Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 22:32:34 -0800
Reply-To: davidson <davidson@SIERRA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: davidson <davidson@SIERRA.NET>
Subject: Re: Snow tires, Police, getting stopped, etc.
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Malcom,
If you live between Yosemite and Merced or Modesto you live at about 4,000
feet or less in the western foot hills of the Sierra Nevada. If that is
where you live I don't think you can claim to get more snow than the Tahoe
area. Sure Tioga Pass gets tons of snow, but that would be a long way from
where you live and at 10 or 11,000 feet. Lake Tahoe is at 6,000 feet and
much closer to the crest than where I think you are saying you live.
Several years we have had 30 feet of snow left on the ground in May. I
really doubt you get that where you live. Besides, if you get more snow
than us why do you have one tiny ski resort and we have about 30?? In truth
it really doesn't matter to me who gets more snow than the other. Actually
the point of this post was studs on tires. If you are at 4,000 feet that
may explain why you don't see so many studs there. It would be warmer on
average at a lower elevation. That would mean less ice and therefore less
need for studs. They really only help on hard ice. But when it is icy they
help you stop when it is almost impossible otherwise.
My friend Doug used to have a LandCruiser. We called it 'The Crusher'. A
truly manly vehicle!
Have a good day.
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
Lake Tahoe
----------
> From: Malcolm Holser <mholser@Adobe.COM>
> To: davidson <davidson@SIERRA.NET>
> Subject: Re: Snow tires, Police, getting stopped, etc.
> Date: Monday, November 16, 1998 5:44 PM
>
> At 04:22 PM 11/16/98 , you wrote:
> >Malcom,
> >You may speak for the flatlander Californians, but not us mountain folk
> >Californians up her in Lake Tahoe and other mountain communities. Most
> >people who live here year round have aggressive snow tires. They're not
> >rare here at all. In fact, this time of year that's about the only thing
> >the local tire shops sell here. If you are interested in buying studded
> >tires this is the place to get them. The good ones. And most likely
cheaper
> >than in the flat lands since they sell so many of them up here. If you
by
> >them from Stone's Tires in Truckee they will switch them back to your
> >summer tires for free each spring.
> >Bill
> >90 Westy Syncro
> >Lake Tahoe
>
> Well, I live just outside Yosemite, hardly "flatland" which is why the
> CHP has the studs. You guys just get so much less snow that we do -- our
> roads over the hill simply close for the winter -- Tioga has been closed
> for a while now. I *never* see studded snowtires here, however -- never
> see them for sale either.
>
> I've lived in the Sierras now since 1975, although I always avoid the
Tahoe
> area, where we feel all the folks there are displaced flatlanders that
> are in the mountains to be cool and ski. Weekend places. Not many
> weekenders around here. I think that Snow Flat in Yosemite has the
> most average snowpack in the Sierra, so we don't lack for the stuff.
>
> I'd *never* use studs, personally. It's chains for me -- I carry a set
> of four in my LandCruiser (I don't trust my two Syncros that much in
> the snow). I must travel to the Valley to shop -- there are basically no
> stores in Mariposa county (we have all of 12,000 people scattered over
> one of the largest counties -- Yosemite Valley is the largest "town").
> The studs detract from handling too much. So we have to drive about an
> hour to stores -- and would never want to drive in the valley with studs.
>
> Typically, we don't get much ice, either. When we have snow, it tends to
> stay snow on the road until it melts, and studs don't help on snow. I
> do drive with snow tires, always.
>
> I have two Syncro Transporters. One *real* four-wheeler -- my Toyota
> LandCruiser. The Syncros (a doublecab and a Kombi) are fine -- like
other
> AWD weekend-warrior kind of things. They have better ground clearance
> than the Toy, but the LC is built like a tank. The VW's are built like,
> well, VWs.
>
>
> Malcolm H.
>
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