Tips and Tricks to Prepare for Your Winter Wonderland Vacation in the Eastern Sierra
So You Want To Travel To The Mountains During a Snowstorm? Please Don’t
December was a huge snow month for us here in the Eastern Sierra, with 22 feet of snow. It dumped and dumped, and it seemed like it kept dumping for weeks. Roads and highways closed, then re-opened, then closed again, we dug ourselves out daily, and even the mountain closed down. Finally, Mother Nature delivered, and although it was exciting, it was also dangerous. I could not believe the mass number of visitors driving up to the Eastern Sierra in blizzard conditions.
Did they not understand how dangerous the road conditions were?
Or that the roads and the mountain were closed?
Or that they were going to spend hours each day digging their car and rental condo out?
One morning I woke up to hundreds of vehicles stuck in the middle of town on Main Street because the 395 was closed. After I spent 3 hours digging out of the deep snow, I walked down the street and could not believe what I saw. Traffic was backed up for miles, people in 2 wheel drive cars with no chains getting stuck and sliding everywhere, police shouting on loudspeakers for people in their cars to go inside and get off the roads. It was laughable, and I was so embarrassed to be a part of the human species….after all, the human species has evolved into a bunch of idiots, especially after massive back-to-back snowstorms. I genuinely believe that when it snows, all common sense goes out the window and the human race turns into a complete circus.
This post is a very “tongue in cheek” write-up (if you know me, you get my sense of humor). Still, as much as I like to poke fun at “Jerrys,” I also am very serious about the dangers winter storms can bring, and hence I took the time to include critical and educational information in this post.
I get it; playing in snow, skiing, watching the snowfall is all very magical. Still, people need to consider the risks they are causing to themselves and others when they choose to travel in the snow. Hopefully, some people read this and learn a thing or two about what to do and what not to do in a snowstorm for their sanity and safety and the safety of others around them.
Do NOT travel in blizzard conditions. Period. Ever. You are risking your life and the lives of others. It is selfish, unsafe, and downright foolish. Instead, check weather and road conditions, and if you see a blizzard in the forecast when traveling on the roads, make other arrangements and travel after the storm has passed and the roads are clear. For updates on road conditions, check Caltrans; check Mountain Forecast, NOAA, or The Weather Channel for weather conditions. I check at least 2 of these if a storm is in the upcoming forecast.
Traveling to the mountains after a snow storm: chains, tires and 4WD
After the storm has passed and you plan to travel, figure out what type of car you have.
Do you have a 2WD vehicle?
Do you have a 4WD vehicle?
Do you have mud/snow-rated tires?
If you have a 2WD car, do you have front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive?
If you have a 2WD car, purchase chains well before coming to the mountains. Do not expect to arrive in the mountains and purchase chains in town as they most likely will be sold out, and you are already acting like a Jerry because you most likely are slipping and sliding on roads traveling into the mountains.
After purchasing your chains before you venture into the mountains, learn how to put them on yourself and make sure you are putting them on your DRIVE wheels. This means if you have front-wheel drive, you put them on your front wheels, and if you have rear-wheel drive, you put them on your rear wheels.
Please do not stop in the middle of the road to put your chains on—pullover to a safe parking area to put your chains. When you stop in the middle of an intersection or on the shoulder to put on chains, you are risking your life and the lives of others.
Please use your brain and be respectful.
If you are unsure whether chains are required to travel to your destination, check current road conditions on CalTrans; however, keep in mind that you must legally always carry chains in the winter regardless of the road conditions.
Do not make snow angels in the middle of an intersection (this happened in Mammoth during the December storm, and a 911 call was made).
If you have a 4WD vehicle, make sure your tires are rated for snow. Driving on non-snow-rated tires or bald tires is a recipe for disaster, and you are endangering other people on the road. Even if you have 4WD with proper winter-rated tires, legally, you still must carry chains. If you get pulled over and do not have chains, you can get a ticket…keep this in mind.
If you have no clue how to put chains on or do not feel comfortable, there are often chain control areas where you can pay about $75 to have chains put on and taken off (that’s $150), so bring cash, and you still must bring your own chains. However, do not rely on this service and do your research to ensure that people in the chain control areas are offering this service.
Always carry a winter emergency kit in your car, including a first-aid kit, blankets, flashlight, a jacket, food, and water in case you have to spend the night on the road. Every year unprepared people become stranded and die on the roads, and it is not only heartbreaking but very preventable.
Clear your car roof of snow
Driving with snow on the roof of your car is NOT COOL. It is not only illegal, but it is dangerous. When that snow slides down onto your windshield, and it is too heavy for your windshield wipers to clear, you are now driving blind…congratulations. I know taking snow home as a souvenir is fun and all, but get out your shovel and clear the snow off of the roof of your car before you attempt to kill yourself and someone else on the road. I was on skis in my neighborhood after a recent storm, and of course, there was a Jerry with a roof full of snow, and it fell onto his windshield, and he kept driving, and he nearly hit me. He stopped his car to figure out what to do next, and I told him to get out of his vehicle and clear his roof and windshield….please don’t be that person.
Don’t be this guy….
Roof slides can be deadly
Roofs become heavy with snow after big storms, and when the snow has nowhere to go, ice banks and icicles form, making for a recipe for disaster. When the snow is unstable or temperatures begin to rise, hundreds of pounds of snow begin to fall off the roof, damage cars and bury people. In December, a child was recently buried in a roof slide up at Main Lodge. My little dog Moo was buried in a roof slide outside my front door. Roof slides are life and death situations, so be very cautious when walking, standing or parking under a roof overhang.
Snowplows
Don’t mess around with snowplows. If one is coming your way, move out of their way. Don’t try to cut them off on the roads. Please don’t assume they can see you. Don’t ask the driver to take a photo with you. Respect snow plows as they can kill you in an instant. When walking on the road with a snowplow, stop and let them pass. A few years ago, a man slipped on ice in his driveway and was run over by a plow because the plow driver could not see him. I cannot express how dangerous plows are and how every single person should and needs to exercise extreme caution and respect towards plow drivers. If you are trying to pass a snowplow on the road because you are in a very big hurry to get to the mountain to wait in a lift line, be very careful and polite about passing them. As a rule of thumb, always stay at least 200 feet from a snowplow. Often when you are patient, they will make eye contact with you, wave, and wait for you to pass.
Avalanche conditions
Every year a very expert backcountry skier goes out in unstable snow after a storm and gets caught in an avalanche. Try not to be that person. Sometimes, avalanches happen that are out of your control, regardless of how many safety precautions you take, but try not to be that person who can’t wait until the snow settles after a storm. Before you go into the backcountry, check weather, snow, and avalanche conditions, make sure you are prepared and have a tried and true trusted backcountry partner. Most mountain ranges have a local avalanche center where you can receive daily reports before heading out on your adventure.
This was a lot of snow….
Digging out your car
If you choose to visit the mountains during a snowstorm (not a good move), be prepared to dig. Make sure you park in a safe lot where plows will not bury or destroy your car. Most mountain towns have minimal overnight parking for guests, and most overnight parking lots are not free. If you park illegally overnight during a storm, be prepared for the snowplow to bury your car entirely, and you most likely will not see it until April.
Once you find a safe and legal parking area, keep your windshield wipers up so they do not freeze or get buried under the snow.
You will need a shovel, broom, snow scraper (and, in my case, a ladder) to clear your car properly and effectively. Ensure you are in a safe area (not in the middle of the road) and wearing warm clothes, boots, and gloves with waterproof shells.
First, clear out your exhaust pipe so that you are not at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when you turn your car on. Once you have cleared your exhaust pipe and have cleared your driver’s side door and window, open your driver’s side door, turn on the car and turn on your front and rear defrosters, seat warmers, heaters and windshield wiper heaters (if you have them) to let your car do some of the work for you.
Don’t lock your keys in the car.
Start clearing and stomping down the snow under your back bumper and tires so you can safely start to back out to give yourself some room to clear the rest of your car. Make sure your backup camera and or back window is cleared before you put your car in reverse and back up. If you get stuck backing out, try moving your car in drive and reverse to see-saw out, but if you are really stuck..start digging under your back tires until you are unstuck. Once you have backed out to give yourself room to clear the rest of your car, start clearing off the roof, then the windshield, then the front of the car. Try not to bury other people’s cars when you are digging your car out.
Snowbanks are winter’s blindspots
Snowplows have to put the snow somewhere…so they stack it up on the side of the roads to form snow banks…which sometimes can reach 10-15 feet tall, making it very difficult to see over them when driving, especially when turning into or pulling out of a driveway. The rule is to assume nobody can see you over a snowbank and exercise extreme caution when pulling into or out of a driveway, as many accidents happen because of poor visualization over a snowbank.
Also, please do not “snow play” in snowbanks, as this creates a massive mess in private driveways and roads. If you want to play in the snow, go to a park or a play area but having your kids slide down on their plastic sleds off a snowbank into the road or a neighbor's driveway is rude. Don’t be that person.
Be smart, use your brain, don’t be a jerk, ask for help and if you are not prepared, please wait to travel until you are fully prepared, and please do not drive up to your vacation during a snow storm.
Winter resources I suggest you bookmark and use frequently
Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center
How to enjoy a winter visit in the Eastern Sierra
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the snow, respect Mother Nature, ask for help, practice safety and use your brain
Xx
Kristen