Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:18:33 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Least Steep Passes over the Sierra Nevadas? (for a stock
Vanagon Westy)?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
It's a bit south of those............but great opportunity to run down to
Lee Vining and go over Tioga Pass.
it's a long grade on the west side, but not steep, and spots to pull over a
cool off etc.
And as long as it's not overrun with people............Tuolomme
Meadows..........Tanyia Lake........
all that is just heaven.
When coming out of the north and east part of Yosemite, it's a long run on
hwy 120 I think it is...........
you end up coming into the Bay Area at Livermore. But that run goes pretty
fast usually.
also........here's really easy way ...........go from Carson city/ south
Reno area to Markleville , or the turn off to Markleville ........
( and hit Grover Hot Springs to while you're in the area. Nice warm outdoor
pool. $ 3 it is , or still is, I hope. Campgournd there too, but a not very
inspiring one in tall trees.
Then..................either straight west past Kirkwood Ski area - no
steeps in there at all.........
you just end up in a weird place and it's a long not very direct route to
past Sacto, through Fairfield to Vallejo, etc.
OR......this is a fun glamorous route .............
instead of going west past Kirkwood, turn right and go to South Lake Tahoe -
that's not steep at all, then turn left and go up Hwy 50 ........the road is
right on a cliff face there, but it's not long, and not steep , then it's a
nice run to Sacramento from there.
If you use that route, be careful right where 50 drops out of the foothills
onto the flat of the valley.
Very distinct spot - you're going downhill, you can see miles
ahead........and it's easy to go 80 there.
The CHP sets up at an on ramp there, like 5 CHP cars lined up waiting for
the call from the airplane overhead..........
they bust people for speeding there a lot I'm sure.
Beautiful country - all of the Sierras.
I've been on that steep one you spoke of .,........... a real two lane
grinder with no let up near the top, and few places to stop ........
and you don't want to stop anyway, cause she just gets hotter yet for a few
minutes then, with coolant not circulating, if the engine is off. Might
add Water Wetter or similar product to the coolant.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Hart" <mjhart853@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 5:29 PM
Subject: Least Steep Passes over the Sierra Nevadas? (for a stock Vanagon
Westy)?
>I am planning a round trip loop through the Sierras in California starting
>next week (starting from the San Francisco Bay Area)
> The Sierras have gradual gradients going East, but coming back West is a
> different story. Last year I took Highway 4 (Ebert's Pass) both ways (most
> convenient for our planned destination), but the West direction is VERY
> steep (25% for the last mile close to the summit), so I was down to 1st
> gear in my fully loaded Westy (temperature gauge running at the high side
> on a very hot day > 100F and strange sounds coming from the
> engine/transmission). Also, the approach to Ebert's Pass from Highway 395
> over Highway 89 (Monitor Pass) was pretty steep too.
> No apparent damage to the engine or transmission and since then I've had
> VolksCafe completely rebuild the cooling system (new radiator, stainless
> pipes, etc, etc.) [btw - great work by Peter at VolksCafe!], so I'm not
> too worried about overheating, but I'd rather not stress the engine so
> much again. Hence I will NOT be taking Ebert's Pass West again and need an
> alternate route.
>
> I've tried to find out the gradients of the other major passes, without
> success.
>
> So to my question - can someone tell me how steep Highway 88 (Carson Pass)
> is going West from the Lake Tahoe area? (I've driven this before, but not
> recently or in my Westy, you don't notice the hills quite so much in our
> other car, a 2.8liter V6 VW Jetta...). Any other ideas for the 'least
> steep pass' over the Sierras?
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
> '87 Westy (stock 2.1l)
> '97 Jetta GTX (2.8l VR6)
> '00 Cabrio GLX
| 
