Chaining video links

Absolutely right.

You KNOW your chains aren't tight enough if you hear a "Whack! Whack! Whack!" That means part of at least one of your chains are hitting the bottom of the trailer, a fender, or something else.

Try to take one of the first parking spots at the chaining area. Then drive and park again at the end of the chaining area. It's surprising how they can work some looseness in that short distance. Get them nice and tight. Add bungies if needed. There likely won't be good places to stop for a long ways after that.

Crack the windows and LISTEN. Don't be playing music, listen to the chains. A good, well done set of chains has a nice, even rythym. Loose chains either have that whacking or an interruption in the rythym. Stop when safe and check and tighten again.

Get a good set of rainwear, tops and bottoms, something you can lay in the snow and stay warm and dry. Get a good set of warm gloves. Get a headlamp, the last thing you want to be doing is slobbering while you mouth a flashlight on a two handed job.

Practice chaining up in a warm, dry parking lot. The last thing you want is to find out your chains don't fit in the chain up area before Vail Pass.

 

It's nice to carry extra gloves. When you chain up it's usually slushy and gloves get soaked fast. It's nice to have a dry pair to switch with. Not a big deal unchaining as it happens a lot faster.

 

Personally I am a big fan of the wee hour start. One thing to consider, if you aren't familiar with the hidey hole places to park, from Denver to Grand Junction can be a nightmare looking for safe, legal places to park for a 10 or a 30. I try to have as full a clock as possible before tackling that passage. Do NOT plan on spending a 10 at the rest area near Vail. The altitude is nothing to mess with, altitude sickness can quickly progress to a medical emergency or death. In winter getting in or out of there can be dicey.

Bring a bag of sand or kitty litter. Often you can get enough traction getting started from a slick parking spot without having to chain up to reach bare and dry road.

 

Anyone have any experience with the tire socks?

Seems they only have them covering a single outside tire... not sure if that would “weaken” the benefits when most chains I’ve seen cover two tires...

 

Time your arrival times to that pass,if you hit it right you can sail, Just watch out for the traffic from them cities down below, they all go and leave at the same time.

 

Problem I see with autosocks is dry or only wet pavement will destroy them so that tunnel would suck.

 

I have some of the autosocks...... and they work o.k. to get out of an iced over parking lot. Not sure I would run them on bare/wet pavement.

Fast on and fast off, almost no weight and fairly compact.

 

The purpose of my reply is not to dispute what you have stated. However as long as there are chain laws and winter weather there are going to be drivers "chaining up". it just seems silly to me that a carrier will not at least go through the motions of teaching this. I agree though. I can't count the number of times I have slipped on ice and fell. I remember once in Colorado hitting my elbow. And gosh is that steel cold! I always just chained up to get to a safe place to park. I guess I'm just hopelessly old school.

 

If you chain up and are going in the right direction you will be out of the storm sometimes in a few hours and be ahead of the pack that will flow when the restrictions lift.