Mountain grades

Well I said it was worse just for the reasons you gave me...namely equipment...and also monteagle was steeper and 2 lanes.

 

Okay, I probably made it up then.

 

I-70 around wheeling wv has a few 7% grades. Back when i was in the oilfield I went threw there a few times a week. Can get pretty hairy in the winter

 

There is or was a TA up top off there. You had to pull pretty hard to get onto the property.

Wheeling presents a problem due the need to be in the far left lane prior to the water crossing wastbound.

Nice little grades to be sure.

However we did not do too many winters there. We were on either the PA pike during storms or the I-68 from below west va. What I do remember most was the winds some days you had to sit with that box trailer due to the high winds between the hills in that region.

One of the reasons about wheeling is that south of there a ways is a underground mine for coal that failed when the mountain came down far down where about 400 miners working. The bodies are still down there to this day and will be forever. There is a rest area not far from there that serves as a memorial.

In the later years I-70 became not worth the trouble. We started using several US Highways between that and 80 getting across. And eventually stopped using 70 all together with the exception of Breezewood and south into Maryland.

 

Yup ta still there, forget what exit but its around the cabelas store. Yea getting into the left lane to merge to 70 right before the big hill you got 4 wheelers always cutting you off

 

I reach into a bag of tricks.

Drunken mountain man is what I call it. Before I get to that particular area to get that left lane Im allowing that rig to drift and behave in ways that usually frightens off cars. In them days no cell phones or internet. Who are they gonna call?

And when I have just enough room, I'll horse her over. Lots of yelling, middle fingers and such. But it's my lane now. It's a matter of reaching the Ohio before the law gets to me.

I once threw a 5th of whiskey out the window, it bounced along and shattered label side up. The car coming through thought twice instantly because Im drunken to him and I grabbed the lane.

Took me a few days to pick glass out of trailer tire. My 800 number on the trailer on the doors were greypainted out long ago so there was nothing for that one to call.

It became enough of a problem that I would consider going elsewhere and started working on that. For one thing the tolls were cheaper than scotch whiskey... if i had to keep doing that.

 

Well the benefit of going out unloaded is nice. I’m not too worried about it now.

 

I think I may have worried just a tad too much today. I came out of the brake check on top of Monteagle with Jake's on high. Stayed just between 35 - 40 mph the entire way down and only had to break once to get my rpm's down a bit. Just before I leveled out, turned off the Jakes so I wouldn't slosh and eased on down to the flat.

Thanks to all for your suggestions. Much appreciated.

 

Steepest grade for me so far--

 

I usually leave the jake on until the RPMs reach the mechanical limits imposed whatever engine under that hood, then take a gear. By then the bottom should be visible and you are setting up to get back to 70 using whats left of the down grade without applying fuel. In other words let her run it out following up in gears until you are settled and finsihed with the grade.

Sloshing is a problem I don't encounter that too much and flip the jake off and see if she will stay drifting within a range on gravity such as on Donner. There are spots you can. It's also a chance to cool the brakes in the old days.

What I do know when there is way too much jake power is when the tractor noses down like a horse wanting to buck you off. I'll take a gear and see if she will settle then. If not? that means the mountain grade has gotten very less steep and you will have to adjust to match.