"RoseGarden" - - - - - - - from - nscave

Back tracking on our trip a little, this year was the worst of several years of migrating south.

The first day wasn't bad, only a little blowing snow on the road. Checking the news later we found our departure was just in time. Numerous crashes in bad conditions were not far behind.

As we progressed further and further south, conditions got worse. (Aren't they supposed to get better?)

I have a lot of experience driving when its slippery, and I don't mind it. But these days I worry about what the other drivers are going to do at 70 miles per hour - yes 70 mph - on ice and during freezing rain.

If you slow down you will soon become the  problem.

Vehicles were off the road in the centre median. Thank goodness in the US the coming and going lanes are usually a fair distance apart.

There were vehicles that had argued with each other and they both lost. A pickup looked like it was trying to push a car sideways along a barrier.

Then another car was trying to push the barrier by itself, not enough power, no success. The barrier won.

All of this in a space of a few miles.

Fog at 50 mph

We encountered the same thing in fog so thick that seeing a car length ahead was a bonus. We did slow down to 50 mph in that.

Other than too fast for conditions speeds, I have to say most drivers did very well, other than following too close.

With the conditions and speeds there would be no hope of getting stopped in an emergency. Explains those multi-crashes you hear about.

Avoiding crashes depends on time and distance. Neither of those existed in proper quantities.

Learn How To Merge

Canadian drivers don't know how to merge very well. US drivers don't either.

It's fine if traffic is such that you can move over a lane and clear the right one. If that's not possible be ready for Looney tunes.

In my entire journey I only observed two drivers that knew how to use the on-ramp to adjust their speed and blend into a spot smoothly.

Worth The Trip?

We are situated now where there likely won't be any snow. Its a little colder than normal, but no snow.

I don't think I will drive again in those kinds of conditions just to get where there is no snow.

Hmmmm... then again, there is no snow ...

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