zeitgeist57 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I just got back from two nights up at Mohican State Park, where my daughter and I had a winter campout for Indian Princesses. While emphasizing my absolute hatred for winter, I had an amazing time in a beautiful area of Ohio. If you've never been to MSP or the Loudonville/Butler/Bellville area, it really is a scenic, hilly area of little towns that are still clean with nicely maintained houses and some of the nicest people you'll meet. Snow Trails was a good time for tubing, and while the wind was a little much there's nothing like a roaring campfire. This morning, after getting over a foot of snow since Friday night, myself and three other dads were convoying back to C'bus - kindergarten girls nestled in their chairs watching DVDs - coming from Rt. 3 on Rt. 97 towards I-71. Route 97 had some pretty views but it was very hilly; this morning the roads were packed powder with an underlayment of ice. We come to the bottom of a huge hill with about a dozen cars all around with their hazards on. A teenager comes up to me and says the hill's too slippery to climb. He's a local who went through this pass earlier that day, and said you have to get a lot of momentum. We watch as a Chevy Aveo and a Pontiac Torrent go about halfway up and slip around before backing down. I tell the one dad with a GMC Yukon to go ahead and show us the line to follow. He slowly crawls up the hill with little issue. Another dad goes in his FWD Traverse. My buddy and I have Odysseys, and we figure he'll "traverse" up the hill with no problem. CHUCK TESTA. Dude gets as far as the two other cars did before sliding sideways and stopping abruptly. He turns off traction control and proceeds to spin his wheels without moving an inch. Defeated, he backs down the hill. "We'll have to find another way around!" he says. My buddy asks what we should do, and I didn't want to backtrack over an hour out of the way. I decide to go for it, and tell him to meet me at the Speedway next to I-71. I back up at least 500 feet, and everyone's outside of their cars looking at me. I keep VSC on, and floor it. I easily make it past the point where others slipped - you could see their tire tracks squiggling in the snow - and make it to the top no problem. I look in my rearview mirror and Odyssey #2 is following right behind. At the gas station we waited for the other guy in the Traverse, but he texts us that he turned around. By the time we're in Columbus he was just getting to I-71. :dumb: Cool starry bra? Indeed, it is. Points to take away: 1) Country folks have my respect. Every time there's a solid snowfall, they have to deal with it and all the problems that arise from being in difficult terrain and far away from stores/gas/urban infrastructure. No wonder they all (most) have AWD/4WD vehicles; if I brought Cleetus I wouldn't have been able to make it off the highway! The kid that talked to me at the base of the hill was a great help, and everyone I met from getting gas to spilling hot chocolate at Snow Trails, to buying beer at a C-store and getting groceries at a Dollar General were the nicest people. Props to Ashland county. 2) FWD SUVS LOL. Seriously, I proudly rock an Odyssey and it drove to Snow Trails, in and out of Mohican, and around Loudonville with no problems whatsoever. Credit to the Firestone Destination LE2 tires I put on it last summer. But if you get a smaller-on-the-inside SUV and it can't even go where a FWD minivan goes, what a stupid waste of money for a major FAIL of image. I don't do FB so thanks for letting me share, CR! :thumbup: In a season where all you want to do is stay inside because the weather sucks, it's great to do something (especially with your kid) that embraces the outdoors and provides great perspective on the world around us. I'm going into a work week with a positive attitude from having done some wonderful things with my daughter and her friends, and hanging out with a great group of dads as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 I've already replaced a broken rear diff and a broken in half transfer case on 2 different Traverses at work this year. The vehicles are stupid. Kudos to you and your minivan. Glad to hear you and your daughter didn't have any troubles. I'm glad I live near the edge of the suburbs, where I'm just close enough to have all the benefits of the city. I sure as hell wouldn't have made it in anything I own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverMaker Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Clay are you doing the Indian Princess thing on Feb 14/15-ish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POS VETT Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Different interpretations and questions were going through my head while reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianZ06 Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Quality time with your daughter and making new friends. About has good has it gets. Great story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeesammy Posted January 26, 2014 Report Share Posted January 26, 2014 Yeah I had problems with a 35 foot slope at a 15-17* angle in my truck, people on campus know what's up, both drivers heading in each direction stopped and waiting for me to get momentum to get up the hill in my unweighted 2wd truck. Good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Brian Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 too many words Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeitgeist57 Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Clay are you doing the Indian Princess thing on Feb 14/15-ish? We've got the Pinewood Derby on Feb 22nd…not sure what you're referring to.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Haha and great story! I drove my wife's minivan today because that beast will go through just about anything with zero issues. Weight of a van certainly helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 1) Country folks have my respect. Every time there's a solid snowfall, they have to deal with it and all the problems that arise from being in difficult terrain and far away from stores/gas/urban infrastructure. No wonder they all (most) have AWD/4WD vehicles; if I brought Cleetus I wouldn't have been able to make it off the highway! This is why I now have Elliot. Roads are fine in Hocking, for the most part, but our lane doesn't get touched and has already drifted up over 1'. No RWD for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRTurbo04 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 All I got was I rock a minivan. :lolguy: Yeah I had problems with a 35 foot slope at a 15-17* angle in my truck, people on campus know what's up, both drivers heading in each direction stopped and waiting for me to get momentum to get up the hill in my unweighted 2wd truck. Good times. Pack your bed full and pack it down tight of snow, it will be more than enough weight to help you out, PLUS once it warms up when you wont need it it will just melt on its own so you don't have to unload it. Always works for me in all my 2wd pickups. (two rangers and a s10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Pack your bed full and pack it down tight of snow, it will be more than enough weight to help you out, PLUS once it warms up when you wont need it it will just melt on its own so you don't have to unload it. Always works for me in all my 2wd pickups. (two rangers and a s10) Good advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Used to drive a caravan back in the `90's for work down the west virginina hills so I know they can impress in snow. I go to Mohican area a lot and have canoed at loudonville several times. You talking about camping this weekend brings back memories of boy scouts for me. My scout master pretty much only took us out in the winter months except for summer camp. His reasoning was that in Ohio winter was going to be our biggest threat to survival and we had a serious time learning to make a fire and cook in winter. Staying dry was another fun lesson, we had a boy break through ice once (went up to his chest) while we were all horsing around a creek. We fixed him up in the field and he finished the weekend. Ok, old man's done now. hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson1647545504 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 too many words http://weknowgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/black-guy-laughing-on-boat-gif.gif Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I'm LOVING the cold and snow. I wish it were like this all of the time in Ohio during the winter. It feels like a real winter. I spent about one and a half hours outside yesterday shoveling the driveway, sidewalk, clearing off the cars, and taking a walk around the neighborhood. I would have attempted building a snow fort in the backyard, but we had commitments all afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinHawk1647545499 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 but i see more AWD and 4x4's on the side of the road the RWD vehicles..... AWD and 4x4 do terrible in the snow....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 but i see more AWD and 4x4's on the side of the road the RWD vehicles..... AWD and 4x4 do terrible in the snow....... http://www.troll.me/images/jackie-chan-whut/my-fuck-is-so-full-of-brain.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 2WD :dumb::dumb::dumb::dumb::dumb::dumb::dumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avenger1647545502 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I get what smokinHawk means...people think that AWD/4WD means invulnerability in the snow, so they try to drive like they would in the dry. I'd say 60% or so of the vehicles I've seen stuck were AWD Suvs...and they were usually REALLY stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furloaf Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Bad drivers and/or shitty tires have much more to do with it than FWD/RWD/AWD. As said many times, AWD does nothing to help you stop, only helps to get moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 but i see more AWD and 4x4's on the side of the road the RWD vehicles..... AWD and 4x4 do terrible in the snow....... :dumb: people think that AWD/4WD means invulnerability in the snow, so they try to drive like they would in the dry. I'd say 60% or so of the vehicles I've seen stuck were AWD Suvs...and they were usually REALLY stuck. Bad drivers and/or shitty tires have much more to do with it than FWD/RWD/AWD. As said many times, AWD does nothing to help you stop, only helps to get moving. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokinHawk1647545499 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 lol I was being sarcastic in reference to this thread where people thought AWD or 4x4 and snow tires didn't matter... http://www.columbusracing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115629&page=3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 As said many times, AWD does nothing to help you stop, only helps to get moving. AWD does help you get moving, but I think equally important is that it helps you turn and stay on the road. If an AWD vehicle starts going in a direction you don't want it to go, just give it some gas, it will pull you through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTQ B4U Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 If anyone has gotten stuck in the snow that Columbus has seen this winter, I don't care what their driving, their doing it wrong. Fuck, even the mail trucks around here are making it through the shit built up on the streets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyctsv Posted January 27, 2014 Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 I hate winter but love having a Suburban for it. It is a blast to drive in heavy snow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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