Foureagles

I'm a native Coloradoan, currently exiled to the lovely Appalachian foothills of South Carolina by affection for My Dear Wife, who has been reluctant to leave her home. That may be changing. We've put money down on a decrepit 19th Century Victorian boondoggle in Maysville, Colorado (the Yellow House, for those familiar), and I'm leaving in the morning to check it over.

Since it takes a great deal of advance notice to make the silly old Jeep run, and since I want to take carpenter's toys and winter gear that won't fit in either Miata, I'm determined to try the run in MDW's RX-8, summer tars and all. Now y'all needn't tell me of the foolishness of attempting this sort of trip at this time of year on tires such as these. Hell, I've driven about half of Colorado's passes during summer thundersnows on my autocross tires while keeping the important stuff more or less intact, and have pronounced many others fools for eschewing real snow tires. Anyway, proper snows or a rental car just ain't happening at this stage. Truth told, I'm just a stubborn barstid.

Looking to leave 7AM, 2/6/004, slither over the Appalachians (where it's icing as I type -- alternate: Atlanta-Chattanooga), stick mostly to the stinkin' McInterstate, sleep in the car, and arrive in Maysville late 2/7 or mid 2/8. It looks as though I'll have a 2-day weather window with little or no new snow, if the forecasts can be trusted. The tricky part might be US 50 between Canon City & Salida, and of course the final approach to and departure from Maysville at 8,200'.

If I have enough time, I intend to snowshoe up from Maysville to my place, 12 miles and 4,000' above. Plan is to hit the road again 2/13, and get back to work in Carolina by 2/16. I doubt that I'll get a chance to meet y'all fine folk on this trip, but hope to do so by summer. If you see something blue in a snow bank next week, I'd appreciate it if you would give it a second look.

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Omicron

Wow, great first post to this forum, Foureagles! :D Welcome... and good luck with your journey - sounds like quite an adventure in the making. Hope you can look some of us up while you're out here, and if not, maybe you'll be back in time to join us at our first annual Rocky Mountain RX-8 Club meet, 6/5/04! Keep us posted!

Landon_Starr

I definitely second that. I felt like I was reading a suspense novel. 4 stars. :D

Icanrel-8

Welcome, howdy, and welcome back! A worthy adventure and it seems most people that ballsy generate their own luck, but...

I am not familiar with Maysville, so this could be a little mother-hen-ish: if you're snowshoeing into some back-country ('cause I don't know where your nearest neighbor is) and you've planned this schedule so cleanly, maybe post here when you are in/out safely.

Can't hurt, then again, how cool would it be to see the RX-8 SAR team out looking for you if you get snowed under? :D :D

Anyways, look us up when you are passing thru next!

And you might see if you can fit some cable chains on your reos. Keep in trunk, might get you out of a jam, cost effective...

p.s: And if chains aren't locally available out your way, let me know, and I could see if I could have some waiting and do a hand-off if you are passing this way. Also, I was told that you could buy some short-term traction (3-10 miles) with 3M spray adhesive, sprayed onto your tires. Never tried this, no idea if it is true, or safe or what.

Have fun on da road trip!

Omicron

What a GREAT idea! Think I'll go mount the tires and winch from my Jeep on my RX-8! :D (Wouldn't THAT be a unique mod!) :D

Foureagles

Woohoo -- survived! Sorry that I haven’t posted earlier, and I sure hope that no one is still out there looking for me.

Have I mentioned how I despise the stinkin’ Interstate? Driving them is like eating at McDonalds – pretty much the same no matter where you go. One could traverse this big, lovely country of ours without ever getting a taste of what it’s really like off the corporate path. Thing is, that path pretty much pervades the whole damn place these days, and you have to work a bit to see anything else. I like to take 5 or 6 rambling days to get from Carolina to Colorado, but this was not one of those trips.

The bit between St Louis & Wichita was dicey, and I quit for the day shortly after I noticed wind gusts making the traction control light flicker. These tires are of course not snowshoes, and quickly turn to glass when the mercury drops. Just moving off from a stop on level ground was a slithery-slidy thing, and I ran a few uphill stop signs on purpose

The object of most concern, Bighorn Sheep Canyon from Canon City through Salida, was no trouble a'tall, given my a-priori familiarity with where ice and blown snow would lie. I was told that there were three fatal crashes in there the week before. I can see how that could happen, given commute pressure where black ice and no guardrail is the norm.

Once in Maysville on Sunday, it never snowed another whit until Wednesday morning when I promptly skeedaddled (some Coloradoan I am). Temps ranged from almost thawing to about 7F below, and the 8 never whimpered. The driveway to our new old house is short but all downhill, so I didn't even consider shoveling the foot of snow and trying to pull the car in. Instead, I parked on the plowed shoulder, leaving one rear tire on the blacktop and trusting to the Gawd of Torsen to pull me out.

continued...

Foureagles

I didn’t make it to Monarch for skiing, or up to my old cabin at the top of North Fork. Thanks Icanrel for the concern, but I’m quite familiar with the high country in winter. Between Maysville and my place are two very active avalanche chutes. We pull stiff snowmobilers out almost every year. I never carry a beacon because the batteries won’t last until Spring anyway.

The trip back was a bit more fraught with snow. I recall that, after having driven 2 1/2 hours and dropping more than 4,000', it was snowing harder than ever. I just trundled along at about 40-50 until I reached relatively snow-free northern Oklahoma and camped late that night on the land of a relative on the Rez.

The next day turned out just gorgeous, and I got to enjoy some of the back roads to central Alabama, where I camped beside an obscure lake that I never saw through thick fog. Days like this remind me why I so love this beautiful country.

Friday morning was all about Atlanta, and that's seldom fun. Some of the world's best drivers frequent the hills above Flowery Branch (Road Atlanta), and the clowns down around the city are their balancing antithesis. Not that I have anything against the fine folks of Atlanta, but there ARE a whole lotta jackasses on the surrounding roads.

Anyway, I made it back to South Cackilacky on Friday afternoon with nary a new dent, a sore back, and a few frayed nerves that I'd forgotten I had. My dawgs remembered me, so all is well with the world.

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PS: We bought the decrepit old house in Maysville, so y'all will be hearing from us before the year is out.

Icanrel-8

Way cool! Now that's aventura! Glad you still got your topknot, and kept your 8 in one piece! Look us up when you head back, and I promise not to mother hen you anymore (just bring a raincoat... kiddin', I'm kiddin').

Congrats on your real estate purchase, too. Best wishes.