Boatwrench
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Petaluma, CA
17 hours; 975 miles.
I left Saturday morning at 0600. Good drive, no problems sun shining all the way up US 6 to to the top of Soldier Summit. On the west down hill drive about 100' below summit hit snow flurries the IC guys warned me about at the dinner. Made SLC airport by 1015.
20 miles west of SLC airport start getting steady flurries and stiff head winds.
Between Wendover and Wells NV is a 6,900' pass. At the bottom was a flashing sign: Chains or snow tires required, a mile later, still just blowing snow, about an inch on the pavement but there is a rolled over Ford F350. about half way up the traffic which was single file stops. I nudge into the snow covered #1 (of three) lanes and continue up at about 35mph. Turn a curve and there in the center lane is the reason for the stoppage, a driver installing chains on a big rig. The number 3 lane has also become a chain install area. A mile later it all stops, all lanes jammed by big rigs without the required chains. Look closely and the pick-up two vehicles ahead of me didn't have chains either.
I sit for an hour and a half. It's cold. Every ten minutes I move the Jeep a foot to keep the snow from building around the tires.
Nature calls. I walk to the center median and see two things. An "authorized vehicle" turn around about 100 yds west and the median is soft dry powder. Also a NVDOT pickup making it's way up the median w/o chains.
Hmm...I walk back to the XJ, authorize myself to use that turn around and start working from the center lane onto the median, actually driving across the #1 lane at 90 degrees. Move up the shoulder to turn around to get a room in Wendover but the turnaround has a plow coming through, he turns up hill and I follow along with a few big rigs. Two hours to go 16 miles.
Listening to channel 19 and drivers cuss each other out for not putting on chains was entertaining. The NVDOT guys were up the road about 1/2 mile moving the barrels to open the #1 lane ahead of the plow.
Stopped in Reno, NV at Cabella's for ammo and dinner. Pulled into my driveway about 1030.
I left Saturday morning at 0600. Good drive, no problems sun shining all the way up US 6 to to the top of Soldier Summit. On the west down hill drive about 100' below summit hit snow flurries the IC guys warned me about at the dinner. Made SLC airport by 1015.
20 miles west of SLC airport start getting steady flurries and stiff head winds.
Between Wendover and Wells NV is a 6,900' pass. At the bottom was a flashing sign: Chains or snow tires required, a mile later, still just blowing snow, about an inch on the pavement but there is a rolled over Ford F350. about half way up the traffic which was single file stops. I nudge into the snow covered #1 (of three) lanes and continue up at about 35mph. Turn a curve and there in the center lane is the reason for the stoppage, a driver installing chains on a big rig. The number 3 lane has also become a chain install area. A mile later it all stops, all lanes jammed by big rigs without the required chains. Look closely and the pick-up two vehicles ahead of me didn't have chains either.
I sit for an hour and a half. It's cold. Every ten minutes I move the Jeep a foot to keep the snow from building around the tires.
Nature calls. I walk to the center median and see two things. An "authorized vehicle" turn around about 100 yds west and the median is soft dry powder. Also a NVDOT pickup making it's way up the median w/o chains.
Hmm...I walk back to the XJ, authorize myself to use that turn around and start working from the center lane onto the median, actually driving across the #1 lane at 90 degrees. Move up the shoulder to turn around to get a room in Wendover but the turnaround has a plow coming through, he turns up hill and I follow along with a few big rigs. Two hours to go 16 miles.
Listening to channel 19 and drivers cuss each other out for not putting on chains was entertaining. The NVDOT guys were up the road about 1/2 mile moving the barrels to open the #1 lane ahead of the plow.
Stopped in Reno, NV at Cabella's for ammo and dinner. Pulled into my driveway about 1030.
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