What was your 1st mountain pass you drove on. Or the 1st that scared you!everybody

First ever was Parley... west bound while raining sometime early in the morning. Temps were hovering around 30-33 degrees. Trainer was in the bunk sleeping. He told me before hand where it began and to make sure I pulled into the brake check area before I dropped off. I took it REAL slow and made it no problem. It excited me more than it scared me.

First time solo was Vail and then Eisenhower (eastbound) bobtail with chains on. It was actually my first day solo. God bless the SNI driver who showed me how to chain.

Scariest moment was last winter coming down Mt Ashland (northbound) on the 5 in freezing rain/fog. Chain laws had not been posted yet and I literally skidded down at about 2mph dodging trucks/cars that were spun out. I couldn't have stopped the truck to save my life but I was able to beat the trailer down the hill. Had there been ANYTHING blocking the road I'd of hit them.

In my short career I've already been over most of the big dogs out west several times over on the interstate and the two laners. But oddly enough one of the weeniest "grades" out there continually pegs my pucker gauge... Elk Mountain. Just nothing like driving in pure whiteouts on ice in sub zero temps with 50+ mph wind gusts in the dark! Worst part is that is standard conditions for the area.

 

Yeah those "smaller" ones are the danger, the big ones you know are coming up. My most puckering one was ironically coming out of STL on I40 and the sign said like "trucks with trailers grade" or something and it wasn't kidding. Short and steep. I thought it was icy as well adding to the factor.

 

I-70 corridor (eisenhower tunnel) In a blizzard 2 weeks into my driving career Jan 1991 (schneider National cabover)with my trainer in sleeper birth.

 

Can someone tell me where Wolf Creek Pass is? I hear it mentioned allot as one drivers don't like but I'm not sure where it is? It seams there is a Wolf Creek in all 11 of the western states. Off the top of my head I can think of Wolf Creek in WY, CO, OR, MT and UT. I'm sure I've been over it just don't know where it is...

 

Continental Divide on I90 in Montana . . . three weeks into training. That was educational, but I pulled it off. Trainer had just crawled into the bunk, thinking that we had covered all the passes. He hopped back into the seat real quick when I kicked the jakes on for that! He coached me through the whole thing.

 

So this isn't something new with trainers huh? All I could think when I went over my first "serious" grade (Parley) with my trainer sleeping in the bunk was... what a brave and very dumb man this is!

 

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=wolf+creek+pass

 

I have never been scared by any mountain pass, and have been over most im sure.. have spun a little going up a few when they were snow packed and Icy that made me pucker a bit but only been scared by watching others drive in ice and snow on passes etc...

 

wolf creek pass is in Colorado

 

I thought I'd help him out