Stuck on the icey road.

[kyratshooter]

Past time to update the vehicle kits for my area. You never know when you are going to be sitting for 8 hours waiting for the state to decide enough people have frozen to death. They do that here.

In our area that means never getting below 1/2 tank of fuel, having an alternate heat scource in the vehicle, having food and water on board and blankets and sleeping bags.


http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Big-Traffic-Delays-On-South-I-71-In-Northern/q8jGkm9d70KFt9vDWugvkg.cspx

Traffic stopped at 10 pm Thursday night and did not start moving again until Friday morning. I-71 runs from Cincinnati to Louisville, not exactly the great frozen north. All this was caused by less than an inch of snow.

[Power Giant]

The other night I needed to put my tire chains on to make it up the driveway. It was the first time this year that I needed to do that. After freezing my hands, I realized that they didn't fit. The used tires that I bought the previous Fall were slightly larger and the chains wouldn't go on. I had to walk home, get the tractor going, plow the road, put the tractor back home, walk back down the driveway to get the Jeep to drive home. Whew! I'm getting too old for this stuff! I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. It seems its usually the little details that get you.

[crashdive123]

Hills? I've heard of em, but haven't seen em for a bit.

[randyt]

I'm curious, do they allow studded tires in Ky?

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

The other night I needed to put my tire chains on to make it up the driveway. It was the first time this year that I needed to do that. After freezing my hands, I realized that they didn't fit. The used tires that I bought the previous Fall were slightly larger and the chains wouldn't go on. I had to walk home, get the tractor going, plow the road, put the tractor back home, walk back down the driveway to get the Jeep to drive home. Whew! I'm getting too old for this stuff! I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. It seems its usually the little details that get you.

PowerGiant couldn't get up the driveway...that is an irony.

[Delta 5168]

Well, after I rib you with "Get a Ford", LOL, I'll entertain you with the notion that down here in the sunny south, it is REQUIRED that you dash to the grocery store to get bread, milk and eggs if the weather report even MENTIONS the word SNOW! Survival rule #1 down here: French toast will save you from everything!

[natertot]

Well, after I rib you with "Get a Ford"

You beat me to it!!!!!:tank:

[Mouser]

You know...when I was out in Montana...they use to always ask me why I wore a seat beat..

I never really understood that...chances are higher going thru the window rather than be trapped in the truck.

[kyratshooter]

I'm curious, do they allow studded tires in Ky?

Yes they are permitted.

http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/studded-tires/

But no one here uses them. That would be an admission that it is going to snow and one was actually preparing for it. You might be able to see into the north, only a few hunder yards across the river, but you are supposed to be imune from their weather patterns.


Around here the belief system is that we are in the south and it does not snow in the south so why prepare. (Yea they told me it never gets cold in Florida too!)

It is almost as bad a Ohio where they work on the assumption that we had winter last year, it is over, and will never happn again.

The problem is not just the snow. Our infrastructure here is so stresses it can not handle the flow of traffic in ideal conditions. If you throw a slowdown or one blocked lane into the mix everything comes to a complete hault.

The other factor is the sensless decisions of the road crews all of which are run by people with IQ ratings in the negitive catagory. Rather than bring a salt/plow truck down the interstate the wrong way under police escort to reach the slick spot that has things jammed up, they will hault traffic and try to get to the even down the shoulder, which is also normally blocked. The Bridge between KY and IN was blocked last year for 10 hours while KY tried to get permission to cross into IN and run up the packed road for 14 miles. IN asked why they did not approach the bridge from their side and was informed that was driving the wrong way on the highway. DUUUUUH!

They could have driven right up to the slick bridge, salted it and had traffic moving in just a few minutes, but insterad they block the highway for 10 hours.

[ClayPick]

I like it when the roads get bad around my place, it’s like open season for 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. Nice thing about retirement is being able to stay home.

[Wildthang]

well it hax snowed around 3 inches here this morning, and the plows have ran. It is just business as usual here. I have a 4X4 Tundra and it has front and rear limited slip differentials. I have never been stuck yet. We just stay in when it snows because we keep tons of food on hand and rarely ever need to go out in bad weather. We just stay at home and watch movies in bed!

[hunter63]

We had a bad one in 2008, when the LEOs refused to let snowmobelers to go check on people stuck......Talk about a FUBAR...
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/29523539.html

[Geek]

In 1978 there was a snowstorm in the New York area that dumped 3 feet of snow all at once. While this area normally gets snow in the winter, that was the most I have seen from one storm. The result was Route 3 coming out of the Lincoln tunnel became blocked about 6-7 miles from the tunnel. The traffic was then blocked all the way back to the Lincoln Tunnel and it took a few days to clear the resulting jam.

I witnessed this mess as I went by in the opposite direction and to this day it is one of my primary scenarios when I discuss being prepared.

[Seniorman]

We got about 9" or 10" of snow here in s.w. Idaho a couple of weeks ago. It seems that those who should know better, drive faster... because after all,they have snow or studded tires, or a four wheel drive vehicle. Not to worry, right?? Lots of fender benders, ending up in ditches, a few injuries, and a couple of fatalities.

Happens every year.

S.M.

[kyratshooter]

I have found, in my travel through life, that there are just as many idiots in snow prone areas as there are in dryer warmer climates.

I had this very discussion with a fool from Michigan a couple of weeks ago. He was bragging that in Michigan hey did not let a little thing like a foot of snw keep them off the roads, "they knew how to drivein it"! I claimed that the same car on the same ice in a different state was just as prone to sliding in one state as the other, and no one could drive well with zero coeficient of friction. They just absorbed the thousands of wrecks as "Normal" and kept driving around them.

Everyone thinks that if is can move, it should move faster, and if it can move faster it should go at normal speed.

And people with 4wd are some of the worst offenders. They have go power, but no stop power.

[sticker]

I cant tell ya how many times I have been passed by 4wds just to find them spun out and in the ditch further down the road.

[randyt]

I know it mean of me but I get a kick out of people that blow by me with the "get out of the way slow poke" attitude and then a few miles down the road they are in the ditch. I have no sympathy for them.

[hunter63]

As a younger man, ...one hobby was sports cars, sports car racing....including ice racing.

Did very well, enough victories to get may name in the local paper.....and was the camera car for a local TV station's bit on the sport.

So when a winter storm came along, I would get the comments,.... "Well you should really like driving in this stuff, right?.....Good at it and all, right?

My answer would be, "Yes is fun when there is nothing else, or nobody else to hit., or worse, no one to hit me.........Just means I have a better respect of what can happen."

Knowing what to do, will take you a long way, bit of disgression will get you even farther.

[Faiaoga]

:innocent: Most checklists of preparation for winter driving fail to mention some tool able to cut branches to put under tires to provide traction when a vehicle is stuck - short machete, big hunting knife, sharpened edge of a shovel. folding saw can all be used.

[1stimestar]

I drive a 4 wheel drive with studded snow tires. I have never gone in the ditch in the 9 years I've been here, because I slow my butt down! The problem with having to drive so slow and controlled all winter long is that when summer hits, one really wants to let loose and hammer down lol. This was the part of the drive to my house last year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcj2fW3fovg&feature=share&list=UU6l575dlsttFJzJQz8G8z0w
I saw several vehicles in the ditch on this hill as well as several spots where vehicles had gone off and were already out when I came by. My drive into town is a bit easier now but I lived there for a year.

[Old GI]

Bride and I have kits in each vehicle. Enough food and water for 2-3 days, heat sources, heavy clothing, sleeping bag, tow strap, etc.

[JPGreco]

Just happened here on LI. A whole hell of a lot of people spent the night in their cars cause the snow. Roads were jammed cause of accidents and such and nobody apparently could get to the people. My bro walked a mile to get picked up somewhere closer to home and my aunt and cousin spent the night in their car.

I'd laugh at anyone who said I couldn't go check on people if I had a snowmobile and was able to maneuver down the roads. I actually wish I had a deep snow vehicle of any kind. I would have taken the unplowed backroads to get out to my family and take em home. Then probably would have gone back out to check for anyone who absolutely couldn't spend the night in a car.

I'm thinking any 4x4 with LSD, some good tires, and chains will allow me to take on 2ft of snow. A winch and a shovel added for good measure and I should be able to get to anyone.

[oly]

Hills? I've heard of em, but haven't seen em for a bit.

I thought you was the king of the hill

[crashdive123]

That was over the hill.

[hunter63]

Just happened here on LI. A whole hell of a lot of people spent the night in their cars cause the snow. Roads were jammed cause of accidents and such and nobody apparently could get to the people. My bro walked a mile to get picked up somewhere closer to home and my aunt and cousin spent the night in their car.

I'd laugh at anyone who said I couldn't go check on people if I had a snowmobile and was able to maneuver down the roads. I actually wish I had a deep snow vehicle of any kind. I would have taken the unplowed backroads to get out to my family and take em home. Then probably would have gone back out to check for anyone who absolutely couldn't spend the night in a car.

I'm thinking any 4x4 with LSD, some good tires, and chains will allow me to take on 2ft of snow. A winch and a shovel added for good measure and I should be able to get to anyone.

FYI, 4 wheel drive allows you to get stuck deeper in the carp than you ever have before.......keep the same gear aboard.....
Just sayin'

[kyratshooter]

At my age I have discovered that the best use for a 4wd in snow deep enough to need 4wd, is as a smooth surface in the driveway to measure the depth of the snow on its roof.

There is food in the pantry, coffee in the pot and the heat still works, why would I want to leave the house?

[Rick]

Bride and I have kits in each vehicle. Enough food and water for 2-3 days, heat sources, heavy clothing, sleeping bag, tow strap, etc.

Ditto...along with maps, hand tools, aerial marker, CB/Ham radio, road flares, goggles, gloves, wool socks and bunny boots.

[JPGreco]

FYI, 4 wheel drive allows you to get stuck deeper in the carp than you ever have before.......keep the same gear aboard.....
Just sayin'

Definitely not saying I'm invincible. I see plenty of 4x4's sitting in ditches cause the people driving them don't know squat. I'm just saying that for the situations we just went through, with a decent 4x4 with the proper setup, I could drive through the amount of snow we had. Personally, a snowmobile or atv would work for that problem too though...