Driving to Colorado

Going skiing between Christmas and New Years. I have never driven in any real snow/ice. Need TFF help on which vehicle to take:

Acura MDX - has all-wheel drive and tires have good tread, but tires do not have the "M+S" designation for driving in snow

Silverado 2500 - has 4x4 and tires with good tread and the M+S rating and I could add weight to the bed and air down the tires

We are going to Wolf Creek and staying in South Fork, so I think the roads will be well-maintained. Will I be fine in either, or is the M+S tire rating important, or would I be better having AWD and even weight on all wheels?

With good driving skills, you should be fine in either as long as the tires are in good shape.
I drove all over the Rockies for 15 years in a front wheel drive Saturn SL2 with regular tires, sometimes in terrible conditions.
In icy conditions, AWD is better than 4X4.

More important, imo, are to make sure you have the windshield wiper fluid topped off with deicing fluid (RainX -30 is widely available) and that your windshield wipers are in good working order and to have a spare set of wipers in case.

Windshield scraper also in the trunk.

Car battery in good shape with a fully charged battery jumper in case.

If I were going that far I would drive the MDX without a doubt.

Have not driven in much snow at all. Just guessing I would take the Silverado 2500 pick-up. To me it would seem that a truck would hold the road better in snow and ice conditions. Just my two cents.

MDX probably has a lower center of gravity, when combined with AWD should be very stable.

One of the worst spins I’ve been in was in a buddy’s 4X4 truck when he put it in four wheel drive and stepped on the gas in icy conditions. Yes, he was from a small 1000 population town in far west Texas and thought it was fun.

For starters, the roads are maintained well in places like that. Second, the snow is different than what we get here usually. It’s crunchier and not as slick. Different than driving on a street in the summer with no snow, but not as bad as driving in snow here, which tends to be slicker and we get ice, which is the real problem.

Be cautious, give yourself space to slow down, don’t go crazy, and take whichever vehicle you’re most comfortable in. When I was in Breckinridge to ski about five years ago, our rental was an Impala and I never had any issues. It’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t have much experience driving in snow or in places like that where snow is normal in winter. Plus, the low humidity of the Rockies creates a dryer snow. The only word I can use describe it is crunchy.

Heck we hardly ever get snow down here but we get ice on occasions.

Back in my snow skiing days, south fork area for lodging and wolf creek skiing was my absolute favorite. Either vehicle will be fine.

Not sure they still have it as it has been years since I've been skiing there, but they used to have a 4x4 parking lot above the ski lodge. As vehicles are pulling in, the 4x4's went right up the hill and all others went left below the lodge. Fill your ride up with all the drinks and eats you can handle. As you ski down the hill you could ski right to your vehicle, eat and drink your own grub, then ski right back down to the lift and go another round.

Some mountain passes you are required to have snow chains on. Might be a good idea to not only get a set but actually try to put them on so no surprises

Acura for sure

The Acura AWD.

I would take the 2500 with chains. You ever skied before because wolf creek is pretty serious I hear brother.

We got caught in a quick snow dump in September up there and a dodge 2500 and my 1500 chevy were fine with all terrains. The plows work great

Either should be fine but I would take the Acura.

take the truck, go to lowes or home depot and buy 2 bags of play sand and put one over each tire in the bed. should you get stuck you can use the sand for a traction aid.
roads will be plowed well but chains or 4 wheel drive could be required on the mt.
watch out for black ice, shady corners in the afternoon will be the worst but are probably sanded well, just be careful.

2 things about the snow up there, hard pack is not bad to drive on, slow down to a comfortable speed but don't granma it and do 25 in a 70.
if you do have to lock in 4x use 4 hi and take er easy. 4x4 or all wheel drive will help you get moving and help with steering but it will not slow you down any better on snow or ice.

been over wolf creek once or twice and they take great care of it in winter, drove from durango to south fork aug to march once a week while working on summitville gold mine, all I had was a 2 wheel drive f250 4 speed manual.

you can also check for shuttles to the mt. they used to run them hrly out of pagosa and south fork but with the wuhan bs may have them shut down.

like said, I hope you already know how to ski. they had a couple of easy greens for beginners but most of the mt. is dark blue or black trails, not rooky stuff.

one important thing, DO NOT EXERT YOURSELF for at least the first couple of days or you could have problems from the altitude, acclimate and take it easy.
should you start feeling queasy or sick GET YOUR BUTT OFF THE MT. to a lower altitude and be ready to go even lower if need be, altitude sickness is some serious stuff and happens a lot when you go from 5-600' to almost 12,000', wolf creek is the continental divide. and the base area is at about 10,500'.

drink lots of water too, you won't sweat but you can dehydrate quick up there. lay off the booze till afternoon, one beer up there will be like a 30 of natty down here.

read the parking info


https://wolfcreekski.com/wolf-creek-stats-facts/

Bring me some back too

Driving - Either vehicle will work but listen to hop if you take the truck. Do not stop when going uphill and triple your stopping distance going downhill.

Skiing - Point them downhill and turn them loose. This is what my buddies told me when I first learned at age 14, so I wouldn't advise it. Be safe and enjoy your time on the mountain.

I can only give snowboarding advice.
Wear a helmet. Baseball batter’s helmets work in a pinch.
When going downhill, always be leaning up the mountain. That way, if you fall, you have a better chance of not falling downhill.

Hop is spot on as usual---take the truck, go to lowes or home depot and buy 2 bags of play sand and put one over each tire in the bed. should you get stuck you can use the sand for a traction aid.
roads will be plowed well but chains or 4 wheel drive could be required on the mt.
watch out for black ice, shady corners in the afternoon will be the worst but are probably sanded well, just be careful. I've been there many times and do this. The only thing I do different is I use 200lbs of sand or topsoil for weight in the back of my truck.

If you are a fisherman you might want to carry something for trout and fish the moving creeks or river. Yes they bite in the winter and you always have most of the best spots to yourself.

I think you are putting too much thought into it. Go have fun!

Driving on snow is not a problem until it gets really deep. Ice is a different beast. Best advice I've heard on driving on ice,
" pretend there is an egg on the gas and brake. " too much pressure on either and you've lost control.

MO

Thanks for all the input! We are all beginners, and I expect we will spend 100% of our time on the green slopes. I have looked at the trails and there are not many greens so we'll be relegated to relatively few trails. But I couldn't find anything else that had pricing even remotely close to what I could find at wolf creek, so that's what we're doing. I had a buddy who went last year and said he had a blast and he was a beginner too. Our airbnb is like $60 a night in south fork, and has great reviews. Kids haven't been around snow like this ever, so I'm sure they'll have a good time regardless.

I did buy helmets for all of us - wife had a friend die while skiing about 8 or 9 years ago, so she's already freaked out.

I did hear that wolf creek is a high base elevation so we will bring lots of water and be ready for possible altitude issues.

As for vehicles, seems somewhat split. Reason I'm asking now is I figured I'd need to get chains for whatever we take.

My family and I will be in South Fork the 22nd - 27th. We are taking an F150 4x4 and a Buick Enclave AWD. Was in Red River last year and they got 16" in one day. Both vehicles where fine. Getting to South Fork is easy but then you have to go through Crede to get to Wolf Creek, it can be daunting but just go slow and safe. Just an FYI but Wolf Creek has a 68" base on the mountain. That's a lot of snow, not your average Texas snow storm here.

Here you go

The Colorado Department of Transportation website, cotrip.org, lists the following winter driving tips:

Always keep the top half of your gas tank full. It can give you better traction and gives you a bigger margin of error if you get stuck and have to keep the engine running periodically to keep warm.
If you are stuck in a serious storm do not leave your car. Run the engine periodically and wait for help.
Carry blankets, water, a flashlight, a shovel, some nutrition bars or even candy bars for sustenance.
Remember that 4-wheel drive does not mean 4-wheel stop. A four wheel drive vehicle will not stop any better on sheer ice than a 2 wheel drive vehicle.
Be sure of your route. Don’t go exploring in the back country without some local knowledge, especially during a storm or when one is bearing down anywhere near your location. The weather can change quickly and violently in the Rocky Mountains and not necessarily only in the heart of winter.
Be sure you have good tires. The Colorado State Patrol recommends at least 1/8 of an inch tread depth. All season radials on a front-wheel-drive passenger vehicle are adequate for most situations. Snow tires on most rear wheel drive vehicles are usually adequate. Chain restrictions in Colorado are most often put into effect for commercial vehicles (semi’s) and usually do not affect passenger vehicles.
In poor visibility or even white-out conditions, don’t drive faster than you can see ahead. High speeds in poor or no visibility can lead to large chain reaction accidents. Remember you can’t see around mountain curves and corners either.[color:#FF0000][/color]

I suggested the truck for clearance if you do get a storm, sucks bad to high center an all wheel drive due to sitting too low and you will have to be pulled out or dig out. truck is heavier and will do better imo.

the log cabin restaurant in south fork used to be some good grub but it has been a lot of yrs. since I was there. there is a little campground on the west end of town, might get to fish the stream thru there if you can get access.
if roads are clear and not icy go over the mt. to pagosa and hit the hot springs at least once, very much worth the time and relaxation (if it is open).
if all are beginners, hit the ski school for a half day lesson and it will make the trip more fun once you figure out how to turn etc. they will start you on a bunny slope then you can go find a green. be aware that some greens will be next to hard blues and possibly some blacks, be sure of your rte. down, moguls suck if you are learning.


for chains, get some of these cable type, light and work great also easier to put on if needed.
https://www.etrailer.com/Tire-Chain...L9Z3Q7QIVkPDACh1m7Qd9EAQYEyABEgJaCfD_BwE
get 6-8 bungees to stretch across from one side to the other, this helps tension the cables, put 2 on each tire (you may lose one or two so get extras).

take pictures, I have not seen wolf creek in a long long time.

Didn't see Hop's last post till after I posted. LOL Hop is spot on everything he stated.

y'all have fun

The drive to South Fork usually isnt too bad but there is about an hour stretch of road through La Veta Pass (between Walsenberg and Ft Garland) that gets a little sketchy. Ive made the drive dozens of times and this is the spot where the pucker factor comes into play more often than not. If there is any bad weather in the area this spot will get hit the hardest. On top of that, there is a lot of wildlife to watch out for. I always make sure to leave with enough time to make it through the pass before it starts getting dark.

Wolf Creek down to South Fork can get a little sketchy if there is a fresh dusting of snow, but you dont have to worry too much. Heading into Pagosa from Wolf Creek is where you need to plan ahead and stay aware of the weather. a heavy snow can close down Wolf Creek Pass quickly and the next fastest route into Pagosa is about 6ish hours if i remember correctly.

If it were me, I would be in the truck. There are lots of small 2 lane roads covered in ice/snow, through areas with abundant wildlife, that you will be driving ~60 mph down. I would much rather be in the big truck when i started sliding into oncoming traffic or when an 800 lb elk steps out in front of me. Also nice to have a bed to throw your snow covered skis, boots, etc in.

Like someone else mentioned, the roads up there dont get as bad as they do here when it ices due to the dryer climate, but things can obviously still get pretty squirrely.

Also, dont forget to downshift when driving down the mountains. Lots of Texans burn up their brakes coming down while constantly riding their brakes.

Restaurants in South Fork are pretty scarce so i would plan on doing a good bit of cooking at the rental. There is a good brewery/pizza place in Del Norte called Three Barrels.

If you want to go see some 200" class mule deer that will eat out of your hand, go to the first neighborhood off Ponderosa Dr (off hwy 149 right before you hit the Rio Grande). Seen many big muleys fighting 20 feet off the road as i sat and watched the show. Hard to find that anywhere else. Theres also a lot of Merriams Turkeys roaming the hood as well.






Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is down the road about 40 minutes and has lots of waterfowl and sandhill cranes. Not sure how it will be this time of year but during the crane migration in October and March it can get pretty spectacular. Oh yeah and its smack in the middle of Amish/Menonite country and you'll see some horse drawn buggies cruising around which is kinda neat. Worth keeping in mind if you need an acclimation day before you hit the slopes.

Sorry for the pic dump, too many good ones to choose from





(check out that Speck/canada hybrid!!!)

Thanks hop. One of the big problems with the MDX is the stupidly low clearance - I think it's like 6"-7" or something. So I guess that would be a potential issue.

Guess we'll take the truck and make the best of it. My plan is to leave Royse city at 3am-4am and try to make it there during daylight hours. I assume I basically need to switch to 4-hi gear as soon as I get off dry pavement?

How much should I air down the tires? I think door jamb says 60 psi front and 75 psi rear IIRC.

I just called yesterday to book a 1/2 day lesson for the 4 of us. Last thing I want is for everyone to spend 2 days struggling on the bunny slopes not knowing what to do.

Really appreciate all the help bud. I owe you a smoked pork shoulder or something for all the threads of mine you've responded to over the years.

I think it has more to do with "How you drive" than "What you drive".

Ya'll will have a blast, great spot for a first time, snow is always excellent.

Strongly recommend lessons for first timers, especially kids. There are a lot of little things that can be taught to make the experience better.

don't worry about locking in unless it gets bad, your call tho. hard pack snow is not bad for driving, just take it a little easy and realize slamming the brakes is not a good idea.

don't air down the tires either, no help unless you take them down to 15 psi or so and that is not a good idea on hiway driving.

should be about 10 hrs. to south fork in good weather, plan on 12 this time of yr. I would go up thru the panhandle to raton, hit 160 west and go for it, most direct rte and 160 will be plowed well (or should be). summer going thru northern new mexico is a neat drive.

just leave plenty of room between you and whatever is in front of you, pay attn. to oncoming idiots and be ready to evade if need be. do not use cruise control on snow/ice, downshifts can really get your attn quick if you slide.

hope y'all have a blast, I loved skiing wolf creek and never had a bad snow day on it.

If you are taking the truck, go to Home Depot and buy a couple hundred pounds of sand. You want as course and gritty as possible. The weight will help you keep traction in the rear. Also if you do get stuck on ice, you can spread the gritty sand ahead of you to claw yourself out. I guess you could also use rock salt for the same purpose, but I've always carried 4 bags of sand.

Couple of safety tips for winter driving in remote areas:
1. Don't let your gas get below 1/2 tank.
2. Carry winter clothes and blankets in the cab.
3. Carry a case of bottled water in the cab.
4. Check battery and all fluids.
5. Jumper cables, ice scraper (and gloves), flashlight.

Thanks!

If you are going down a slope, instead of riding your brakes the whole time in Drive get into 1st or 2nd gear.

Need to pack some food too. I'd go with spaggetio's. Pull top lid and it doesn't have to be heated. Taste just as delicious straight out of the can. I'd be curious to know if higher altitudes would force the meatballs to the bottom of the can. Patriot07 if you wouldn't mind testing that and reporting back with the results it would be greatly appreciated.

I've got a duramax, so I should be able to use exhaust brake and low gears. Might even just put it in tow/haul mode

in the 20 yrs. I lived up there I never downshifted for a downhill in winter, lock the tires up and you ain't in control any more.

just drive normal and you will be fine, just slow a little if the roads have snow/ice on them.

You'll love wolf creek. In my opinion, they have the best group of employees on any hill in Colorado or New Mexico. It was always a great experience there especially for those of us that were not the best skiers. Looks like you've made your mind up to drive the truck, and that's ok too. As a young man, I drove a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP to Wolf Creek to ski 6 times. I never had a problem, maybe I was younger and dumber, but they have to keep up with the roads, the ski business depends on that pass to be open from both sides. And remember to pack all the drink and food you may want in your truck. Wolf creek is one of a few you can ski to your 4x4 and enjoy your own stuff without ever having to walk. Most ski resorts this is a big no no.

This.

I have a place in Pagosa Springs. The roads might have snow on em, but they are well maintained for driving. I see hundreds of little FWD cars running around.

When mine get cold my meatballs just hide behind my noodle.

You forgot one...

Let your facial hair grow for a year prior to venturing out into the Wild, untamed snow roads full of people.

this, but, my suggestions are based on his never having driven in snow. whole different animal for a newbie.

Eh. The learning curve is a quick one. He will be a pro in no time at all. Lol

I used to make some good bucks pulling people back up on I70 on the east side of eisenhower tunnel, no tow truck service wanted to make the trip so I used to sit in the pull out with my f250 highboy, buddy gave me a set of logger chains (cleated) so couldn't go on the hiway but went just about anywhere else. lol

always amazed me so many people could lose it going uphill.


like these.

If it’s windy, odds are you will experience the worst conditions in Amarillo.

Which route are you going?

Copy - will test and report back.

Wherever google maps takes me was the plan. I think through amarillo past raton and up to walsenburg, take a left to southfork.

That’s the way I’d go.