Chain Law on Vail pass

[tamrock]

It's snowing in the Rockies. I drove to Grand Junction yesterday and there was snow and icy roads from Georgtown to Rifle on Colorado's I-70. Smoky's out making sure all the commercial rigs heading over the passes put there chains on. I'm not sure if that big motorhome is required to have chains?. I saw they had one driver pulled over just before the Eisenhower tunnel without chains (he'll be getting a ticket) and some driver will need to get some new chains as I saw a few in the middle of the road that flew off. My heart goes out to you drivers that need to go through all that chain-up business. Sure doesn't look fun to me. Now I sit here this morning in Grand Junction and wait for a 225 pound item coming in on FedEx overnight air so I can haul it asap to Ouray. This is an unexpected get up and head out trip for me this week I didn't have planed. I was going to stay close to home this week and get ready for Thanksgiving. At least I can take the southern route home when I'm done here, as I've been unable to get back to Denver on I-70 a few times because Vail pass is closed.

 

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[Jason in Enid]

They need to put the auto-chains like we have on our fire trucks. pneumatic control puts a disc in contact with the tire. Causes the disc to spin a series of chain sections under the front of the tire as it turns.

I HATE HATE HATE having to mess with traditional chains!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have traveled that route many times over the years in the past and at times tire chains were required on all heavy vehicles and chains or snow tires on cars going over the Vail pass... In a snow storm or blizzard it is a nerve racking trip..

 

[tamrock]

They need to put the auto-chains like we have on our fire trucks. pneumatic control puts a disc in contact with the tire. Causes the disc to spin a series of chain sections under the front of the tire as it turns.

I HATE HATE HATE having to mess with traditional chains!

I've seen those autochains. They put those devises on the school buses also. A few years back I'd see these enterprising fellas that put the chains on the big trucks for a fee at Vail. Some guy told me they charge 20, 30 bucks for the service??. I've seen trucks lineup at Vail that would be maybe 3 miles long. If you and a partner could knockout a 100 trucks a night at say $25.00 each install of chains you could make some good money on those nights.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Do they require chains on 4x4's?
Jim

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Do they require chains on 4x4's?
Jim

Yes when I was last there, can't speak for now.... 4 wheel drive doesn't keep you from sliding on ice, just makes it little easier to get out of the ditch. I drove 4 wheel drive pick up for 10 years in Missouri, can't count how many times I was sliding uncontrolled while in 4 wheel drive on ice. Ice is ice...

 

[RGINN]

I'm glad I didn't have to make that drive. I only have a 10 mile drive to Breck, and there's only one minor hill, but I decided this year I would give that free bus a try. Colorado chain laws have changed through the years, but they pretty much apply only to commercial vehicles. Sanders are acceptable, too. Some of our delivery drivers were using those last year and they worked pretty well for them. A couple of them got stopped by CSP officers who didn't recognize they were using sanders and thought they were violating the chain law. For the general driving public, it's important to have sufficient tire tread. CDOT is doing more education for the public on that this year. We're a semi-arctic environment most of the year, but it would amaze you how many times you see bald tires on some vehicles out on the road.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I've seen those autochains. They put those devises on the school buses also. A few years back I'd see these enterprising fellas that put the chains on the big trucks for a fee at Vail. Some guy told me they charge 20, 30 bucks for the service??. I've seen trucks lineup at Vail that would be maybe 3 miles long. If you and a partner could knockout a 100 trucks a night at say $25.00 each install of chains you could make some good money on those nights.

If you didnt mind the cold it would be a good way to make some easy money. I would gladly pay $30 for someone else to chain up my tires!

 

[coazon de oro]

Strapping chains are a pain just on a pickup, I can imagine what it would be on a rig in cold weather. I got to use chains here in South Texas on rainy days. When working for a gas company that had most of its gas in Webb County, I drove one of only two trucks that weren't four wheel drive. Webb County is mostly gray clay dirt, any light rain makes it bad, but with chains, its like driving with four wheel drive through all that mud.

Homar

 

[tamrock]

I'm glad I didn't have to make that drive. I only have a 10 mile drive to Breck, and there's only one minor hill, but I decided this year I would give that free bus a try. Colorado chain laws have changed through the years, but they pretty much apply only to commercial vehicles. Sanders are acceptable, too. Some of our delivery drivers were using those last year and they worked pretty well for them. A couple of them got stopped by CSP officers who didn't recognize they were using sanders and thought they were violating the chain law. For the general driving public, it's important to have sufficient tire tread. CDOT is doing more education for the public on that this year. We're a semi-arctic environment most of the year, but it would amaze you how many times you see bald tires on some vehicles out on the road.

Those sander's sound like a great idea for Vail pass. I see the biggest problem with the chain law is the 3 mile long line of big trucks chaining up at Vail. It creates such a traffic jam with those poor guys trying to find a spot to chain up and get back out on the road. That all becomes a bumper to bumper mess of very slow moving vehicles all the way up the west side and then all the cars and lighter vehicles lose momentum and start spinning out and it all comes to a halt. After that they shut the pass down, just to let that mess clear up. I've been stuck a few times now on Friday nights west of the pass because of a closer on Vail. To me those sanders may keep thing rolling, plus the highway department would get a little free sand added to the pass making it all the better for traction for everyone and those who can't afford new tires. I put a new set on my truck before I took a trip to Montana last week. Glad I did as I've got great grip now. I didn't want to lose it up there in that sub-zero climate far from anywhere.

 

[sponge]

You guys talk about chains this time of year. They just arent the gold ones. Good luck this winter you all. Down here in Florida im tryin to figure out what rum for the egg nogg. And do I want to drive south to get some farm stores egg nogg. That was da bomb.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Yes when I was last there, can't speak for now.... 4 wheel drive doesn't keep you from sliding on ice, just makes it little easier to get out of the ditch. I drove 4 wheel drive pick up for 10 years in Missouri, can't count how many times I was sliding uncontrolled while in 4 wheel drive on ice. Ice is ice...

Yeah...after living my entire adult life in the northern Rockies, I know about ice, and 4x4's. I just wondered about the law. Usually, as in the pics, the problem isn't ice, it's snow. If the ice is really bad, might as well stay home.
I remember, many years ago, going over Lolo Pass between Idaho and Montana on US12. It was in January, and I was driving a Jeep. There were big piles of snow beside the road. We stopped to pee, and left the Jeep sitting in the traffic lane. It was after midnight, so no traffic. The road was so icy that the Jeep, vibrating from the engine idling, slowly just slid over against the snowbank. We could hardly standup. I don't go out in those conditions anymore.
Jim

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yeah...after living my entire adult life in the northern Rockies, I know about ice, and 4x4's. I just wondered about the law. Usually, as in the pics, the problem isn't ice, it's snow. If the ice is really bad, might as well stay home.
I remember, many years ago, going over Lolo Pass between Idaho and Montana on US12. It was in January, and I was driving a Jeep. There were big piles of snow beside the road. We stopped to pee, and left the Jeep sitting in the traffic lane. It was after midnight, so no traffic. The road was so icy that the Jeep, vibrating from the engine idling, slowly just slid over against the snowbank. We could hardly standup. I don't go out in those conditions anymore.
Jim

Jim I remember one day in winter parking my truck on top of a hill about 100 feet high, I had to get out to do some work, had my back to my truck up hill of truck about 10 ft. We had had heavy snow and road was iced. I heard some noise and turned to see my parked trucked sliding down the hill, it slid about 100 feet and came to rest in shallow ditch...

 

[slowwevo]

this is one thing I don't miss about vail,it seemed like that pass stayed closed when I lived there

 

[tamrock]

this is one thing I don't miss about vail,it seemed like that pass stayed closed when I lived there

I think they should bring in the National Guard and see if they could devise a plan to keep that thing moving. I lived up there before both side of the Eisenhower tunnels where finished and Vail pass was just completed and never in those days did they shut Vail down. It is getting to be more of a mess every year now. They need to come up with some options to keep the traffic moving and not just close it. I'm sure the motels are digging the extra volume of guest they get on those nights. I've paid as much as a $140. for the night in the Beaver Creek area because I can't get over Vail or Tennessee pass.