Ideas desperately needed

[morgaina]

I have decided to avoid the Christmas Rush and get started on my worrying now:

Oldest son & DIL are flying into Seattle just before Christmas. Then they will pick up dancing_guru, rent a car, and drive to Moscow. This will be just a few days before Christmas.
When dancing_guru contacted the rental car companies they told her they do not allow chains to be put on their cars and do not have snow tires available for their rentals either. The company said All-weathers should be fine, FOR OVER THE PASSES, ARE THEY INSANE? ARE THEY STUPID?

Does anyone have any ideas how to solve this dilemma?

Comments

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

erm, I've driven those passes in the winter for years and never needed to chain up. Snoqualimie is rarely chains required. as you know, if the road is bare and wet or packed snow, all weathers are just fine (especially in a nimble front wheeled drive car with people who know how to drive in it)

I'd say go for it, and if the weather is so bad that chains are required, wait a day or two for it to melt (its snoqualimie, after all) or plan on using Greyhound....

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

You are the first person who has said it was possible and since I know your common sense, I am greatly eased by this.

I don't think they will Grayhound under any circumstances, remember how last year dancing_guru's bus caught fire and burned up on Snowqualamie? They would look at taking the train I think.

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

the train would be lovely!!!

plan C could always be to head south and go through the gorge. I remember I did that a couple times when the pass really sucked and looked like it would be sucky for a long time. yes, it adds hours and hours on the trip, but if you have a timeline that you have to meet :) it can be worth it, and its a pretty drive in the winter too :) (oo! a stop at marymoore! stone henge! watching crazy windsurfers! (yes, even in the dead of winter)

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

The gorge is my choice.

But I don't get a vote :-(
All I can do is lobby.

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

it will be fine, mom :)

really, if its snowing hard enough/icky enough to make it hard going, you're going so slow that wiping out consists of a slow and "oh my gosh, we're sliding and there's nothing we can do" kind of slide into a ditch. and then they whip out their cells, call 911 and wait for the cavalry.

be sure there's blankets, water and food in the car (hand warmers, etc are good too) so that if the cavalry is poky they arent too uncomfortable and they'll be fine :). they'll be on a MAJOR highway, in daylight hours.

personally? I think the pass is safer in the snow than it is some other times (like in a big rainstorm, after dark, with people coming home from the applecup or some such)

but then I might be a crazy WSU grad who learned to drive in the stuff early, never had front wheel drive and while she had chains, didnt want to bother with them, so just dealt with it :). only ended up in the ditch twice, and both times was quickly rescued and got a good story out of it!

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

And it's not like they were driving over the Donner Pass on their way to Estrella ;-)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

exaaaaaactly :)

[ornerie.livejournal.com]

exaaaaaactly :)

[gattagrigia.livejournal.com]

Well, Thanksgiving 2006 chains were *required*, even tho conditions didn't warrent it. We think the StatePatrol decided to slow down the holiday traffic. What a cold wet messy job! Then to avoid the pass on the way home, we went thru the gorge - it was sloppy and slow, but really beautiful as the gorge always is.

Chains were required yesterday, all day. Just as well I'm staying in Yakima, because I'd never have made it home!

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Yes, putting on chains is a pain.
Stay warm & dry!