Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

[Keith_Hixson]

Snoqualmie Pass is the major mountain highway pass between Western and Eastern Washington. The last two days its been hit with lots of snow. It usually is hit hard with snow. But, they had a big accident up on the mountain yesterday.
My son drives a truck from Ellensburg to Seattle everyday. He's been stuck in Seattle and can't get over the hill. He says those Western Washington folks don't know how to drive in snow. Fortunately he hasn't been in an accident.

Here are some pics if you want to take a look.

Keith


http://www.kirotv.com/slideshow/news...52/detail.html

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsourc...noqualmie+pass

[Packo]

Isn't that wine country?

Man, this global warming is ruining everything.

as Chicken Little would say:

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling"

Pack

[b3196]

We refer to that as "Stadium Parking"
bOOger
'

[Keith_Hixson]

He's safely across the pass with a load for Ellensburg exchange station. They want him to take a load to Seattle today when he gets back. He enjoys the hours but snow driving is very intense and he's had a lot of it this winter. He knows how to drive in snow because he does it all winter long. Its the Westside drivers and truckers from the South and California who don't know how to drive in snow. Well we'll see if he goes over and back again today. Pretty snowy out there.

Paco,
The wine country is at much lower elevations. The pass is 3,000 ft elevation. Most of the wine country is around 1,000 ft elevation in Eastern Washington.

Keith

[revwardoc]

I think the favorite "whine" over there is "...those Western Washington folks don't know how to drive in snow."

[Raggedy Ann]

Wow, thanks for the pictures. It looks as though there may have been a few fatalities in that accident. I'm glad your son made it through alright. Snow, cars, and trucks, don't ya just love it.

Raggedy Ann

[Keith_Hixson]

Those Western Oregon, Western Washington and California drivers don't drive enough in snow to learn how. So when snow hits they do everything wrong. Like when you begin to slide, they hit the brakes when they should just lay off the gas and allow the car to straighten out by itself. They also use cruise control in the snow . . if you have cruise on in snow, when you do go into a spin it will enhance the spin . . in Montana they ticket you for driving with cruise control in slick conditions. But Kevin drives that route everyday so he knows how to drive in snow. But alot of truck drivers don't drive in snow often either so they make mistakes also. I wonder if Curtis up in upstate NY knows anything about driving in snow.
Only four hospitalized with injuries, non critical. Now that is amazing.

Keith

[Jerry D]

Keith, When I was stationed at McChord AFB every time it snowed I waited two days to leave the base. By then either all the dumb drivers had wrecked or learned how to drive good enough to not hit me at Stop lights :-) I was from Missouri and snow is three month of the year there at the minimum. It is great down here in SE Georgia where I don't have to shovel snow & I can handle Mud and rain better

Your son's pretty brave to drive a rig to Seattle during heavy snowfall in Snoqualmie Pass

[revwardoc]

Keith,

I know how you feel. Every year in MA, the first snow storm always makes the traffic accident rate skyrocket. Too many people with short term memory problems. Right now we're having freezing rain and during the commute to work I saw people driving like its the last lap at Daytona. Crazy. What I've noted is that the majority of people who drive like that are kids who don't know any better (a very harsh lesson is right around the bend), or guys who drive company vehicles. I guess the latter figure since its not their vehicle, why should they care.

[39mto39g]

Over driving your vehicle is not unique to Washington. Fog, Rain, night, wind, smoke, Snow, are all a accident waiting to happen.
For some reason people think there vehicle can stop instantly and they are Mario Andretti behind the wheel. And then there are people that drive with there focus no more than 50 feet in front of them.

Some simple driving skills across the nation would help in limiting the number of accidents, but the States DMVs just give a really reticules test, that most people can pass without study.

Stay out of the left lane unless you are passing or turning and drive with your eyes focused further ahead, would prevent 50% of the accidents .

Then there is cell phones, Men and cell phones just don't work. Women don't seem to have as many problems with multi tasking.

Ron