I-70 Colorado Winter Experiences?

Wolf Creek Pass used to be worse than it is now...It's steep but the road has been greatly improved.
No problem as long as you don't get complacent.

48' Flatbed...

 

Red Mtn. is easy on the So. side of the pass, the No. side of the pass is tight in a couple of spots. The real excitement is Molas Pass dropping down into Silverton. It was never designed for semi's to begin with. My first time over it was with a trailer that belonged to a company we were doing some work for. 45' specialized van with an internal crane/hoist for unloading garage doors and roll up doors. I left a lovely crease in the side of it on Coal Bank. When I showed it to my boss and the company we were doing the work for. My boss was pissed, the contractor was not, seems his company driver had creased and put a hole in 3 trailers over the years on the same pass.

Monarch, Rabbit Ears, and Wolf Creek before they widened it and added the tunnel are much worse. Monarch and Rabbit Ears are deceiving, they are steeper than they appear. My first time chaining up was Wolf Creek, 4 am installing chains in the dark in a snow storm.

 

I live in central oregon, I was dispatched to pick up a load out of Eugene going to Phoenix Az. pick up was 1 p.m. this afternoon. it's 11 p.m. and I'm still sitting at the house. Winter storm warning for 1-3 feet of snow over Santiam pass. empty 53 footer? told the boss I would TRY and get it tomorrow if the weather clears up some. I see no need to risk my life or the lives of others over a truckload of ANYTHING!!!!! Santiam isn't that bad a hill most of the time, but does get NASTY in a storm like this. just not worth it to me.

 

Any old timers that have been over Independence on Hwy 82 between Hwy 24 and Aspen?

I don't think it's ever been open to anything over 35 ft, but when I was a kid, my old man used to sneak across there at night haulin trees to Aspen. I went along a few times, and let me tell ya, a short WB 352 pete and a 45' flat with the tandems all the way forward, and we were still using every inch of road and some gravel to get around the switchbacks.

 

I've been over that road many times, but only in my POV. I've seen guys pulling camper trailers over it that obviously wished they had gone a different way.

Do they still have that old cop car with a mannequin in it sitting at Twin Lakes?

 

I'm not sure if that's still there or not, I haven't been over that way in years.

That seems to be a popular trick in the little Colo towns, there's another town up on hwy 9 (I believe it's in Alma, but I can't remember for sure) where the local cop lives right along the hwy, he leaves his car backed in the driveway with a mannequin in the driver seat.

 

been over Independance several time in my POV, the cops don't play games if the catch semi's on it. They'll escort you down to the other side, then start writing tickets

Alma used to do that, Vail does that all the time along I-70. The park one of their SUV's in the median, turn on the radar, then put a mannequin in the drivers seat. Sometimes there is a real cop in there, you go byso fast that for regulars who travel that route, the only way to tell if the cop is real or not is to: A. wait for the strobes to come on, or B. watch to see if his parking lights are on, if the parking lights are on it's a real cop.

 

Well, after reading a lot of the "macho" reports of it being "no big thing," I skipped the comments to give you the reality of it.

First, I'm likely ever bit as nervous as you are. One mistake, by either myself or others, and I could die hours before help can get to me.

There is not one load, no matter how critical, that is worth my life, and the more critical the load, the less the customer wants to find it in a ditch.

Generally, if I break traction frequently, regardless of how slow I'm going, or if snow chains are required to continue driving, I stop and wait until it's all over. There are also times when everything seems fine, but every instinct is telling me to stop, and I pay attention to that and do just that.

I may not make as much money that way, but I am alive to enjoy what I do make with those I care about.

 

Nothing "macho" about the truth. Just about ANYTHING can become "no big thing," when you do it often enough. That is not "macho posturing," it is just a fact of life.

When you travel those roads all the time, you cannot help but get accustomed to both the roads, and the weather. This does NOT mean you get careless, you just aren't nervous about the drive anymore.

 

That's one good thing about snow and ice.....

Most of the NAFTA drivers refuse to drive in winter conditions....
Sure....they'll drive over the Tejon, Cajon, and the Tehachapi passes.....but those don't count....They're like drinking an O'Doul's and calling it "beer"......

Hell...I wish it would snow in SO-CAL like it does in CO....then we could have our state back......