We had our first taste of Alaskan Winter. (cost, club)

[Grannysroost]

Any mountain pass,no matter where in blinding snow, is worth many kudos, girl - give those boys lots of hugs, and that doggie too!!! That adrenaline and shaky legs, god hate that feeling.....Megan, once again you rock - the boys helped after you agreed on direction and duty..., if you would have lost it, nobody would have had a chance...You go girl

PS - I so love this story, all was good and the way it should be, perfect world, stop to help, perfect ending....Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Only on the internet, but glad it happened for them!!!

[Barkingowl]

Deb I wouldn't want to go up the hill to where you live in a snowstorm like the one that Pat was in.

[megensmom]

I think I had my fill of adventure for a while. Now I am waiting to see what the temp does for the night at last check it was -16 and it is suppose to go to -30

[Barkingowl]

Your water pipes are insulated, yes?

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by megensmom

I had emailed about our adventure to some of my relatives down south and they can't belive that I am not ready to throw in the towel and move to Fairbanks. Yeah it could've been bad,really bad because we could've been stuck up there for many more hours if it wasn't for the fact that the DOT guy was up there and could call base to let them know what was going on. But I now belive fully in packing a gear bag and would tell anyone traveling a road where there isn't a lot of traffic even if they are going in the middle of the day to have one. You just don't know what could happen and my event sure showed me how quick it can.
I have never been in weather so cold that it actually froze my hair. And my lord my two boys they worked they really stepped up to the plate and without them I would've been in more of a bind. They shoveled snow,kept my windshield clean and then walked in front of the van so that we could move forward when we got off the snowdrift. I told them both when we were safely off the mountain that I was so proud of them and that they kept their heads and helped. I could see though where someone might panic with the snow blowing the way it was I was disoriented and I even got a little upset(thanks to them I gathered my mind and was moving again) but I kept saying I can do this,I will do this and I just paid attention to everything and only moved when I knew exactly where I was going.
My gear bag though kept my little one who is 6yrs old nice and warm and she even cuddled under a blanket and slept.
Today the report up there is snow drifts over 8ft high,60-70mph winds,and the wind chill is like -40 the last I heard. The road of course is closed. The one mistake I did make though was I didn't call to someone up here before I headed up even though they wouldn't have known about this storm they would've known I was on my way up. So my other word of advice is call someone and report in often.

Are you required to at least carry snow chain in area such as the mountains? The reason I ask is because in CA., when then Mountains are capped, in order to dive up the mountians roads, you are required to have snow chains on your tires.

[megensmom]

Our temp got to -31. Yes everything is insulated even though we don't have running water they are done because we will have eventually. We also made another change yesterday we took out our old small woodburning stove and put in a barrel stove and wow the difference with the temps last night I was sure glad we did.
As far as I know I don't think chains are required here for anything other than big rigs. And even if I had on chains with the conditions I was in it wouldn't have made any difference.

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

Deb I wouldn't want to go up the hill to where you live in a snowstorm like the one that Pat was in.

Barking -that one of ours isn't so bad with the trees on the sides, helps block some of the wind, and pretty well stays plowed since one of the few highways in AK and used so much - and the DOT yard is right across the road from ours!!!! I'd take that anyday before a mountain pass, I hate heights anyway and throws my equilibrium off

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

I hate heights anyway and throws my equilibrium off

I guess you don't wear heels much then do you.

[trlhiker]

Wow what an adventure. I really didn't know that you can have conditions that bad in October. Coodles to you and your boys for making it home safe and for what they did to help, when to outcome could have been much worse.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

I guess you don't wear heels much then do you.

only under snow boots.