Snow... (Anchorage, Fairbanks: buy, military, safe)

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Glitch

I'm anticipating a very long drive back to Wasilla this afternoon.

What is it about the ditch that draws most of the drivers headed to & from the valley towards it & even into it?

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

What is it about the ditch that draws most of the drivers headed to & from the valley towards it & even into it?

The vast majority of the ditch divers occur between Eagle River and Anchorage. My suspicion is that they are military personnel recently transferred from the lower-48 who have never driven in winter conditions, but that is pure speculation on my part. They are driving too fast for the conditions and when they have to suddenly react, they end up in the ditch.

[Barkingowl]

My friend in Wasilla says that single girls looking for companionship often drive into the ditch because they can't find guys worth dating in the bars. Have you heard anything about a home invasion on Monday or Tuesday?

[HighlandLady]

My husband drove that highway for the first time last eve, going from Anchorage to Willow to see about the home we are hoping for (keep your fingers crossed, we'll know on the morrow) and he said that while it was snowing, the roads were fairly clear. He also said he was going the speed limit and most were passing him as though he were standing still! Egads!

[Barkingowl]

Sounds like people anywhere. Usually they wind up in the ditch or worse further down the road.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by Glitch

The vast majority of the ditch divers occur between Eagle River and Anchorage. My suspicion is that they are military personnel recently transferred from the lower-48 who have never driven in winter conditions, but that is pure speculation on my part. They are driving too fast for the conditions and when they have to suddenly react, they end up in the ditch.

I was wondering about that too. People where I'm from, western PA, know how to drive in the snow.....carefully. It doesn't matter a whit if you have 4-wheel drive or the most expensive tires on the planet if you're going too fast to let friction do it's job.

I'm going to be there within the next 4-6 weeks and am kind of glad I get to dodge the winter drivers, at least for now. Btw Glitch, it's now even money between Wasilla and Palmer. Either way, anything beats the incredibly overpriced nutfarm where I live now.

[Glitch]

Winter driving conditions are no different in Alaska than in Pennsylvania, except for the occasional moose. If you know how to drive safely during the winter in any of the northern lower-48 states, then you already have the appropriate skills to drive safely during Alaskan winters (watch out for that occasional moose ).

That is why I suspect that the majority of the ditch divers are people who have never learned how to drive safely during the winter. I don't put any stock in the idea that women drive into the ditch intentionally to pick up guys. They don't have to go to that extreme. All they would have to do is pull onto the shoulder and lift the hood of their vehicle, and someone will stop to help them. Intentionally driving into the ditch and risking thousands of dollars in damage to the vehicle to pick up potential date doesn't pass the smell test.

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Intentionally driving into the ditch and risking thousands of dollars in damage to the vehicle to pick up potential date doesn't pass the smell test.

So it all boils down to pheromones?

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

I was wondering about that too. People where I'm from, western PA, know how to drive in the snow.....carefully. It doesn't matter a whit if you have 4-wheel drive or the most expensive tires on the planet if you're going too fast to let friction do it's job.

The part about 4-wheel drive is true! Once they go from the gas pedal to the brake pedal, 4-wheel skids are the same for all cars... and not the same at higher speeds.

But actually there are things about driving on snow and ice in Alaska which are significantly different than elsewhere. It isn't seen in Anchorage as much as it is farther north, but it might be some times. Snow in Fairbanks, for example, squeaks when you walk on it. It is NOT usually slippery or wet. Hence when you need traction to stop in Fairbanks, instead of avoiding the snow, the best place for your vehicle's tires would be in the snow berm, not the cleared areas between. Those tracks (or "ruts" in the snow) between the snow ridges, that in a warmer climate would have more traction than in snow... are slick with ice.

Fairbanks, like Anchorage, is co-located with two large military installation that bring new people each year, hence there are always many drivers learning to cope come October and November. But in August or September, when nobody has seen snow and ice for a few months, it's easy to spot the experienced winter drivers! As people slow down to make a turn, watch the brake lights as the driver co-ordinates braking and steering. In August if the brake lights go off just prior to the front wheels being angled to cause the vehicle to turn, the driver is clearly an old hand a driving on snow and ice. People who learned how to do that last winter will be back to their old habits by August, and come the first snow they'll have to learn it again. Old timers drive that way year round.

[Xa'at]