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Vote for Utah ski bus

JimG.

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Folks posted that the truck was pulled over earlier in the day and probably did not have snow tires. It looks like he slid on ice. A good example of how one person's decision to drive up the canyons without snow tires results in serious injuries and hours of back-ups impacting thousands of people.
All it takes is one asshole.
 

ss20

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A minute from the Alta exit off the I-15!
A lot of people don't get that AWD/4WD without snow tires is inferior to 2WD with good snow tires. How many wheels are getting power doesn't matter if the tires can't hold the road.

Yep. I am learning that this year (expected it). I got an AWD Rav4 with new all-seasons (m/s rating at least). I'm not getting a set of snow tires on it til I move west in the fall. Before I had a 2wd sedan with the best snow tires you could get. I felt much better in that than with my current setup.
 

mikec142

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I can attest to the fact that the rental companies at the airport don't have cars with snow tires and don't provide chains. They do have cars with M&S tires. But they are inferior. Had this issue both in Tahoe and in SLC.

About 5 years ago I read an article about snow tires in outside magazine. Bought them right then and there. It's like night and day.
 

kingslug

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I put them on my truck and the subie in November. 3 years ago a snowstorm hit here and caused major havoc..Hundreds of accidents..I watched people sliding down the hills and roads by me..as I trundled past them. My wife also got home no prob..in 2 hours..but got home. I can change both cars out in an hour flat now with my lift.
Blizaks..great tires.
 

x10003q

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Pickups with no/minimal weight in the bed can be unstable in the back under hard braking. The bed swings side to side around the heavily weighted front. This clown was tailgating and probably tapped the brakes and lost the rear. What a menace.
 

mikec142

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As I mentioned upthread, putting snow tires on my SUV has made a world of difference and I'm grateful. That said, I've looked around to no avail for a local winter driving class figuring it would certainly be beneficial and maybe even fun.
 

kingslug

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These driving courses are expensive. Ive watched them out west. BMW had one. You get to slide around a lot in one of their cars.
I learned by driving in the worst snowstorms to get to the mountain. I just slow the hell down and let the idiots pass me. Knowing the limitations of your car is key..if its leaning way over in a turn..your going for a ride soon. I see it everyday on my commute to NYC...Pickups going 80 in a turn..you can see they aren't far from losing it in the rain and sleet. And some do. Only time I ever spun out was on black ice on a bridge near Boston. I had passed several upside down tractor trailers on the side of the road..one large flatbed carrying either bricks or roofing material jackknifed and it all went through the cab..i imagine he didn't survive as there was nothing left of the cab..few minutes later i spun, hit the median, little damage but it was a bit scary. That was 23 years ago..good so far. slow and steady in the storms.
 

asnowmobiler

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I wonder how many cars get crushed or damaged by falling rocks. Going up LCC there are some huge boulders that look like they just missed some homes, no freaken way would I live there.
 

bizarrefaith

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As I mentioned upthread, putting snow tires on my SUV has made a world of difference and I'm grateful. That said, I've looked around to no avail for a local winter driving class figuring it would certainly be beneficial and maybe even fun.

Not sure where you're at since this is a thread about Utah on a Northeast board but Team O'Neil rally school in NH has winter driving classes, I think they're about $500.
 

raisingarizona

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That is really a scary thought.

snowbowl_jerrys on Instagram is worth a few minutes of your life. This place turns into a complete shit show during snowy weekends and holidays.
 

dblskifanatic

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Yep. I am learning that this year (expected it). I got an AWD Rav4 with new all-seasons (m/s rating at least). I'm not getting a set of snow tires on it til I move west in the fall. Before I had a 2wd sedan with the best snow tires you could get. I felt much better in that than with my current setup.
While in Colorado we always had AWD/4WD vehicles and ran with all season tires. Living in Colorado Springs where there is limited days with snow getting snow tires did not make sense. We were able to drive over 11-12,000 feet passes with out issue with all season tires. If it would be an issue they typically close roads there. If you live in the mountains when you move west I can see the interest in winter tires.
 

jimk

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I live in VA and snows just don't make sense here unless you're driving into the mtns all the time. I've done quite a few cross country ski roadtrips, some with 4wd, some without, but none with snow tires. We're talking 4500-7000 mile winter trips. Mostly I've been fine, but there was a snowy evening in 2019 crossing over 11,300' Monarch Pass, CO when I slide for about 75 scary yards:eek: but it ended ok. Also, long ago (1970s) slide sideways about same distance down the access road at Blue Knob, PA. It's an upside down ski area and this was near the 3000' summit. No harm done again.
But snow tires can be great in the proper situation, especially paired with 4wd. My son lives 20 mins from Snowbird and skis several days per week. He runs a Subaru with snow tires in the winter up LCC and BCC. When I'm out there with him and it snows we take his vehicle(y)
PS: correction, there was a roadtrip my son and I took in January 2011 from VA to UT. We drove out there with his 1992 Accord. We took his old car because he was going to school and skiing in western PA at the time and had put snow tires on it.
Took that car up to Maine too, guess where:
LL
 
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