Another gorge ice storm - Vista House, Feb. 9th, 2017

[Don Nelsen]

Thx Don for the update. ODOT tripcheck sez the road is open most of the way now but closed just east of Wahkeena where the road narrows and to a bit west of Ainsworth.

I think I'll go out that way tomorrow.

--Paul

When I was there today, the road barricades were at the interchange at the Ainsworth exit and a hundred yards east of Multnomah Falls. rocks continue to fall from the cliffs along that section and I saw one that must have weighed 400 lbs. so that may be the reason. Other than that, the road is fine. I saw about 20 folks hiking along that section of road today, too. The trails are completely covered in ice and snow at high angles making any hiking a difficult traverse. I saw no tracks at all on the 400 trail. It looked like a few had gone up the Horsetail trail but that one too had a ton of ice and snow on it.

Hope to see some pics and a TR if you go out tomorrow.

dn

[arlohike]

Don, you're my hero. Seriously, your skills and knowledge of the Gorge have been an inspiration to me since I joined this forum.

May I ask, what kind of vehicle do you use for driving the historic highway in an ice storm?

[romann]

Really cool ice pictures! You must have had studded tires or something to get that close.

[Don Nelsen]

Really cool ice pictures! You must have had studded tires or something to get that close.

Thanks for the compliment romann!

I don't use studded tires on my 4wd SUV both from the damage they cause to the roads but also because they are so noisy. I use winter tires with a tread rubber compound that tends to stick to icy and snowy surfaces. They are made in Finland and I think the Finns know something about driving in ice and snow! They are not perfect but they work pretty well. Just in case, I also carry a shovel, an ice axe and sometimes a set of chains when I think I will need them. I've had to use the shovel more than once!

My tires:



dn

[Don Nelsen]

Don, you're my hero. Seriously, your skills and knowledge of the Gorge have been an inspiration to me since I joined this forum.

May I ask, what kind of vehicle do you use for driving the historic highway in an ice storm?

Hi arlohike,

Thank you very much for the compliment! I really appreciate you saying that.

When the weather is really bad or I think I'm going to need 4WD, I use my Mercedes 430ML. (I can't recommend this model car for most folks: 1: they are expensive to maintain and 2: it is hard to find a really good low-mileage one - the best ones were model years 2000 to 2005, IMHO, and then they got an "upgrade" that made them less robust.) In any event, I've had this one for 12 years and it's a great car for rough conditions and I've only got it really stuck twice. Once high centered on ice and I had to dig it out - took a couple of hours! The other time I had to get unstuck with a winch - but that is another story! Lots of times I've had to use a shovel to get out of a parking spot, too. Pic near summit of Crane Mt., highpoint of Lake County, Oregon, 8,347':



I think the key for driving in snow and ice is having an ice axe and a good shovel. Proper tires are a must, too, of course. (See my response to romann's post.) The ice axe can break up compact ice if your tires dig a hole you can't get out of and of course, the shovel for everything else. I've had to use both 10 or 12 times and also helped a few folks out of their predicament. I could tell some stories!!

dn

[Webfoot]

I think the key for driving in snow and ice is having an ice axe and a good shovel.

What kind of "ice axe" do you mean and how do you use it?

[Don Nelsen]

I think the key for driving in snow and ice is having an ice axe and a good shovel.

What kind of "ice axe" do you mean and how do you use it?

Just a regular climbing ice axe. In an unplowed lot it is easy to dig a hole with your tires that even with 4WD the car cannot get out of. I've had to chip out a mini ramp for the tires to be able to climb out of the holes. The snow gets compacted and a shovel won't do the trick.

[Webfoot]

That's not what I expected. Thank you. Now I feel under-prepared with only a shovel.

I wonder if a less expensive tool could do that job? Maybe something like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HART-1-5-lb- ... /204280973

[Don Nelsen]

That's not what I expected. Thank you. Now I feel under-prepared with only a shovel.

I wonder if a less expensive tool could do that job? Maybe something like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HART-1-5-lb- ... /204280973

Wow I've never seen a tool quite like that. It might be easier to use and possibly more effective than and ice axe and way less expensive.