28-31-Aug-2014 - Snow Trip - All Standards

[lbzook]

JFH, are you still planning to come as a passenger with someone?

[jonfromhamilton]

I wanted to camp but if that's not an option i don't mind giving up my seat for someone who wants it more than I do.
otherwise I'd probably be happy to come along in the morning for the trip up, have dinner at the pub after the snow and gthen drive home or camp/cabin 1 night.

[Mike57]

I have 4 cars listed for a trip up and down on the Saturday. (Leigh, Jono, Neo and myself). I have listed both Friday and Saturday on the permit but with only 4 cars we don't have a camping option so the trip up will be on Saturday.

I will have a spare seat as well for anyone wanting to drive up to Jamieson and then do Mt Skene with me. (Can do some driving in a proper car too if you like Jon). I am heading up to Jamieson on the Friday and then back to Melbourne on the Sunday.

I intend to submit the permit form tomorrow.

Mike

[Mike57]

Permit for Mt Skene for 5 vehicles has now been obtained.

Neo
Jono (2 possible vehicles registered)
Leigh
Mike

Permit valid for Friday and Saturday.

Additional cars can be added if needed. They stated 2 weeks notice was required on the application for but it took less than 2 hours. I have made copies for each vehicle to carry. I will bring them to the meeting on Wednesday this week.

Mike

[lbzook]

Nice work Mike!

Jon, there seem to be two seats definitely available for you and Mitch to come along as passengers.


Leigh

[Mike57]

After a request from Jono I have sought to have Sunday 31 August added to the permit just in case we decide to change the plans. We can discuss further on Wednesday night at the meeting.

Mike

[Mike57]

Permit now covers 29 to 31 August inclusive. We need to discuss the options at the meeting tomorrow night.

Mike

[greyghost]

cool i'm all sorted. will meet everyone in Jamison on Friday

[Mike57]

We plan to meet at 9.00 am in Jamieson on the Saturday. I can still have more cars added to the permit if there are any late starters.

[Mike57]

I'm on an actual computer (not my phone) so I'll reply in more detail.

In short, chains are for ice. Groomed resort roads are very susceptible to ice, and chains are necessary for ice, pretty much regardless of tyres, car etc.

The Jamieson/Licola road isn't groomed, so it doesn't generally suffer from ice - It's all about deep snow, and that's very different. If there isn't a base of ice to dig down to (with the chains) and key into, then the chains just dig you down until you're stuck on your diffs.

Snow driving is a combination of incredibly fine throttle control - trying to avoid ANY wheelspin, and then quite aggressive throttle control, once the car is in motion. Chains make this a lot harder because the car just wants to dig down all the time.

I was told many years ago that rubber doesn't grip snow - only snow grips snow. that's why winter tyres have loads of sipes in them - the sipes grab the snow and hold it so it binds to the snow on the ground. The challenge there is that this really only works with cold/dry snow. Here we get lots of "rotten" (or wet) snow and that doesn't work as well as the tyres are too warm and the snow falls off them. It's super variable, which is why the eskimos have 27 words for snow.

Steve.

Another question for Steve or anyone else with experience. What tyre pressure should you use in snow. Is it sand pressures which might be 8 to 10 PSI for me or rock and general offroad pressure like 12 to 14 PSI or does it depend on the condition of the snow?