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Old 01-02-2021, 12:40 PM
 
Location: Bonner County
5 posts, read 4,541 times
Reputation: 15

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Hey y'all... Happy New Year!

Long time lurker, first time poster. Yes, another Californian moving to North Idaho. Shocker.

My wife and I have driven quite a few times up to CDA from the Inland Empire of Southern California. So easy! Highway 15 to Highway 90. Spring, summer, fall, no worries. We left CDA in November 2019 in pouring rain and temps in the low 40's. Heading towards Lookout Pass in our 2012 front wheel drive Kia Sorento with all season tires, the temperature dipped down to 34 degrees. We made it!
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Old 01-02-2021, 09:11 PM
 
Location: Bonner County
5 posts, read 4,541 times
Reputation: 15
Ugh, original post was cut off! What a noob!

Continuing... we bought a house outside Sandpoint off of Highway 200. We need to move a bunch of stuff up there with a couple front wheel drive cars. We'll have Blizzaks, but I'm wondering about the best (least scary mountain pass) route up there?

Navigation suggests 15 /90 /93 /200. I've never gone that way before. I'm sure people drive it every day, but my irrational fear is skidding/sliding off the side of the mountain...! Black ice!

I know... guy buys a house in the mountains, looks for a non-mountain way there! But seriously, if the weather is bad, is there a better way to go?

Thanks...!
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Old 01-03-2021, 01:52 AM
 
Location: Old Mother Idaho
29,218 posts, read 22,354,404 times
Reputation: 23853
I wouldn't worry. The Blizzaks should get you there just fine whatever route you choose if you're driving sensibly.

I never got stuck once in 6 years using them on a FWD Mini Cooper. That car got me through the snowiest winter in this century with Blizzaks. After a heavy storm, I would be bucking through one snowdrift after another, but the Blizzaks always found enough traction pull through them.

Better winter tires are supposed to exist now, but I need to be convinced of that. I sold the Cooper, but I bought another set for my new car, and the new ones are just as good as the old ones were.
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Old 01-03-2021, 06:37 AM
 
Location: North Idaho
726 posts, read 328,819 times
Reputation: 953
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBeek99 View Post
Navigation suggests 15 /90 /93 /200. I've never gone that way before. ... is there a better way to go?
That's the way we've always gone, coming out of Salt Lake, and we've made multiple trips hauling stuff, pulling a UHaul. Congrats on your new place!

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Old 01-03-2021, 08:39 AM
 
1,539 posts, read 1,472,961 times
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With your forethought of the Blizzak's, you are going to as well off as you can be, unless you get them studded. (But that would be a lot of noise over that long distance!)
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Old 01-03-2021, 12:22 PM
 
Location: Old Mother Idaho
29,218 posts, read 22,354,404 times
Reputation: 23853
Quote:
Originally Posted by nm9stheham View Post
With your forethought of the Blizzak's, you are going to as well off as you can be, unless you get them studded. (But that would be a lot of noise over that long distance!)
Actually, the Blizzaks' traction is superior to studs.

It's their soft rubber construction. The stuff is similar to foam rubber; it forms billions of tiny cups that act like suction cups on ice, and as the tire wears more are exposed. The siping is also very effective.

The only problem with them is they must be taken off before the pavement heats up in late spring. Normally warm-temperature pavement will cause Blizzaks to literally melt away.

The dealer said they're like racing slicks in hot weather. They grip like crazy, but driving them 100 miles puts 10,000 on their wear.
In cold weather, they hardly wear at all. Mine always went on after the first snow that stuck to the road, and came off on the first day the temps were 70 or higher. After 6 years of this, there was 90% of the tread left on them when I traded the car.
(the Blizzaks went with the trade; they were a non-standard size)

Boone's Toyota is the perfect winter hauler to me. Those things just don't get stuck, no matter how hard you try.
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Old 01-03-2021, 02:22 PM
 
1,539 posts, read 1,472,961 times
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Weeeeell be careful now. Ice racing and winter rally tires at the top levels are studded, not hydrophillic. My sport has been racing rally cars so traction in all conidtions is something I know a bit.

The hydrophillic rubber is indeed far superior to regular rubber but in no way can match studs on hard-packed snow or ice. The studs don't do you a lick of good in soft snow, but once it packs hard, or gets icy, or you get loose snow laying over pack snow and ice, studs win every time. Most folks don't race on ice LOL so the hydrophillic are quite adequate, and an impressive improvement over regular tires. (The 'all-season' rating is pretty darned useless in snow.)

But, if I had to drive regularly on steeper grades on hard packed snow or ice, I would have studs, no question about it. Part of my planning if we get a certain place in MT is to have a set of studded tires because of having to deal with exactly that situation to get in and out. But I sure would not like to make a trip like the OP on studs!

You're spot on about the temps with the hydrorphillc tires.

From some real expert views about tires on snow/ice plus some video footage on just how fast you CAN go on snow/ice..... enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI_QUIh-z9M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7HNT2xXptc

Last edited by nm9stheham; 01-03-2021 at 03:40 PM..
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Old 01-03-2021, 04:07 PM
 
7,378 posts, read 12,664,614 times
Reputation: 9994
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBeek99 View Post
Ugh, original post was cut off! What a noob!

Continuing... we bought a house outside Sandpoint off of Highway 200. We need to move a bunch of stuff up there with a couple front wheel drive cars. We'll have Blizzaks, but I'm wondering about the best (least scary mountain pass) route up there?

Navigation suggests 15 /90 /93 /200. I've never gone that way before. I'm sure people drive it every day, but my irrational fear is skidding/sliding off the side of the mountain...! Black ice!

I know... guy buys a house in the mountains, looks for a non-mountain way there! But seriously, if the weather is bad, is there a better way to go?

Thanks...!

Welcome to the forum! And congratulations on buying a house off of Highway 200! 15-90-93-200 is the way we usually go from SoCal to Clark Fork (and on to Sandpoint to stock up on groceries). The advantage is that you can haul a heavy load without having to go over any mountain ranges. You have a gentle rise up the Eastern Idaho Plateau into Montana, that's all. There are no mountain passes on 200 because it runs along the Clark Fork River most of the way, and then along Lake Pend Oreille. But (here's the caveat): it is a 2-lane road, and it can get icy. We haven't traveled that route ourselves in winter, but several times in heavy outer-season rain storms. The cliffs are famous for their overhanging icicles in winter. But all in all I'd say that it is a good winter route--just take your time.

I have also heard 93 recommended all the way from Vegas to 84 and on to 95, but we haven't done that yet due to the scarcity of services on 93. 95 is great for summer driving, but once you're on 95 north you'll encounter several tight or steep spots that I really wouldn't want to drive in winter (like the White Bird Grade).
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Old 01-04-2021, 09:04 PM
 
Location: Bonner County
5 posts, read 4,541 times
Reputation: 15
Thanks for your input everyone! I'm certain I'll survive.

Looking forward to life in NID...!
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Old 01-04-2021, 11:03 PM
 
45 posts, read 44,629 times
Reputation: 59
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast View Post
... 15-90-93-200 is the way we usually go from SoCal to Clark Fork (and on to Sandpoint to stock up on groceries). The advantage is that you can haul a heavy load without having to go over any mountain ranges. ...
Ummmm you literally cross the Continental Divide like twice between Idaho Falls and Butte.
I-90 between Butte and Missoula gets heavy snowfall.
93 and 200 will get less maintenance then 90 and there is a steep climb on 93 just out of Wye.
I can't guarantee it but I suspect 95 is better in an apples-to-apples storm than 200.

If you are headed to "just outside Sandpoint" on 200 I'd personally recommend 15/90/95/200.
Other options would be 5/90/95/200 or 5/84/395/90/95/200.
Stick to major routes if you're nervous about travelling in winter conditions. My $.02
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