Dec. 07, 2011 - Issue #842: Hroses
Road warrior reboot
Surviving winter driving in the mountains
Staring through two windshield-scraped moguls into dark Atari space, we egg each other on with that age-old skier motto: bad driving means good skiing. But then you get a commute like the one on the Yellowhead Highway on November 26.
The skiing at Marmot Basin that Sunday was, to use a ski cliché, epic. But as snow fell on the mountains above, sheets of freezing rain were transforming the road home into a curling rink, says Curtis Hrdlicka, assistant manager at Backside Tours.
"There were cars in the ditch the whole way down," he recalls. "The highway was all rippled with the effect of the freezing rain. So I stuck it in four-wheel drive and started a train of cars going 60 kilometres an hour."
Hrdlicka made it through without incident, but not everyone did. Near Hinton, catastrophe struck: a charter bus carrying 23 hockey players lost control and ended up flipping onto its roof, sending all the passengers to hospital.
It's one thing for a car to spin out, but it's rare for a bus to lose control in such a fashion, as the weight differential makes it one of the most stable vehicles on the road, explains Terry McGinnis, a professional coach driver who regularly navigates the high mountain passes for Backside Tours. When a bus tips, you know conditions are bad.
Part of the problem is that changing conditions often catch drivers unaware, suggests Don Szarko, Alberta Motor Association spokesperson.
"On longer drives you might very well encounter three or four different climate zones and temperatures," he stresses, "from bare, dry roads to slippery, icy roads to snow-covered roads—especially if you're headed into the mountains."
Skier or not, treacherous conditions are part of driving during a Western Canadian winter. Every individual has to examine their motivation on days when the conditions are horrendous—but remember the flip side of the equation: good, maybe even great skiing.
So what to do? Stay home and never venture out, or take a risk on the roads in hopes of reaching powder glory? You're right, of course, the question doesn't even bear asking, but even a hardened road warrior has to consider the precautions and measures necessary to ensure safe travel.
Hinton incident aside, bus travel may be the safest way to get to the slopes.
"Beyond the eco-friendliness and the social aspect of it, there's a safety aspect as well," Hrdlicka points out. Though he was driving a private vehicle on that scary Sunday a couple of weeks ago, more often than not he opts for the bus.
"We have the best drivers in the world to drive us through the worst roads in the world. They're trained to drive on those roads. I get onto a bus and I automatically feel relaxed."
No matter where you're going, a bus can be a good choice if the price and schedule suit your needs. But for many, driving is still the easiest alternative. It represents a certain liberation, freedom to go when and where you choose, roads and weather be damned.
Wrapped up in the intoxication of a powder day, however, it can be easy to get carried away. Powder is like an invisible tether for skiers. The irresistible pull of the mountains draws you forward, your sights trained on your destination. A foot depresses the gas pedal, your brain ignores the obvious warnings and, before long, you are spinning into the ditch. Finding yourself buried in a snowdrift in the dark, with howling winds and freezing temperatures and no guarantee of swift rescue quickly obliterates that carefree feeling.
"Most of the accidents we see are because somebody is following too closely, driving too fast and steps on the brakes," Szarko says. "You can't drive highway speeds when it's icy."
On a typical winter day in Alberta, the Alberta Motor Association can average up to 1200 to 1400 calls for vehicle assistance, reports Szarko. Despite its best efforts, the high call volume may mean a multi-hour wait for a tow during peak times.
Complicating matters is the fact that approximately 24 percent of those calls are from people who have locked their keys in the car, Szarko says.
"In extreme weather we only have so many trucks," he explains. "It's not that we don't want to come out and help you but if we do ... somebody else sitting in a ditch somewhere, perhaps a mother and child, has to wait an extra 40 to 80 minutes."
Regardless of wait times, Szarko stresses, it's best to stay by the vehicle. Walking for help in harsh conditions risks frostbite or hypothermia, and chances are you won't reach help sooner. Keeping a fully-charged cell phone handy, travelling with more than half a tank of gas and carrying an emergency road kit with extra supplies are also recommended, Szarko suggests.
For Hrdlicka, smart winter driving is about being responsible and considerate, and slowing down. "You see someone passing at 120 km and then 15 or 20 kilometres down the road they're asking the person who was going 60 to pull them out."
Whether you're driving from your house to the grocery store or over Roger's Pass, there is a certain inevitability to winter driving that must be faced with practicality, because it isn't going to change. Especially for skiers.
"Powder is a craving we can't satisfy in Edmonton," Hrdlicka says. "Once you've had that taste you're willing to drive 14 hours to Revelstoke on bad roads just to get a taste of it."
More important than being willing, though, is being ready for when it turns nasty, he says. "The world can turn on you in the flick of a switch and you need to respect that and take that into account." Maybe it's time to add a caveat to that old adage: bad driving equals good skiing, provided you get there safely.
WINTER DRIVING WITH THE PROS
Backside Tours' veteran driver Terry McGinnis and the Alberta Motor Association 's Don Szarko gave Vue Weekly some recommendations for winter driving preparedness and safety.
Be prepared
• Check road conditions immediately prior to departure (not the night before)
• Keep a fully charged cell phone in the vehicle
• Bring a spare car key
• Fit certified winter tires
• Have your night vision/acuity checked
• Always carry an emergency road kit
Drive smart
• Slow down and use brakes sparingly
• Leave a larger gap between you and the vehicle in front
• Travel on the top half of your tank
• Drive on the rumble strip to orient yourself if you're caught in a whiteout
• If you have an accident, stay with the vehicle
Road conditions reports
ama.ab.ca/road-reports
on Twitter @AMARoadReports
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