Winter long distance Road Trip question...

[21pro]

Would you recommend winter snow tires for a winter road trip to Edmonton then to Copper Mountain, Colorado?

I leave January 20th. Plan to drive straight to Thunder Bay, then head for Saskatoon and over to Edmonton. Plan to arrive on the 25th in Edmonton. I will be there for 3 days and head south towards Copper Mountain, Colorado in Avalanche country...

go with All seasons or Winter tires?

shoulda mentioned... i drive a toyota highlander

 

[tboy]

First thing, what kind of car? Depending on what you're driving will determine whether you even need snow buns.

Most front wheel drive cars get great traction anyways so by putting snow tires on you're just going to make your long ride noisy.

Either way, if you encounter deep snow, you're going to have to be careful.

 

[Dodger]

Due to the area that you will mostly be driving in, the plains of Canada and the mountains in the US, absolutely winter tires. You may also want to invest in some chains for the mountains. There are many places in the US mountain areas in the west where you are not allowed unless you have chains. They will actually have choke points and police making sure they are on before allowing you any further. If you do not have them they turn you around.

 

[LancsLad]

Was just driving in Colorado and area. They have many major highways with winter restrictions. If your vehicle does not have the proper footware you are technically not allowed on the highway.

 

[goodtime]

Would you recommend winter snow tires for a winter road trip to Edmonton then to Copper Mountain, Colorado?

I leave January 20th. Plan to drive straight to Thunder Bay, then head for Saskatoon and over to Edmonton. Plan to arrive on the 25th in Edmonton. I will be there for 3 days and head south towards Copper Mountain, Colorado in Avalanche country...

go with All seasons or Winter tires?

shoulda mentioned... i drive a toyota highlander

Regardless whether 4WD or not, for safety, Winter or Snow tires.

I driven in WPG, during cold spells, the roads are hard-packed snow.

I drove around CO, NM, AZ around late October, my rental got around with the All seasons before the powder hits.

Careful around sideroads (off beaten paths), especially between ski resorts, my rental nearly went over side of mountain around near Beckenridge, doing 30 mph as all-season tires had 0 grip & no guard rails to prevent you go over.

Never again will I venture out of the city without winter tires. I want to live to tell my tales.

 

[travler]

check out nokian tires,hakapeliita 4.by far the best tire you can buy.you will get way more mileage out of them then a set of blizzaks

 

[goodtime]

Nokia Hak are great tires but new version can be noisey on highway like flappers. Not as good rating as its older brother. Toyo is better value. I'm personally not Pirelli Winter fan.

The Bliz tread wearout too quick. Too soft for Highlander.

 

[travler]

you may be correct goodtime,my previous set was nokia hak10.got 4 winters out of them,approx 80 000 km.the new ones still have to prove themselves

 

[Never Compromised]

Blizzak's have got me out of trouble more than once.

Blizzak is a very soft tire, wears out very quickly. Great for ice, not as good as some for deep snow. If you are worried about snow, look for open block tread. If you want a long wearing tire, something less aggressive tread wise.

Snows are noisier, but they are a hell of a lot less noisy than tearing metal and crushed flesh.

 

[ontheroadagain11]

Come up to Northern Ontario and get yourself a brand new set of STUDDED tire's

 

[21pro]

actually, i'm from the soo and lived in tund'r bay for 5 years.

i didn't want to go with studded tires because i'll be driving in various conditions... probably mostly dry asphalt.

but, when the going gets rough...

 

[stang]

Definitely go with the snows. In fact once when I drove to Summit County the conditions got so bad they wanted me to install chains.

 

[Papi Chulo]

Would you recommend winter snow tires for a winter road trip to Edmonton then to Copper Mountain, Colorado?

I leave January 20th. Plan to drive straight to Thunder Bay, then head for Saskatoon and over to Edmonton. Plan to arrive on the 25th in Edmonton. I will be there for 3 days and head south towards Copper Mountain, Colorado in Avalanche country...

go with All seasons or Winter tires?

shoulda mentioned... i drive a toyota highlander

A while back, I drove west from Toronto.. via North Bay, Sudbury, Soo, Thunder Bay to Vancouver. I had left in early December & the worst conditions were actually between Orillia & Sudbury (5 hours of HELL)! The rest of the drive was a cakewalk... except through Sask.. with the snow relentlessly blowing across the highway. Unless you are caught in a snowstorm... the roads are kept clear of snow.. but weather is unpredictable

Before leaving, I got a set of Toyo's http://www.toyocanada.com/products/ObserveG02plus.asp

They were great tires and got me where I wanted to go.

Once you get to Alberta, you want to go to Canadian Tire and buy chains for your drive wheels. In AB & BC on many roads through the mountains, you need either snows and/or chains. In the USA there are many roads that you are not allowed to drive on unless you have chains with you. Chains are approx $70 per pair (price varies with size of tires)

If you have winter tires, with chains.. it is amost impossible to get stuck in snow, even on an incline!

Most people in Vancouver only use summer tires, but are able to get up to the ski hills with a set of chains

If you will be in Edmonton, take the extra day, drive west to Jasper and down the Icefields Parkway (avalanche country!!), through Banff , to Calgary and then go south... It is an extra day.. but you will not regret the trip!!!.. I highly recommend it

Also.. if your vehicle does not have a block heater.. you may think about installing one

Keep a warm sleeping bag, spare snacks & a couple of extra litres of water in the vehicle.. just in case you are stuck or go off the road in the middle of nowhere

 

[goodtime]

Agree with Papi on the advice. The Toyo Observe G02 are great value.

It took 5 days to drive between T.O. & B.C. in late summer, spend 1 day at Icefields.

21pro, you may want to flexible with schedule for winter delays.