It started snowing here in the little City of Mt. Shasta at the foot of the real Mt. Shasta at 14,161 feet or close to that(this is the height I was told growing up before GPS).
Anyway I was pretty happy when it started to snow outside my hotel room this morning. I decided soon to drive up the mountain to where they closed the roads after the first big snow which is around 7000 feet I believe. It wouldn't be a good day to go up there without a 4 wheel drive. That is the first thing I want to say about the un-plowed road I went up on. As I almost was back down I passed a snowplow going up. But, the problem with snowplows is when you plow a road often more snow comes down and turns it soon into a sheet of ice. So, in some ways if the snow is under a foot or so it is better to be driving through a track you are less likely to slide out of even with 4 wheel drive engaged.
Also, I found I could have the engine work smoother with no sliding at all when I engaged the cruise control at about 30 mph. This made the engine smoother and tires slipped less that way because I wasn't feathering the throttle at all. It was just constantly 30 mph going up. Then on really sharp turns I disengaged the cruise control and re-engaged it after it was more straight and not a turn I could easily slide out of and potentially lose control.
When I arrived at Bunny Flats someone was already there with a snowmobile behind their truck. However, for me, with 25 to 30 mph gusts of blowing snow I found I had to put my wrap around ski goggles on to keep the snow from blowing into my eyes. Also, I'm in my late 60s and it isn't much fun for me for very long to be in 25 degrees with 25 to 30 mph gusts of wind that feel like they are blowing right through you. So, it wasn't very long before I realized I had had enough of this.
I love snow but I don't consider it fun to slowly freeze to death because I've already done that so many times when I was younger as a mountain climber and skier, especially in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
The reason I was saying today wasn't a good day to go up Everitte Memorial Highway with a 2 wheel drive is that my rear wheels started to slip at less than 5000 feet. So, after a truck towing a trailer with a snowmobile on it that I waved around with my hand, I stopped for a few seconds to engage my 4 wheel drive High. ON my truck I've got 2 wheel drive, 4 wheel drive high and 4 wheel drive low.
So, you can drive over almost anything up to a foot or two in size as long as it isn't sharp with your truck in 4 wheel drive low at about 1/2 mile per hour. But, most of the time I don't need 4 wheel drive low ever in the snow.
However, I find it easier to get going with an automatic than a stick shift in the snow. My truck is a 6 speed including an overdrive so I can get 20 mpg if it's just me traveling also with a small V-8.
The best off road vehicle I ever owned (just for off road alone) was a 1974 International Harvester 6 cylinder Scout II. It was such a great off road vehicle that they don't make them anymore.
However, for a soft ride on hiways and freeways and a really great off road vehicle I like a Toyota Tundra at this point in my life. Because getting jarred around all the time isn't fun for me unless I'm actually trying to go off road because I'm now in my late 60s.
IF you want something lighter a Toyota Tacoma is great too.
However, everyone chooses their vehicle for different reasons. So, there are a lot of good vehicles for different purposes out there.
I remember being out near my land that I owned in the 1980s around Mt. Shasta pushing about 2 to 2 1/2 feet of snow without chains in my International Harvester Scout II and I suddenly realized. "No one can ever get my vehicle out if I get it stuck." I realized my vehicle would stay wherever it was until the snows melted. So, I drove back home because I needed the vehicle to take care of my family.
Also, at that time I didn't have a winch on it to get out of tight spaces. However, a winch is really useless unless you have a big enough boulder that will stay put when you pull on it or a big enough tree that will stay put when you put a winch cable around it to pull yourself out of a bad fix.
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