keeps up like
the past 4 days! yes

I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains, and
apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars. True? False? Somewhere in between?

--
Cheers, Bev
================================================== =====================
"Windows Freedom Day: a holiday that moves each year, the date of which
is calculated by adding up the total amount of time a typical person
must spend restarting windows and then determining how many work weeks
that would correspond to." -- Trygve Lode

The Real Bev wrote:

I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains,

Yes they do. They also frown on driving on unpaved (dirt) roads.
What they don't know won't hurt them. But you could be in trouble if
they find out.


apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars.

I think it depends on the car.

--
//-Walt
//
// Proud Member of the Reality-Based Community

"Walt" wrote

I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains,

Yes they do. They also frown on driving on unpaved (dirt) roads.
What they don't know won't hurt them. But you could be in trouble if
they find out.

This is quite strange, chains/cables are, among other things, a safety
device. I'd imagine rental companies will get suied in a blink of an eye
if they prohibit chain installation..

apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars.

I think it depends on the car.

A lot of expensive cars, esp. with sport package/big wheels don't
have enough clearence for chains. But cheaper ones that are
the bulk of what rental companies offer should not be a problem.

Dmitry wrote:

"Walt" wrote

I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains,

Yes they do. They also frown on driving on unpaved (dirt) roads.
What they don't know won't hurt them. But you could be in trouble if
they find out.

This is quite strange, chains/cables are, among other things, a safety
device. I'd imagine rental companies will get suied in a blink of an eye
if they prohibit chain installation..

Perhaps they prohibit driving their cars in areas where chain
installation is required.

apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars.

I think it depends on the car.

A lot of expensive cars, esp. with sport package/big wheels don't
have enough clearence for chains. But cheaper ones that are
the bulk of what rental companies offer should not be a problem.

Aren't the ones with cable on the sides and what look like aluminum
beads on the tread surface supposed to work? Painful closure method,
at least those nasty red things on conventional chains didn't slice your
fingers open and could be dealt with nicely with Channellocks if they
gave trouble.

--
Cheers,
Bev
---------------------------------------
That's my opinion. Ought to be yours.

"Dmitry" wrote in message
news:mKafd.314194$3l3.65114@attbi_s03...

This is quite strange, chains/cables are, among other things, a safety
device. I'd imagine rental companies will get suied in a blink of an eye
if they prohibit chain installation..

Most people are too stupid to instal them properly.


What kind of car is he renting? Subaru wagon or FWD with snowtires should
eliminate the need for chains anyway.

Walt wrote:

The Real Bev wrote:


I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains,

Yes they do.

That's odd, they give them to you in Geneva

Whether they fit or not is another matter entirely

"The Real Bev" wrote in message
...
Root wrote:
I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains, and
apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars. True? False? Somewhere in between?

This is something I will certainly have to check, however surely they would
prefer me to use chains in the snow, than run off the road and smash up
their car..

"AH" wrote in message
o.uk...

"The Real Bev" wrote in message
...
Root wrote:
I thought car rental companies frowned on the use of chains, and
apparently real made-out-of-real-chain chains don't fit in the
wheel-wells of modern cars. True? False? Somewhere in between?

This is something I will certainly have to check, however surely they
would
prefer me to use chains in the snow, than run off the road and smash up
their car..

Check the fine print. SOme car rental companies have nasty extra charges
for seemingly innocent things like driving over a state line. You may find
that they will charge you extra if you bring the car back with road salt on
it. I think it is best to be up front about what you plan to do. You may
even be able to get a car equipped with chains.

What they really wnat you to do is rent the car and then never leave their
lot with it, but leave the motor running so you can pay their jacked-up
fillup prices for gas.