(no subject)
So, I worry a little more than I probably should. Which is why as I tried to envision the narrow, twisty, steep switch backs along the dirt road to my house covered in snow, I listened to Vinny as he said I was being way too concerned about how bad it would be and let those thoughts slide. I'll return to this in a second.
We finished up another great day at copper yesterday. This time Vinny took his time a little better, slid past the really steep parts, practiced in the easier sections where he had a little more control, and made yet another significant leap of progress, even impressing a couple of ski patrol who didn't believe me when I told them it was his second day. I think we'll call it complete until they open up the other end of the mountain though:P llamaslug came up to join us and shared a few runs, and then it was time to head home, as we were exhausted and just wanted to get back to our place and make dinner. The drive back was fine, 25 was clean and dry... even the county road up to our place despite exhibiting the early formations of black ice was not a challenge to get up.
Let's return to the dirt road. It is an immediate grade off the main road, which breaks right into tight turns and a continuous grade for about half a mile before it levels off. I got the mail, then tried to start uphill. The heavily worn all seasons I have on my car were displeased, and let me know by spinning wildly. Not to be made a fool of by snowy terrain that I have been driving on since I could reach the pedals, I did a little circle in the paved road, built up speed, and launched into the drive. This worked at first. We crept our way up the side of the hill, eventually having to drop down to second gear to stay in control around the first sharp left... then into first on the sharp right... crawl, crawl..... stall. Literally 30 feet from a level stretch where I could have built some momentum, the traction control on my car decided to be a bitch, and you can't completely turn it off. It wasn't going to let me up. After an adept maneuver to literally slide the car downhill perpendicular to the road, and then back downhill, I gave it one more try, yielding the same results. It was 4:30, and town was 50 minutes away...
Thus begun the fastest trip on ice down to town. I called discount tire and, amazingly enough with the first snow of the year, they were in fact open. Not only were they open, but because I called, they got me right in and were happy to throw some studded snow tires on. I figured they must be dead given it was an hour before close on a holiday. When I showed up the line was, quite literally, out the door. They told me it might be a long wait, but they got my car in the bay in about 5 minutes, I have no idea how. I now have some sexy Hancook w409 studded snows. I have never ridden on studded tires before, but omg I now love them. Despite the amusing clickaclickaclicka they make, they went up the drive like it was paved, completely ignoring the hard pack snow that had now frozen into a layer of ice. I think I will be remembering this for next year. Not a bad compromise for a car I can't put chains on!
We finished up another great day at copper yesterday. This time Vinny took his time a little better, slid past the really steep parts, practiced in the easier sections where he had a little more control, and made yet another significant leap of progress, even impressing a couple of ski patrol who didn't believe me when I told them it was his second day. I think we'll call it complete until they open up the other end of the mountain though:P llamaslug came up to join us and shared a few runs, and then it was time to head home, as we were exhausted and just wanted to get back to our place and make dinner. The drive back was fine, 25 was clean and dry... even the county road up to our place despite exhibiting the early formations of black ice was not a challenge to get up.
Let's return to the dirt road. It is an immediate grade off the main road, which breaks right into tight turns and a continuous grade for about half a mile before it levels off. I got the mail, then tried to start uphill. The heavily worn all seasons I have on my car were displeased, and let me know by spinning wildly. Not to be made a fool of by snowy terrain that I have been driving on since I could reach the pedals, I did a little circle in the paved road, built up speed, and launched into the drive. This worked at first. We crept our way up the side of the hill, eventually having to drop down to second gear to stay in control around the first sharp left... then into first on the sharp right... crawl, crawl..... stall. Literally 30 feet from a level stretch where I could have built some momentum, the traction control on my car decided to be a bitch, and you can't completely turn it off. It wasn't going to let me up. After an adept maneuver to literally slide the car downhill perpendicular to the road, and then back downhill, I gave it one more try, yielding the same results. It was 4:30, and town was 50 minutes away...
Thus begun the fastest trip on ice down to town. I called discount tire and, amazingly enough with the first snow of the year, they were in fact open. Not only were they open, but because I called, they got me right in and were happy to throw some studded snow tires on. I figured they must be dead given it was an hour before close on a holiday. When I showed up the line was, quite literally, out the door. They told me it might be a long wait, but they got my car in the bay in about 5 minutes, I have no idea how. I now have some sexy Hancook w409 studded snows. I have never ridden on studded tires before, but omg I now love them. Despite the amusing clickaclickaclicka they make, they went up the drive like it was paved, completely ignoring the hard pack snow that had now frozen into a layer of ice. I think I will be remembering this for next year. Not a bad compromise for a car I can't put chains on!