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Ice Storm

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PATR8

PATR8

Jedi Knight
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The Army in their infinate wisdom told me Monday I needed an offical photo by Thursday. I loaded up the Hummer H3 and dropped the kids off at school on Wednesday and hit the turnpike. I should have known it was going to be a long trip when my EZ Pass failed getting on the turnpike. As soon as I got on the turnpike it was a monsoon. Then I hit the Somerset pass and it was snowing like a blizzard. I made it to FT Indiantown Gap after 4 hours, waited 30 minutes, took my picture in 10 minutes and was on my way back.

The sun was out and I had hopes of being off the turnpike before dark. As I approached the Somerset pass I noiced dark dark dark thick clouds building over the mountians. The temp was 43 when I left Harrisburg. When I hit mountians the temp drops to 23 degrees. I was about 1/3 the way up the mountian when a wall of rain hit, then it turned to slush, then to ice.

Most cars pulled over right away. I kept moving behind some 18 wheelers. I had to stop twice before I crested the hill to chip the ice off my wipers and off the sides of the windshield where the wipers pushed the slush.

I know lots of H3 bashers out there but I am convinced my Jeeps and Ram would not have made it over the alleghenys that night. What crazy weather we have here this winter. I got home and it was 36 degrees and stars were out. Tonight they are calling for 6-8 inches.
 
We would make the journey from Langley to the last exit of the PA 'pike in an MGB rain or shine, at least once a month for three years. Got on that highway at Breezwood interchange. Several of those winter Allegheny crossings were white knuckle trips. The only shunt to ever damage that car was on exit of the 'pike sliding on glare ice in a blinding blizzard... whacked into a signpost nose first. They were closing it down as we exited.

Folks in their early 20's are nuts.
 
I lived 20 miles north of Breezewood in the late 60's
and drove a Corvair Monza. Never got stuck once but
Buckhorn mountain was a killer in ice storms.

Also the fogs in the mountains were so bad sometimes
we had to have a person outside the car walking just ahead
to keep us on the roadbed.

And the papermill at Tyrone stank up an area maybe
30 miles in diameter.

d
 
My vehicle of choice, some 40+ years ago was a '56 Beetle. That car and a youthful attitude survived some exceptional Pennsylvania traverses through an assortment of winter muck! Should have been a Mail vehicle..."neither wind nor sleet or snow...", of course one had to use the ice-scraper on the inside of the windscreen and bundle up like Nanook!! :devilgrin:
 
Ex wife and I had a 57. Still had the flip up turn signals
 
no ice today, about 8 inches of snow though. The kids are at their mom's so the puppy and I are sitting in our old recliner, blanket over us, watching the snow fall.
 
bugimike said:
My vehicle of choice, some 40+ years ago was a '56 Beetle. That car and a youthful attitude survived some exceptional Pennsylvania traverses through an assortment of winter muck! Should have been a Mail vehicle..."neither wind nor sleet or snow...", of course one had to use the ice-scraper on the inside of the windscreen and bundle up like Nanook!! :devilgrin:
Click to expand...

Bought a new bug in 71. Great little car, but in cold weather you froze to death. The defrosters were almost nonexistent, forget the almost! Strangely enough though, I loved that little car as it never let me down. Had it for 5 years and it still looked and ran like new when I sold it. Gave it away for $1200.00.
 
Had a 71 V'dub van. You thought the heater in a bug was bad. Huh. When I lived in D.C. I use to drive my girl friend home at night with down mitten and booties on!
 
Here is a view out the front door today...

2008KryderacingAwards.jpg


Looks like I'm gonna be shoveling for the 2nd time today.
(BTW...That's 'stupid truck', my toe vehicle)
 
No shoveling for me. Is it January? Carwash for the high school soccer team was going across the street from me.
 
bugimike said:
My vehicle of choice, some 40+ years ago was a '56 Beetle. That car and a youthful attitude survived some exceptional Pennsylvania traverses through an assortment of winter muck! Should have been a Mail vehicle..."neither wind nor sleet or snow...", of course one had to use the ice-scraper on the inside of the windscreen and bundle up like Nanook!! :devilgrin:
Click to expand...

Talk about a coincidence!

Back in the late '60s I drove from TX to NY in a Bug. Winter. Heat was definitely hamster breath.

When we hit PA a blizzard met us with open arms, Driving toward the east, a screaming cold east wind hit the front of the bug head-on, and after about 75 miles, the engine coughed and died. Out of gas.

Wind had frozen the gas gauge line, so we couldn't tell how much we had.

Fortunately, on those old bugs, you could lower a small handle on the floor, which dropped the gas intake down about an inch on the bottom of the tank. Got us enough more gas to get to a station.

Memories - memories.
Tom

1960-1969-volkswagen-beetle-2.jpg
 
GregW said:
No shoveling for me. Is it January? Carwash for the high school soccer team was going across the street from me.
Click to expand...

Pervert!!!








P.S. Got anymore pictures? :wink: :whistle:
 
I fig'red I'd catch some heat for that. I didn't take the picture until <span style="font-style: italic">after</span> Whatsthatnoise's post. I may have been wearing a trench coat though.
 
I did once owned an International Scout II. 345 Auto. Redline was under 5000 rpms, maybe under 4500. Had a torqueflight auto. I beleive it was 165 Horsepower but over 300 ft/lbs of torque. It had enough torque i could drive from Pittsburgh to Johnstown with out it shifting. In two wheel drive it would barely move on wet roads. In 4x4 it would go anywhere. Had a completely boxed frame. The heater was a thing of legends. It was so hot my friends claimed they kept their burgers warm by sitting them by the vents and I could not argue. The snow would melt off the roof.

I was rear ended twice one day after the next at the same stop light during he blizzard of 1994. Only thing that happened to the scout was to cause the gas gauge to be 1/4 off. the other two cars were both totaled. Sounded just like a tractor. I loved it but my ex hated it and said it was ugly (it was) so I sold it
 
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