Driving in the winter (renting, motorhome, gated)

[Solidwood]

Here are a few suggestions for driving in the winter snowy conditions. Add to them as you like.
[SIZE=2]If the thought of making a trip over mountain passes scares you, the thought of driving there in the winter will terrify you. Here's how to make it a safe, fun adventure. [/SIZE] [SIZE=2]Difficulty Level: average Time Required: varies [/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Here's How: [/SIZE]

1. [SIZE=2]
2. Assess your skills honestly. If you have little winter driving experience and need to be over the passes quickly, please only drive as far as your airport.
3. If this is a holiday trip, decide whether driving a car, camper truck or motorhome are most appropriate to your plans. Flying north and then renting a vehicle is a good option for some people. Can you drive in snowy conditions?
4. When planning your itinerary, allow as much extra time as possible for new opportunities that arise along the way (or for the possibility of problems). Remember that the days get very short and it snows in the mountains and drift on the roads.
5. Use the major Highways, not state and county roads. It is the highways for driving in the winter, and they offer more services and safety as a result. Take a transponder in case........
6. Prepare your vehicle well - tune-up, oil change and a full safety check. Ensure that you have winter or all-season radial tires that are in excellent condition. "Studded" tires are not necessary or recommended on extended paverd road driving.
7. Carry some spare parts. Depending on your vehicle, that may be as little as a fan belt, thermostat and headlight, or a more elaborate kit if your vehicle is not common or really old.
8. Prepare for deep cold. Carry a sheet of corrugated cardboard large enough to cover your radiator if it gets so cold that your heater starts to lose it's effectiveness. Window ice-scrapers are mandatory equipment. Then have something for heat source in the event you are stuck off the road a few days. A cell phone won't help you in Alaska.
9. Carry at least a good map, preferably a detailed highway guide. "The Milepost" is the undisputed king of Alaska-Yukon highway guides, but many listed facilities are closed in the winter.
10. Be prepared to spend the night in your vehicle. It isn't likely, but vehicle problems or weather can change your plans quickly. That means carrying an Arctic sleeping bag or lots of extra heavy clothes, and some food and water. You may want a diary and DNR (do not resusitate form) kept in your glove box.
11. Everywhere you stop, ask about conditions ahead, both road and weather. Plan accordingly - don't leave a warm coffee shop and head into conditions you may not be able to handle. "Bravado" has no place in such circumstances as long as you're still in the coffee shop. Then you may need all the bravado you can muster to survive if you've left the coffee shop.
12. Snow conditions can vary dramatically in a very short distance. A good road may turn into a sheet of ice with no visible signs except to the highly experienced. You should usually be driving well under the speed limit. Lights on and defroster full blast.
13. Whenever you stop, clear the snow and ice from all your windows, and from your tail lights - they are often neglected. Bringing a hot coffee back into your car can ice up all your windows instantly! A hot ham sandwich between your legs make a tasty snack and a warming companion.
14. If the temperature is below about minus 15 C., never shut your vehicle off unless you're at a lodge or other facility where assistance is available if needed. Bears can smell you even buried in your car under a blanket of snow.
15. Driving when it's snowing can be hypnotizing - be aware of the effects, and stop for a break occasionally if needed. Better to take a portable bedpan than risk stepping into a 10 foot snow drift.
16. When meeting another vehicle, be aware of the possible "snow dust" that can drop your visibility to zero for a lengthy distance. I always ensure that nobody is behind me so I can slow or even stop when that happens - if luck isn't with you, the conditions seen in the photo at the bottom can go on for hours and hundreds of miles. So can the roads go on for hours and hiudreds of miles.
17. Now that we have all the cautions written down, think about how amazingly beautiful the mountain passes are in the winter. You will be one of the few who get the privilege of seeing it, so savour every mile of it and stay at home.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=2]Tips: [/SIZE]

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2. Don't take the calendar too seriously - winter can visit 9 months of the year in some of the passes.
3. Take your time![/SIZE]

[McGowdog]

Hmmm. A lot of info there.

Our highways and maybe even some Interstates here have a gate on them. When it gets THAT bad, they close.

The only time I push it when driving in the snow is when going to work or returning home from work.

Bears can smell people in buried cars? We should use them for avalanche rescue. Keep them well fed with berries and honey and stuff though.

Flashforward to Ryanek9freak: reminds me of the joke about the Bar Wench, Beer, and a Bear.

[ryanek9freak]

Yeah lol, I can see that now. A bear with a little beer keg around it's neck.

[SheridanL]

What??? I am sooo totally lost!! FIND ME!!!!!!

[Idunn]

Good points.

Would however take exception with #5. Yes, major highways, and by that I infer primarily interstates, do offer the most services. But when it comes to winter driving my primary safety concern is with other drivers. There are simply less of them on secondary roads. Not only that but speeds are lower, which is an advantage in inclement conditions. If not always, most secondary roads are sufficiently maintained with snow removal. In short, it is easier and safer to deal with less traffic.

Additionally, interstates such as I-70 will periodically close due accidents, severe weather, etc. Secondary roads are more likely to be open.