« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?  (Read 1369 times)

Offline ckiller

  • Learner's Permit
  • *
  • Location: vancouver, bc
  • Posts: 4
  • Carma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« on: October 20, 2009, 12:41:10 am »
Hi I'm planning a trip from vancouver to Nelson during 2nd week of November, I have a acura tsx 4 door sedan, getting new snow tires soon ( Michilin Pilot PA3) but some ppl have told me there is a section of the drive will go through mountain road in which chains might be needed.  I have never used a chain before@@ Would snow tire be sufficient for such drive? As of now i checked highway camera and weather report and it seems temp MIGHT dip below 0 degree starting november, but by 2nd week does it usualy start snow really bad? Again checking the 2008/2007 weather data shows temps is just between 7 degree to 0 degree..so i'm not sure.@@..any one has experience with weather over there? any suggestions or comments are appreciated!!!
Logged

Offline ktm525

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: against the eastern side of the rocks
  • Posts: 4964
  • Carma: +5/-0
  • Just walk away!
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2009, 11:52:18 am »
Quote from: ckiller on October 20, 2009, 12:41:10 am
Hi I'm planning a trip from vancouver to Nelson during 2nd week of November, I have a acura tsx 4 door sedan, getting new snow tires soon ( Michilin Pilot PA3) but some ppl have told me there is a section of the drive will go through mountain road in which chains might be needed.  I have never used a chain before@@ Would snow tire be sufficient for such drive? As of now i checked highway camera and weather report and it seems temp MIGHT dip below 0 degree starting november, but by 2nd week does it usualy start snow really bad? Again checking the 2008/2007 weather data shows temps is just between 7 degree to 0 degree..so i'm not sure.@@..any one has experience with weather over there? any suggestions or comments are appreciated!!!

Chains?
You don't need chains. If you do, turn around and go home.
Logged

Offline safristi

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Bethlehem
  • Posts: 40872
  • Carma: +141/-51
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2009, 01:05:51 pm »
Nelson @ the battle of Trafalgar.................."..i doan need no stinkin' chains".....one in the eye for the those unchained melodies..................
Logged
THERE IS NO CURE FOR "LOTUS"......ONLY TREATMENT.....

Offline ovr50

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Kelowna, BC
  • Posts: 18426
  • Carma: +9/-120
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2009, 06:49:47 pm »
Snow tires fine, no need for chains.
Logged
2011 BMW X3 35i Vermillion Red, MSport
and
2012 Toyota Camry SE V6 in Alpine White

Offline davidy

  • Auto Obsessed
  • ***
  • Location: BC interior
  • Posts: 629
  • Carma: +1/-2
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2009, 09:09:11 pm »
A good set of four winter tires should be fine for most situations. Be prepared for the possibility of substantial snowfalls in the West Kootenays. In the early 90's, I had lived in the area for a couple of years. Had winter tires and tire cable chains since I did a lot of driving year round (got lucky that my winter tires didn't get me in trouble since I only had them at the front on a FWD car...those were the days).

Pretty steep road grades in Nelson too. Not sure if they are blocked when it snows a ton or get icy.

The area east of Nelson, between Nelson and Creston has a well known pass (I can't recall the name right now) that is well known for avalanches every winter. If you are going thru there, then I would recommend carrying chains...just in case.

Dave
« Last Edit: October 20, 2009, 09:10:58 pm by davidy »
Logged
2010 Ford Ranger FX4
Armaguard spray on liner
Truxedo Low Pro QT tonneau cover
Studded General Altimax Arctic P245/75-16 winter tires on black steelies

Offline ovr50

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Kelowna, BC
  • Posts: 18426
  • Carma: +9/-120
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2009, 09:20:17 pm »
The pass is Creston-Salmo IIRC. Quite steep.
Logged

Offline ktm525

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: against the eastern side of the rocks
  • Posts: 4964
  • Carma: +5/-0
  • Just walk away!
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2009, 09:22:27 pm »
Quote from: ovr50 on October 20, 2009, 09:20:17 pm
The pass is Creston-Salmo IIRC. Quite steep.

Yeah Salmo pass. Made it over the top in an old Civic Si, in a snowstorm, with bald all seasons. University days and it was puking at Red Mountain... ;D
Logged

Offline ckiller

  • Learner's Permit
  • *
  • Location: vancouver, bc
  • Posts: 4
  • Carma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2009, 11:38:22 pm »
thankx for the reply guys! i just found out too that's the part where it goes through the mountain  :P
Logged

Offline ktm525

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: against the eastern side of the rocks
  • Posts: 4964
  • Carma: +5/-0
  • Just walk away!
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #8 on: October 21, 2009, 11:08:36 am »
Quote from: ckiller on October 20, 2009, 11:38:22 pm
thankx for the reply guys! i just found out too that's the part where it goes through the mountain  :P

If you are comiong from Vancouver you will not be going over the Salmo pass. Some fairly high elevation areas though. On highway 3 between Hope and Princeton. East of Osoyoos  and again near Trail can get lots of snow.

Logged

Offline ckiller

  • Learner's Permit
  • *
  • Location: vancouver, bc
  • Posts: 4
  • Carma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #9 on: October 21, 2009, 01:22:13 pm »
Quote from: ktm525 on October 21, 2009, 11:08:36 am
Quote from: ckiller on October 20, 2009, 11:38:22 pm
thankx for the reply guys! i just found out too that's the part where it goes through the mountain  :P

If you are comiong from Vancouver you will not be going over the Salmo pass. Some fairly high elevation areas though. On highway 3 between Hope and Princeton. East of Osoyoos  and again near Trail can get lots of snow.



where about is Trail?
Logged

Offline ovr50

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Kelowna, BC
  • Posts: 18426
  • Carma: +9/-120
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #10 on: October 21, 2009, 01:58:42 pm »
A map maybe....???  ::)

Trail is south of Nelson, you don't go to Trail if driving from Vancouver to Nelson.
Logged

Offline safristi

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Bethlehem
  • Posts: 40872
  • Carma: +141/-51
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2009, 07:35:36 pm »
Geez Talk about between  aHOPE and a PRAYER..................and he ain't gone one of 'em........ :-\ :'(
Logged

Offline davidy

  • Auto Obsessed
  • ***
  • Location: BC interior
  • Posts: 629
  • Carma: +1/-2
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2009, 09:15:05 pm »
Quote from: ovr50 on October 21, 2009, 01:58:42 pm
A map maybe....???  ::)

Trail is south of Nelson, you don't go to Trail if driving from Vancouver to Nelson.

You might want to check that.....I recall going close by or through Rossland and Trail and then Castlegar and another half hour, you are in Nelson.
Logged

Offline HeliDriver

  • Drunk on Fuel
  • ****
  • Location: AB
  • Posts: 2746
  • Carma: +8/-4
    • View Profile
  • Cars: 2010 GTI; 2011 Yukon XL 2500
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2009, 09:31:17 pm »
Quote from: davidy on October 21, 2009, 09:15:05 pm
Quote from: ovr50 on October 21, 2009, 01:58:42 pm
A map maybe....???  ::)

Trail is south of Nelson, you don't go to Trail if driving from Vancouver to Nelson.

You might want to check that.....I recall going close by or through Rossland and Trail and then Castlegar and another half hour, you are in Nelson.

"Close by" isn't exactly the same as "through".

If you went through Trail and/or Rossland on your way from Vancouver to Nelson, then you took a pretty major and unnecessary detour.
Logged

Offline ktm525

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: against the eastern side of the rocks
  • Posts: 4964
  • Carma: +5/-0
  • Just walk away!
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2009, 12:06:47 am »
Well if you are going by in winter you might as well stop in Rossland and go skiing.
Logged

Offline davidy

  • Auto Obsessed
  • ***
  • Location: BC interior
  • Posts: 629
  • Carma: +1/-2
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #15 on: October 22, 2009, 12:30:12 am »
Quote from: SiRCivic on October 21, 2009, 09:31:17 pm
Quote from: davidy on October 21, 2009, 09:15:05 pm
Quote from: ovr50 on October 21, 2009, 01:58:42 pm
A map maybe....???  ::)

Trail is south of Nelson, you don't go to Trail if driving from Vancouver to Nelson.

You might want to check that.....I recall going close by or through Rossland and Trail and then Castlegar and another half hour, you are in Nelson.

"Close by" isn't exactly the same as "through".

If you went through Trail and/or Rossland on your way from Vancouver to Nelson, then you took a pretty major and unnecessary detour.

See attached map of the route in question...map shows that it wasn't that significant:

http://vancouverscootering.com/2009/01/vancouver-to-nelson/

It's been 17 years since I was down in West Kootenays. Was sure that it was the shortest (or easiest to drive) route. Cannot remember that long ago....do remember the long steep grade from Trail to Rossland.

Dave

« Last Edit: October 22, 2009, 12:33:32 am by davidy »
Logged

Offline johngenx

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: A space inside my own head where there are only mountains and climbing days...
  • Posts: 10333
  • Carma: +62/-80
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #16 on: October 22, 2009, 12:32:31 am »
Quote from: ktm525 on October 22, 2009, 12:06:47 am
Well if you are going by in winter you might as well stop in Rossland and go skiing.

Holy crap that whole area is fantastic.  Lift assisted skiing at Red Mountain and Whitewater (Nelson) plus both those areas have great slack country.  Ski mountaineering in Kokanee Glacier park and in the Valhallas.

We skied Whitewater after it was closed last year, and it has some super terrain, and access to some incredible backcountry skiing.
Logged
No place I'd rather be...

Offline ckiller

  • Learner's Permit
  • *
  • Location: vancouver, bc
  • Posts: 4
  • Carma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #17 on: October 22, 2009, 01:08:23 am »
thankx every for the input!! so after more search (thankx for google map terrain) i found 2 spot to be possible slow down for the trip. one is just past Hope through EC Manning park, 2nd one is the section northwest of Rossland, the section before Castlegar....hoping snow tire would do @_@..guess i'll just have t keep checking weatherrepot!!!
Logged

Offline ovr50

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: Kelowna, BC
  • Posts: 18426
  • Carma: +9/-120
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #18 on: October 22, 2009, 10:13:18 am »
I have driven from Kelowna to Nelson many times. You end up on the same road (Hiway 3) as if you came from Vancouver. I have never gone via Trail.

Going to Nelson via Trail is longer, slower and frankly, if getting to Nelson is the objective, going to Trail is just sight-seeing.
Logged

Offline ktm525

  • Car Crazy
  • *****
  • Location: against the eastern side of the rocks
  • Posts: 4964
  • Carma: +5/-0
  • Just walk away!
    • View Profile
Re: Vancouver drive to Nelson in early Nov, chains needed?
« Reply #19 on: October 22, 2009, 11:49:59 am »
Quote from: ovr50 on October 22, 2009, 10:13:18 am
I have driven from Kelowna to Nelson many times. You end up on the same road (Hiway 3) as if you came from Vancouver. I have never gone via Trail.

Going to Nelson via Trail is longer, slower and frankly, if getting to Nelson is the objective, going to Trail is just sight-seeing.

Don't dismiss Trail, it has one scary looking smelter. ;D
Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
« previous next »