Driving from Alta to Heavenly

"lal_truckee" wrote

Are you sure you know what you're talking about? Cable chains
are good for keeping you on the road and being able to stop.
Yes they are not that good if you're concerned about getting stuck,
but that's absolutely not a problem if you're on major roads and
hotel parking lots.

I assume you are defending "cable chains" because you've been suckered into buying them? I can't imagine any other reason.

First, they're much easier on tires. If you have an expensive high
performance tires you'll think twice before putting chains on.
Some cars have enough clearance for cables, but not enough for
chains (mine is like this). They're lighter and pack smaller.
Because they're lighter, it's possible to drive faster with them. If they
fall off they are less likely to destroy something in the car on their way
out.

Chains are superior for all purposes, just as easy to install if you're moderately competent, just as quiet if properly fitted and
installed, and CHEAPER.

Cheaper? 30-50 bucks is pretty much standard for both styles, didn't
know they're cheaper. They are absolutely definitely less quiet no
matter what you do with them.

But in any case - cables litter the highway after a snow - just pick up what you need, if you want to try them. It'd be a favor to
us who live here if you would collect the roadside trash.

Most likely because there are not a lot of people using chains these
days.

"Terry Morse" wrote

Squaw is nowhere near Heavenly. Squaw is 80 out of Reno, Heavenly is 50,
through Carson City.

Will that be much faster than via Truckee and 89 to the lake?


50 to Heavenly is definitely faster than 80 to Truckee, then 89 to
the lake, then around the lake. Truckee to Stateline can take an
hour or more.

Okay, but in our case we're taking off at 6-7AM and driving towards
Tahoe. I still think Squaw via i-80 will be at least half an hour
faster than Heavenly via Carson City, probably a full hour faster.
7AM + 10 hours of driving gives 5PM arrival time, that's when the
night skiing starts at Squaw. Ski for 2-3 hours, then drive up to
a hotel and crash in at 10.

Night skiing at Squaw is actually quite a nice experience, the
big gondola, views of the night village, etc. Slopes are easy,
but hey after 10 hours of driving that's what you need.

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 14:18:28 -0600, "pigo"
wrote:



What kind of car are you getting? Good snow tires and moderation of speed
should do you just fine.

If you know a place in SLC that rents cars with good snow tires,
please advise. I'd really appreciate it.

bw

"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.

"Terry Morse" wrote in message
...
AH wrote:

What is the deal with chains? I'm from Australia, but live in London,
and
as it rarely snows in both places, I have never really driven in snow..

At what point should you put them on? If there is 2 inches of snow on
the
ground is it really necessary to fit them at that point?

In California, unless you have a 4WD, you put on chains when the
highway folks tell you to. Here's the state's Winter Driving page:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/wntrdriv.htm

Note that every vehicle must carry chains, even 4WD with snow tires.
I've been driving in the California mountains for years in a Jeep
and have never put on chains. I still carry some, to show the
Highway Patrol that I have them.

I carry a box with the wrong size chains in them in the back of my Jeep,
just so I'll have some to show. I figure if the road is so bad I need to
put chains on over the 4WD, I'm going back home instead.

"uglymoney" wrote in message
...

good driving advice

If you are going to be travelling at night, and it is snowing, allow me to
share a scary story.

I was doing a trip to Utah once a few years back, trying to make Alta right
at sunup. That meant driving an old Chevy van outfitted as a mini-camper
all night up I-15. As luck would have it, it was snowing big beautiful Utah
powder flakes. My tiny little skier brain realized that meant that the
skiing next day would be epic, and overcame my big smart good-driver brain,
that was begging to pull over until daylight.

I attempted to pass a large semi in a stretch of I-15 where only the right
lane was plowed. (I don't think it was really plowed; the trucks just blew
that light, dry powder off the road as they passed) I gave up the attempt
when I got into the big wake off the front of the truck, and fell back in
line behind it.

Less than a quarter mile down the road, we came upon a towtruck sitting in
the left lane trying to pull a stuck car out of the median. If I had come
to that point while in the snow blowing off the truck, I wouldn't even have
seen the flashing lights before I hit it.

"Dmitry" wrote in message
news:CZhfd.6728$HA.3210@attbi_s01...

"lal_truckee" wrote

Are you sure you know what you're talking about? Cable chains
are good for keeping you on the road and being able to stop.
Yes they are not that good if you're concerned about getting stuck,
but that's absolutely not a problem if you're on major roads and
hotel parking lots.

I assume you are defending "cable chains" because you've been suckered
into buying them? I can't imagine any other reason.

First, they're much easier on tires. If you have an expensive high
performance tires you'll think twice before putting chains on.
Some cars have enough clearance for cables, but not enough for
chains (mine is like this). They're lighter and pack smaller.
Because they're lighter, it's possible to drive faster with them. If they
fall off they are less likely to destroy something in the car on their way
out.

Chains are superior for all purposes, just as easy to install if you're
moderately competent, just as quiet if properly fitted and installed, and
CHEAPER.

Cheaper? 30-50 bucks is pretty much standard for both styles, didn't
know they're cheaper. They are absolutely definitely less quiet no
matter what you do with them.

But in any case - cables litter the highway after a snow - just pick up
what you need, if you want to try them. It'd be a favor to us who live
here if you would collect the roadside trash.

Most likely because there are not a lot of people using chains these
days.

your a dumb ass on all counts please stop posting and say high to you r
alter egos.
But in any case - cables litter the highway after a snow - just pick up
what you need, if you want to try them. It'd be a favor to us who live
here if you would collect the roadside trash.

Most likely because there are not a lot of people using chains these
days.

"pigo" wrote in message
...

"Walt" wrote in message
...

If it dumps while you're in SLC, follow pigo's advice and drive to the
bottom of BCC or LCC and take the bus up to the slopes. You can also
take public transportation around to Park City, but it's a bit more of a
hassle.

Yep. The F(ront)WD is my recommendation as well unless he's got too much
money. The Stratus is like a bigger Neon. Every once an a while you can
get an SUV for about $150/wk. He'll have to decide if it's worth $150
extra for the trip.

He's staying at the Cliff. **NO** need for a car at all. Same at Heavenly.
Once he's there, he **HOPES** that the roads close.

Hwy. 50 up out of Carson City is a pretty big road. Unless it's a huge
dump, that inconveniences everyone, he shouldn't get locked out of Tahoe.
Going through the N. Shore (as someone suggested) seems like an
unnecessary detour though.

Having lived in carson and driven that road many times , when the wether
hits * up go the chain signs* and the chain gangs as we call them.

"Richard Henry" wrote in message news:iikfd.18516

I carry a box with the wrong size chains in them in the back of my Jeep,
just so I'll have some to show. I figure if the road is so bad I need to
put chains on over the 4WD, I'm going back home instead.

Heh Heh.
well you can stop pretending to be a powder skier then.

"Seth Bullock" wrote in message
...
Dmitry wrote:

"lal_truckee" wrote


I can't believe you said that! "Chains required" condition on I-80 is
a VERY GOOD THING, and you should be driving your wheels off
to get to the mountain ASAP, and NOT holing up in a hotel. Ugh!

No, he should hole up elsewhere. It's unsafe to be in the mountains and
specially near the slopes, when the roads are snowed on. I know, since I
live near the slopes and I suffer extremely dangerous conditions every
single time.
Like now. Bummer.


Eh? Where's this danger is coming from?



Visiting Australians. ;-
snow boareders