What to prepare for Whistler-Lillooet-Cache Creek-Hope solo drive?

[sdubfid]

Ask to use the wiffy on the reserves to check in on revscene

[GabAlmighty]

Originally Posted by dhillon09

do it, if you get towed by Jamie Davis I'll be sure to host a viewing party at my place for whatever episode of "highway thru hell" you appear on

I got passed by Jamie Davis when I was going through Valmount, in an ice storm, at 40km/h, with a rear locker, and mud terrains, sideways.

[BrRsn]

Originally Posted by GabAlmighty

I got passed by Jamie Davis when I was going through Valmount, in an ice storm, at 40km/h, with a rear locker, and mud terrains, sideways.

[JSS]

I over flew whistler on route to pemberton on thursday, came back via lillooet lake and harrison lake, from my perspective all roads i could see were in great condition for a nice drive.

[N52B30]

Thanks for all the information! Alas, still haven't figured out a way for just in case communication between pemberton and cache creek. Also discovered oil leak on oil filter housing gasket while checking the car. Will definitely do the trip when better prepared.

[jaretron]

Originally Posted by Iron Chef

You guys are such pussies. There hasn't been any precipitation all week , its cold but it's sunny. There major roads so they get maintained but it's a moot point because it's been sunny all week.

He's not driving to timbucktoo. Just go and enjoy it while the weather is nice.

Preach, you said what I was thinking.
I was just talking to my Mom on the weekend and she reminded me how she would pile us three kids into her Volvo station wagon on a Friday night and we'd go camping with $20 in her pocket for gas. We drove all over BC and had great experiences, yeah I remember the car breaking down sometimes but that was part of the adventure. No cel phones, no money and guess what... we're all still here and only have good memories of those trips.

You're on the this planet once, fuck your cell phone, fuck your oil leak, and just go do it.

[underscore]

In the summer? Sure, if you get stuck overnight in the summer it's not a big deal. Fuck up in Canada in the winter though, and you're dead.

[jaretron]

Originally Posted by underscore

In the summer? Sure, if you get stuck overnight in the summer it's not a big deal. Fuck up in Canada in the winter though, and you're dead.

Lol, I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.
We drove all winter, growing up in the Okanagan (in the 80s when there was snow) we did trips to Calgary, Fernie, Vancouver... all over the place, and yeah I remember breaking down in Revelstoke while it was dumping snow. We flagged someone down, they went and got the tow truck, we spent the night there (in Revelstoke in a hotel) while we got a new alternator put in. It was fun, nobody died.

[CCA-Dave]

For those of you considering _any_ mountain route at this time of year without proper winter tires, give your head a shake.

We may not have had any precipitation on the Duffy this past weekend, but that doesn't mean its 'clear'. I was up and over on Friday night, and back again on Sunday afternoon. The cold temperatures we've been having means a lot of frost, frost which sticks around during the day. All along the duffy the concrete barriers were white for the top half, deep set frost in the concrete.

Friday night over the Duffy was uneventful, we were expecting the road to be cold and slick and drove accordingly. Sunday afternoon on the way back, through the low afternoon sun, and it was a different story. The road was covered in ice in sections, and not in others. The beautiful sunny drive makes you forget that while the sun is on the road it melts the frost and makes it wet, shortly after the sun tucks behind the mountain that wet freezes. You'd have a link of gorgeous corners, go around a bend and the whole car would start sliding...on winter tires, with studs. Classic definition of black ice, couldn't see it...could only feel it.

There's no cell coverage (with anyone) from Mount Currie to Lillooet. Coverage is spotty from there all the way to Hope (you pick up in some towns). Rogers and Bell in the larger towns (Lillooet, Cache Creek, Merritt, etc). Telus in some of the minor towns, nothing in a lot of sections.

It's just a road. I'll just drive up and over on a whim because I feel like going for a drive. It _is_, however, remote. In the winter there is far less traffic, which means a much longer wait before help happens to pass you if you have a problem. It gets mighty cold up there in the shade if you have to wait an hour for someone to come by. You can't rely on your vehicle's heater to keep you alive, if you have a problem and your engine can't run you have no heat.

I don't necessarily pack like survivor-man going to the arctic circle, but I certainly think about what would happen if I smoke a deer and have to wait a few hours for someone to pass by. If I'm doing a night run, I definitely consider the possibility of having to wait 12+ hours for help.

For crying out loud...use proper winter tires. From November 1 to April 1 they are 100% necessity, not an option for anyone who understands how tires work. It might be sunny and feel warm, even at the top, but road surface is going to be well below 10 deg C. October 1st to April 30 winter tires are law.

-Dave

Fuel stations in Lillooet close at 11pm, after that there is significantly less traffic heading south on the Duffy. Night-time waits can be _very_ long.

[underscore]

Dude you stayed in a hotel, of course you were fine. If you end up spending the night in a car on a pass in the winter with no supplies you're gonna have a real bad time.

[GabAlmighty]

Originally Posted by CCA-Dave

For those of you considering _any_ mountain route at this time of year without proper winter tires, give your head a shake.

We may not have had any precipitation on the Duffy this past weekend, but that doesn't mean its 'clear'. I was up and over on Friday night, and back again on Sunday afternoon. The cold temperatures we've been having means a lot of frost, frost which sticks around during the day. All along the duffy the concrete barriers were white for the top half, deep set frost in the concrete.

Friday night over the Duffy was uneventful, we were expecting the road to be cold and slick and drove accordingly. Sunday afternoon on the way back, through the low afternoon sun, and it was a different story. The road was covered in ice in sections, and not in others. The beautiful sunny drive makes you forget that while the sun is on the road it melts the frost and makes it wet, shortly after the sun tucks behind the mountain that wet freezes. You'd have a link of gorgeous corners, go around a bend and the whole car would start sliding...on winter tires, with studs. Classic definition of black ice, couldn't see it...could only feel it.

There's no cell coverage (with anyone) from Mount Currie to Lillooet. Coverage is spotty from there all the way to Hope (you pick up in some towns). Rogers and Bell in the larger towns (Lillooet, Cache Creek, Merritt, etc). Telus in some of the minor towns, nothing in a lot of sections.

It's just a road. I'll just drive up and over on a whim because I feel like going for a drive. It _is_, however, remote. In the winter there is far less traffic, which means a much longer wait before help happens to pass you if you have a problem. It gets mighty cold up there in the shade if you have to wait an hour for someone to come by. You can't rely on your vehicle's heater to keep you alive, if you have a problem and your engine can't run you have no heat.

I don't necessarily pack like survivor-man going to the arctic circle, but I certainly think about what would happen if I smoke a deer and have to wait a few hours for someone to pass by. If I'm doing a night run, I definitely consider the possibility of having to wait 12+ hours for help.

For crying out loud...use proper winter tires. From November 1 to April 1 they are 100% necessity, not an option for anyone who understands how tires work. It might be sunny and feel warm, even at the top, but road surface is going to be well below 10 deg C. October 1st to April 30 winter tires are law.

-Dave

Fuel stations in Lillooet close at 11pm, after that there is significantly less traffic heading south on the Duffy. Night-time waits can be _very_ long.

You drive on studded tires?

Also, I haz 4x4 so I am invincible in my AT's.

[CCA-Dave]

On my own vehicles, no, but that's just because I've stopped winter rallying for the most part and don't particularly need the studded tires around Squamish. This past weekend we were in a friends vehicle that does use studded tires however.

I have many years of AWD experience in Audi's, and plenty of 4x4 winter experience in trucks. Very useful tools, but certainly not invincible. Once parked the Audi 30ft in the woods on a winter rally. Sometimes AWD just gets you there faster, and puts you in deeper!

-Dave