SNOW BOUND: Possible 1st time snow driving. Visiting Beech Mountain in early November

Hello Forum,

I edited my plans a bit but nothing is really 100% until I'm actually there. I would definitely like to see some snow so I'll check the weather reports a few days before & alter my plans accordingly.

If there is no snow anywhere then I'd rather go to Mt. Mitchell

I'm going to South Carolina on November 9 to get my Rock Sliders from Eddy @ SOS Concepts.
From there I'm going to a small motel near Mt. Mitchell for 2 nights. It's between Mt. Mitchell State Park & Beech Mountain but closer to Mt. Mitchell.

So basically:
Miami, Fl.
Goose Creek, South Carolina.
Burnsville, North Carolina.
Laurel Falls, Tennessee,
Gatlinburg, Tennessee,
Burnsville, North Carolina,
Clingmans Dome, Tennessee,
Miami, Fl.

I've been to the Smoky Mountains area 3 or 4 times before but always in March or April. The most snow I've seen is on the side of the road & where I parked while driving Newfound Gap Rd. This road crosses the North Carolina/Tennessee state line.

I have an '08 DCSB PreRunner 4.0 auto. It is lifted a bit over 4"'s front & rear. It will have new 285/70r17 BFG A/T KO's with the snowflake symbol before the trip. I replaced the OEM open diff with a mechanical Limited Slip diff from Toyota about 30,000 miles ago.


I've called a couple of hotels & the cabin that I rented in 2010 (& plan to again this winter) & they all recommend that I use chains or aired down tires & add some weight in the bed IF it snows. Same as what I've read on TW. Also, drive slow, keep your distance, & no abrupt take-off or braking.

I plan to go there again this winter but with my wife & kids & I will rent a 4WD SUV, most likely a Tahoe.

PREPARATION:
* Coolant has been flushed with the OEM pink stuff.
* Trans fluid has been flushed at the dealership.
* I will change the oil (5W/30 synthetic) before I go.
* Somewhere between South Carolina & Beech Mountain I will buy some sand or gravel bags.
* I'll drain the windshield washer container & add Rain X De-Icer so that nothing freezes up.
* I will lower the PSI in each tire to 20 if the road ahead has snow. I have a Smittybilt air compressor that works fast.
* Tire Chains for the rear tires. This may be overkill but better to have than to need.
* Firewood because I may camp on the 2nd night before driving home.

BTW, I'll add the bags in front of my tool chest, strap them down, & with my tonneau cover they will stay dry.


QUESTIONS:
How much weight do I need to add?
What is a good brand tire chain for a 285/70r17?
Any of you ever drive this area in November?
Anything I missed?

I know that there is a slight possibility that I won't see snow but there's a greater possibility that I will. Beech Mountain & Mt. Mitchell are some of the tallest peaks in the Smokys.

Thank you for your time.

 

Peter
I think you are over thinking things a bit. It is all well and good to prepared but it is not like Florida at all. The state usually does a good job with the main roads. The parkway does get a good amount of snow and sections closed but not typical in November. Plus the speed limit does not exceed 25 mph in many locations. The extra gear in the bed should suffice for the sand bags. And in November it will likely not be much of snow weather. Black ice or ice at night and in mornings is more of a hazard then any snow you will encounter.

Edit: background info.
I visit there yearly. My family lives a few miles from Beech in Banner Elk.

 

It's only snow and ice.. no big deal. 3-400lbs in the back. Your tires should be fine. just slow down. Black ice is the real bad stuff read up on it.
I honestly think the chains might be overkill. I lived in Fairbanks Alaska for 5 years and never needed chains.

 

200-300 lbs of sand is also what I used to keep over the axel in my Chevy 1/2 ton while driving in potential snow/ice conditions; I don't think chains are overkill

 

Good to be prepared but 4wd and slow driving is all you need....chains are highly unnecessary. I grew up there so i can assure you that you will be ok without chains lol

edit: missed the pre runner part...you will want some sandbags in the bed if it snows and really slow driving!

 

Just go slow. Give yourself way more room to stop than usual and try to keep moving.

In my 2wd ranger I never had an issue getting up the to mountain in the snow when I was moving. I only ever got stuck after being parked

 

OK neighbor....

Picture the worst rain monsoon you have driven through here in Florida and drop the temp 50-60 degrees ...driving will mirror this....

My Taco was 4x4 but unless the snow was adding up we stayed 4x2...if I played it "moved" and if not ,control was all in the "skinny pedal"..

Weight in back will vary to how your lifted truck sags BUT I ran 200-300 lbs right between my wells......Quick hint; speedy dry and sand have same tractional abilities.....buy the one you can use after your trip...

Airing down is up to you BUT only time I went low was for Sno-Wheeling ...getting through fresh POWDA on roads was easier with tall & skinny...

Enjoy that trip and details on stop overs please.....that route is on mine and Con's "Bucket list"...


Almost forgot, that is a "Few years" of NH driving talking

 

Check out grandfather mountain and the BRP viaduct. 52 year to construct that bridge.

 

Probably won't be much snow then anyway. It usually doesn't start up too bad till thanksgiving.

 

OK. This will be long

Thank you Joe! That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.

Thank you David! Nice to hear from you again. Yeah, I tend to do that. HAHA! The cabin that my wife, 2 boys, & myself rented at is on 676 Old Turnpike Rd in Banner Elk. We were there from March 28 - April 3, 2008. It's on the side of a small mountain. I remember that the owners daughter lives on the cabin below the one I rented. His name is Floyd Townsend. I actually never met him. Floyd told me that the cabin was unlocked & the keys were on the kitchen counter. Very clean cabin & we left it the same. He then told me to leave the keys on the counter before I left. First time I ever experienced something like that. Very trusting & nice person. I'll be staying there again when I go this winter. Most likely on the week of New Years 2014/2015.

Thank you Ken. You could be right but I'm still undecided on wether I should buy chains or not. Did you have 4WD in Fairbanks also? Remember that I am 2WD.

Thank you Glenn. Kind of where my mind set is at now.

Thank You Jonathon! Definitely slow driving. Everything in my life revolves around a schedule. This time, except for trying to get to Beech Mountain before sunset, I don't have any rush afterwards.

Thank You cheeseit! Yes, plenty of distance & driving slow for sure.

Hello back neighbor

No problem imagining that. I've been through 3 doosies. Hurricanes Andrew & Charlie being the worst. I was driving an '89 Grand Marquis wagon on I-75 and less than 5 minutes ahead of Charlie. My wiper motor broke due to the wind resistance & what looks like a "closet" hit the front of my car & damaged my grille, hood, & lights.

Thank you for the pointers & yes, I'll be as detailed as possible & I'll take my Go Pro & my I-Phone 5S for some good pics & vids.

Glad to hear that's on your bucket list also. I love the area of Georgia, Tennessee, & North Carolina. I've been to Stone Mountain in Georgia a few times also. I don't have any interest in traveling anywhere out of this country except for Greece where my father is from & I have family there. My mom is from Cuba but I have no family there & don't care to go there anyways. Plus, you can't road trip to either place, haha.

Hey, maybe we can do a trip like this together in the future

POWDA. I instantly thought CLAM CHOWDA when I saw this word. HAHAHA!

We went to Grandfather Mountain but not through Blue Ridge Parkway. I purposely routed the trip from Beech Mountain to Mt. Mitchell to go through BRP for 62 miles and over the Viaduct. An extra 1.5 hours of driving but I'll have time & I love road trips!

Interesting how they preserved the area of the mountain by building that viaduct. From what I read, the owner of the mountain did not allow tunneling through so as to not disturb the natural habitat.

I'll keep you all posted.

 

Ah the Floridian in the High Country of NC (If your from the Boone/Blowing Rock area you know what I'm talking about)

I'm just playing with you bud, in November your going to be 90% safe. Most likely there will be no snow on the ground, except on the ski slopes. If you do happen to come up on a snowstorm just wait it out and drive at about 9 a.m. in the morning. They are very good about plowing roads especially around the ski slopes (they have to get people to the slopes so they can make money). If you just want to go exploring I would suggest a 300-400 pounds in the bed and depending on the snow depth some chains for the rear. I made it around Boone and to the ski slopes for 4 years in my 2 wheel drive Explorer. Just have to be cautious and know your limits. I wouldnt break out the chains until there is at least 6" on the roads. In the years I have been around the high country we haven't had 6" in Novmeber that many times. Stick to your main roads and you will be good.

In all my years I never bothered airing down. Only was stuck one time in the Explorer and it was easily fixed with a little push. I am an Appalachian State graduate and ski multiple times a year at Beech and Sugar.

Hope you have a safe and great trip!

 

^^^BTW My great grandgather actually helped build the viaduct, he had some pretty cool pictures that he used to show me when I was little. I believe he worked on it through part of the New Deal project when he came back from the war. I think that may have been what made me fall in love with the High Country of NC.

 

I agree with what's been said already here about overthinking this. I have gone through three white out blizzards in the Lake Tahoe area with my wife's Subaru Outback, and it has all seasons at all four corners, and simple open diffs front and rear.

That car plows through snow like no other machine I've ever driven in winter conditions, without chains. With that said, if I can ford through a blizzard, on no-seasons in my Subaru, this vacation in your Tacoma should be no sweat.

I would recommend carrying snow chains though. BTW I also drove over the summit here in Lake Tahoe, Truckee area one winter, again white out conditions in an '05 Dodge Ram 3/4 Diesel. Had BFG, AT KO's on that truck and went the entire way in 2wd with no chains just to see if I could. Those tires kick ass in the snow, but I have zero experience with them in a winter storm on a Tacoma.

 

Peter,

about 6 years ago i was in the same boat as you, my first solo trip to Big Bear mountain 8500ft. i think the smokeys are around 6k? I was even looking into battery warms!!!:O :O
I myself was thinking too much on the matter. your windshield wiper fluid is a nice touch, like every one said SAFETY is the biggest thing. and the weight for your 2wd. remember you'll be adding weight for your sliders and family so take that into account. as for the chains i was 4wd and snow rated tires. i took them for the piece of mind never used them and that was with fresh power 1-2 ft. i think for the most part i was on 2wd unless i was in deep powder.

but if you want piece of mind and plan on doing more wheel in the snow get them=]

if you are concerned then here are some tips I learned in my snowy travels.

-shovel, gloves just in case you have to work in the elements.
(new) Windshield blades if you haven't changed them in 6 months.
- ice scrapper for windshield.
- and warm socks nothing like cold wet feet! haha

Also as some of the locals that replied it should tell you a great deal of the weather that time of year.

but sir have fun and i can't wait to hear all about it when you get back!

 

Hahaha! No worries. That comment reminded me of something funny from our April 2010 trip to Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg. My wife & kids had NEVER seen snow before and when we were driving on Newfound Gap Rd we saw snow in a wooded area right off of the road before a tunnel. Of course, we parked & started to play in the snow & have snowball fights. 10 minutes later 3 other vehicles were next to our rental and everyone is doing the same thing. All with Florida Tags! I remember telling my wife. "All the locals driving by here mut think that we are a bunch of fools. We laughed so hard and had a great time.

Oh, and thank you for the info! I do want to do some exploring since I'll be alone & I'll have time.

 

Now THAT is cool! History made by a family member! Awesome. I love American History. Yes, I was the guy in High School who LOOKED FORWARD to American History class. I don't even remember how many Forts I have visited.

 

Lake Tahoe area must be beautiful! Yeah, BFG's have been good to me. On more than one occassion people who I have off-roaded with have said "I'm surprised that you've made it this far".

 

Hey Bryant! Nice to hear from you again. You brought up some good points also. I forgot to mention that I do have a shovel in my truck & I have gloves for the snow but I DON'T have an ice scraper.

As for weight, sliders yes but I'm going solo on this one. 1st time ever so it feels weird but I can also get an idea of the area & then hopefully on the week of New Years all 4 of us can go. No College or High School for my 2 sons & my wife will be on vacation also.

 

Based on most peoples suggestions here I will order a pair of tire chains for my rear tires. I have ZERO knowledge on what's good or bad so I would greatly appreciate any recommendations. If I don't use them when I go then I'll save them for next time but I'll feel better knowing that I have them.

 

One other thing you are missing is an emergency kit. If worst comes to worst and you do get stuck and for whatever reason help is a few hours away you will regret not having a blanket, a bit of food, water, extra clothes, flashlights, some way of heating yourself without using your truck and anything else I'm missing.

It probably won't happen but it doesn't hurt to have in the truck.