Going to Trout Creek Oct 31 - Nov 4: How will Hwy 26 over Mt. Hood be? snow tires needed?

I've been to Smith Rock in November before, and my car with no snow tires was fine since the roads were clear of snow.

How's the forecast looking over the next month?

I need to know whether my car without snow tires will suffice, or whether we should have my climbing partner takes his car that will have snow tires.

Not to sound cynical but your guess is about as good as anyone else's as to what roads are going to be like in 3 weeks. Long term forecasts (10+ days) are unpredictable at best and you are just as capable as reading the weather forecast as anyone else on MP, so why not just do that? Then post the day before to see if there is some extenuating circumstances that will prevent your car from making the the drive.

Or you could just take your buddy's car with the snow tires and save yourself from asking these open ended questions on MP.

A friend of mine tells me it's going to be bad. Everyone on the west side should probably not go over. For safety's sake.

Tapawingo wrote:Not to sound cynical but your guess is about as good as anyone else's as to what roads are going to be like in 3 weeks. Long term forecasts (10+ days) are unpredictable at best and you are just as capable as reading the weather forecast as anyone else on MP, so why not just do that? Then post the day before to see if there is some extenuating circumstances that will prevent your car from making the the drive. Or you could just take your buddy's car with the snow tires and save yourself from asking these open ended questions on MP.

I'm asking because my climbing partner needs to know by the end of the week since he has limited free time to get snow tires intalled before the trip.

And I prefer to take my car since it

1) has a trunk

2) said trunk LOCKS

Given that I will have a larger than usual rack with me for Trout Creek, I prefer to keep it both out of sight and in place where simply smashing my car's windows won't mean I am out several thousand dollars.

mediocre wrote:A friend of mine tells me it's going to be bad. Everyone on the west side should probably not go over. For safety's sake.

LOL!

Also, I hear Vantage, WA wil be hit by a blizzard October 20-23, so everyone should stay away from there on those dates!

;)

You could also pick up a set of tire cables (around 30 bucks at Walmart) for you car as a backup plan if there is serious snow. They will get you through almost anything, albeit a little bit more slow and noisy. Just practice putting them on before youre in the shit.

Khoi wrote: I'm asking because my climbing partner needs to know by the end of the week since he has limited free time to get snow tires intalled before the trip. And I prefer to take my car since it 1) has a trunk 2) said trunk LOCKS Given that I will have a larger than usual rack with me for Trout Creek, I prefer to keep it both out of sight and in place where simply smashing my car's windows won't mean I am out several thousand dollars.

That's all fine man, not arguing which car is safer for your rack. I'm simply saying that therei isn't any way to tell what the roads will be this far out. So you can either look at a long range forecast like the rest of us or go off mediocre's prediction.

While we have no idea what the weather will do, I'll add that the DOT does a really good job keeping hwy 26 clear. In the 20-some years I've been driving over 26 I've never had snow tires, always had front wheel drive cars, and I've rarely had to use chains. After Nov 1 drivers are often required to have snow tires *or* carry chains but I've only been checked on the way to Timberline or Meadows, never on hwy 26. My point is you'll probably be fine with whatever you've got.

Adding the highwat cams and DOT apps are great and updated like every 5 min. Just bring some chains and don't drive like an asshole. If the road is open that means its driveable.

A severe snowstorm at that time of year at that elevation is highly unlikely but not impossible. I was down in Portland last New Years and a snow/ice storm rolled in. Went up 26 to do some ski touring in a Land Cruiser with good tires. It was dicey and involved a good deal of sliding. I've also driven all of the Cascade passes in the dead of winter on bare roads in a Honda Civic at 70 miles an hour. The roads are usually pretty clear even during the worst storms, but the real problem is it snows so damn hard in the Cascades you can't see a freakin' thing.

You can always drive up the Gorge, then up from The Dalles. That'll avoid the pass, and that time of year an ice storm in the Gorge would be basically unheard of.

Don't drive like an idiot and you'll be fine.