Motherlode Hill Driving Etiquette

Uphill has the right of way.  There's only a couple spots currently where it isn't plenty wide enough for 2 way traffic.  

I think people trying to go up or down this road in an inadequate vehicle are tearing up the road, I was guilty of this recently myself. Also important that when parking on top of lode hill pay the $10. As I write this there is a group that had their car towed for not paying the money. They face a big towing charge to retrieve their car. The red is so crowded in general  problems will arise but people mostly seem to be considerate of each other.

John MacleanakaWhitey wrote:

I think people trying to go up or down this road in an inadequate vehicle are tearing up the road, 

I'm pretty sure its water that damages the road. 

Doug Chism wrote:

I'm pretty sure its water that damages the road. 

What? So you are saying it's not the overall huge quantity of cars who go up and down the hill during the fall, those in particular who don't have enough clearance/AWD/4WD capabilities that spin out on the hill creating ruts in the road. Fork up the $10 and park at the top, the hike up the hill is not that bad. We aren't Rifle.

Doug Chism wrote:

I'm pretty sure its water that damages the road. 

In the lode hills case it's for sure the 2wd cars...

Amanda Smith wrote:

Ehhh, I mean people are getting into fights and pulling out guns over the Nada Tunnel right of way.  In fact, the last time I drove through the tunnel, when I was halfway through, a car entered from the other side and temporarily blocked my exit.  I always thought the etiquette for the tunnel was obvious, but etiquette for the Lode Hill is much more complicated.  I don't expect etiquette to happen overnight either.  There are simply way too many people visiting the whole region.  I always walk the hill, even now with paid parking, I'll pay and then walk to wherever I want even Drive-By Crag.  I'd rather hike the hill another 100 times than deal with the potential chaos of driving it.  

Funny you should mention the Nada tunnel. A couple years ago I poked my car into the tunnel, checked for oncoming lights, saw it was clear and headed in. Just before I got to the other side, maybe a car length from the end, another car pulled in and advanced right up to my car. I waited a minute for them to backup...nothing. I rolled down my window and asked them to back up...nothing. I was forced to back up the entire length of the tunnel, and as I was backing up, that car was *right* on my front bumper. I was livid. Once clear of the tunnel, I leaned out my window to "express" myself to the other driver, who refused to make eye contact and just drove by as if they were "in the right".

Two days ago I was passing through the tunnel behind two other cars and somebody did the same thing. This time they backed up...right into the ditch with two wheels in the air. 

I mean, how hard is it to wait for the all clear???

John MacleanakaWhitey wrote:

I think people trying to go up or down this road in an inadequate vehicle are tearing up the road, I was guilty of this recently myself. Also important that when parking on top of lode hill pay the $10. As I write this there is a group that had their car towed for not paying the money. They face a big towing charge to retrieve their car. The red is so crowded in general  problems will arise but people mostly seem to be considerate of each other.

Yep. I was guilty of this myself when I first started climbing in the Red. It should be strongly advised for cars with 2WD to not descend the Lode hill. 

Recently when walking down the lode hill I noticed on the right about maybe 200 feet from the top a circular hole maybe 3 feet wide. Looking down this hole you see the ground about 75 feet below. This is the unlode/south park cliff  band. If you step over to the edge when vehicles go by please be careful.

Keith Button wrote:

Yep. I was guilty of this myself when I first started climbing in the Red. It should be strongly advised for cars with 2WD to not descend the Lode hill. 

I believe it is wheel spin on the wet slippery dirt and gravel that contributes to the big dips in the road between the top-of-the-hill lot and the Lode lot.  I rented an AWD SUV for my recent trip but never drove it further down than the Lode lot.  I am remorseful for all the times in the past I drove all the way dwn to Sore Heel.  

bolts caused all this!

You can hear the cars go up the hill (or not) from Buckeye Buttress.  The erosion is 99.9999999999% car.

The erosion is 99.9999999999% car.

Ah, this is a problem that will solve itself then. If you want to hasten the inevitable, bring a shovel and crowbar and add to the carnage. A single, car-stopping obstacle will constitute a cease-and-desist, won't it? The four dybya dee'ers can take care of themselves.

Cherokee Nunes wrote:

Ah, this is a problem that will solve itself then. If you want to hasten the inevitable, bring a shovel and crowbar and add to the carnage. A single, car-stopping obstacle will constitute a cease-and-desist, won't it? The four dybya dee'ers can take care of themselves.

Yes it is very much a closed loop problem, aside from having to sit in rush hour traffic at the end of the day.

I’m pretty sure downhill should have the right of way, since backing up the hill is pretty much impossible. If you have to gun it to make it, you shouldn’t be taking your car down. I crawl up the hill, and it’s east enough to back down to where the cliff is to let someone pass. Many of the people who work here routinely go climbing after work and I have run into this a few times. Just back down and let someone pass, and park up top if you can’t crawl up. 

Usually if the downhill yields there's enough room for the uphill to get by with neither of them having to back up,  but yeah if you're in a tight spot the uphill is usually the one to back up.  Despite the fact that 2wds shouldn't be driving down the hill,  you still gotta mitigate the clusterfuck when they do.

How hard is it for people to walk a half mile ++ I mean the approaches in the red for the most part are extremely chill. People act like the stairs in Muir and the lode hill will kill them

J D619R wrote:

How hard is it for people to walk a half mile ++ I mean the approaches in the red for the most part are extremely chill. People act like the stairs in Muir and the lode hill will kill them

I have a 4wd, so I have no trouble on the hill, but I did want to respond to this. For me personally there is a huge difference between the walk up/down Muir valley stairs (just fine) and the walk up/down the lode hill road (very unpleasant, bc of breathing dust and fumes of the cars that are going up/down the hill).

I would be rather reluctant to go to PMRP, if I couldn’t drive down under current situation. Now, if EVERYONE were walking, then the dust and fumes wouldn’t be a concern anymore… ;)

Lena chita wrote:

I have a 4wd, so I have no trouble on the hill, but I did want to respond to this. For me personally there is a huge difference between the walk up/down Muir valley stairs (just fine) and the walk up/down the lode hill road (very unpleasant, bc of breathing dust and fumes of the cars that are going up/down the hill).

I would be rather reluctant to go to PMRP, if I couldn’t drive down under current situation. Now, if EVERYONE were walking, then the dust and fumes wouldn’t be a concern anymore… ;)

Thanks for the chuckle 

So few of us sitting in the lower parking area this afternoon and saw one of these heading out. We all just smiled. Guy driving was focused and serious.  Guy in back window looked back at us smiled , we laughed, he laughed and we all just gave a thumbs up for good luck.  Saw a few vehicles come down a bit later so must have made it out ok. Wouldn't want to meet something like this on that hill.

Lena chita wrote:

I have a 4wd, so I have no trouble on the hill, but I did want to respond to this. For me personally there is a huge difference between the walk up/down Muir valley stairs (just fine) and the walk up/down the lode hill road (very unpleasant, bc of breathing dust and fumes of the cars that are going up/down the hill).

I would be rather reluctant to go to PMRP, if I couldn’t drive down under current situation. Now, if EVERYONE were walking, then the dust and fumes wouldn’t be a concern anymore… ;)

Not necessarily trying to be a jerk but this post just further proves my point about people being soft. Some people climb for the challenge both mentally and physically but then won’t walk up a hill 300 yards in a little dust.