have the roads to the coast been icy in the early monings lately?

David Johnson · 12-25-2001, 04:37 PM

Heading down to the coast and was wondering how the black ice has been this morning or yesterday morning.

Spooled · 12-25-2001, 04:48 PM

Hi David. I went down Sunday at about 4:00 AM. It was icy from Banks to the summit, but was well sanded and no problem. It was mainly just frozen frost. It was beautiful in Tillamook, but windy.

Did you get the pictures?

Merry Christmas,
Troy

rainrshine · 12-25-2001, 05:26 PM

David....... I just walked in the door from fishing the wilson all day today. The roads this morning were not bad. Just like spooled said mainly frozen frost. Always a good idea to slow down in the corners though

Good luck!!

Fishin Magician · 12-25-2001, 05:29 PM

If you are going hwy 26 or 6 be way careful, I have been down twice this week and the roads were nasty. I went down before any sanders were out and the freezing fog created ugly road conditions. It was worse on the other side of the summit and it took me 2 hours to get to seaside on monday and 1 1/2 to get to tillamook on sunday. I live off hwy 26 in hillsboro.
Be Safe and good luck-John

RichH · 12-25-2001, 06:10 PM

I drove down 26 on Sunday and saw 3 ambulances heading west, the last 2 just as I hit the junction with 101. I only saw 1 car in the ditch but when I stopped at the rest area west of the tunnel it was some serious ice skating potential.
Be safe.

hawgcatcher · 12-25-2001, 06:16 PM

Son went down on Monday. Left around 5:20 to go to No. Fork Nehalem. Ice all the way down, esp. on Hwy. 53. No sanders on it. Took him almost two hours. He did not see any wrecks but did see icy skid marks on several corners on 53. He said if you take it easy, it would be OK.

David Johnson · 12-25-2001, 06:48 PM

Thanks a lot guys, just as I suspected. Looks like I'll give my self a couple hours.

Yes Troy, Tesha told me we got them but i've been so bussy I haven't gotten a chance to look at them, I'll go dig 'em up now. Thanks.

Amerman · 12-25-2001, 06:56 PM

Dave and all others

Hwy 6 pass is very icy all the way to Tillamook. We took it to Portland on Monday around 10:30 am to see family for Christmas. We had Ice from the Guideshop to over the summit and just after we went over the summit we had someone come across the center lane pulling his boat and hit our car head on. Me, my wife and new born baby were all very lucky to have walked away from this accident with minor injuries. We were all in seat belts and I think the Air bags saved our lives. We were driving very slow and got off the road all the way to the guard rail but could not avoid there out of control car and boat. Our car was totally smashed. When the cops and ambulances arrived they said there was three other wrecks on the road at the same time. I was just coming on Ifish to ask everyone to please be careful. Even if the roads don't look Icy and even if they have been graveled which they had. Please drive slow and be safe.

Scott Amerman

fishbait · 12-25-2001, 07:17 PM

Experience has proven to me that this time of year, an average speed of 40 - 45 mpg on Hwy 6 is about max. Sure there are places where you can go faster, but be safe and keep the speed down. Over the last 20 years, I have almost lost it to black ice 3 times and I WAS going 40 mph or less. Think about this, over the next 10 years, considering the possbile damage both financial and physical if an accident does happen, what is 1 hour less sleep. Will it really matter 10 years from now as long as you are safe and secure. Put yourself in a situtation where you can take a leisurly drive to the coast at 0 dark thiry, driving safely and defensively and not feel the need to be in a hurry. MAKE GOOD DECISIONS...... Even then bad things can still happen.. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, I'm off to Cabo to fish in warm weather.

Jennie@ifish · 12-25-2001, 07:33 PM

Pretty icy but de iced with chemical at 8 tonight, on the way home.
40 mph, safely home!
Jen

24 on/ 48 off · 12-25-2001, 07:37 PM

Hey- I have some background on this. I worked as a paramedic for Tillamook Ambulance for two years.

Hwy 6 can be REALLY slick- especially in places you least expect. The long straightaways at MP 13 and MP 16 are notorious, because people speed up, thinking its safer to speed on the straight sections. Its not.

The area around Elk Creek is bad, too.

Just drive slow. No fish is worth your life. Unfortunately, I have seen the absolute worst outcomes.

--spud-- :smile:

Jennie@ifish · 12-25-2001, 07:38 PM

Scott,
I am very thankful that you and your family are safe.
Thank God!
Even if you are safe, that is very stressful for your family. My prayers are with you all!
But I am so glad you are safe!!!
Jen

Hookset · 12-25-2001, 10:48 PM

Scott, glad to hear you and your family are safe. What a terrible ordeal to have to go through.

There's a good lesson for everyone to learn from regarding your unfortunate accident. When it's icy and your driving slow and cautious, often it's the other drivers around you that create the problems. I've seen it happen so many times coming off the mountains during ski season.

This is the time of the year that defensive driving skills are required the most. Everyone, please remember to drive slow and drive defensively.

Oh, this brings back terrible memories....... There is no fish worth taking a chance....maybe I'll just wait for warmer spring type weather.

I hope you and your family recover quickly Scott.

Gregg

cureless · 12-26-2001, 12:41 PM

Scott

I was pulling the boat out at solly and heard the fire trucks heading up the canyon, then as we went home we saw the boat laying on the road. we sure wondered and hoped everyone was ok.

Small world isnt it!

We came over earlier in the morning only fisher people on the roads and everyone was driving very safely. It was slick from North Plains all the way. It wasnt as icey going home in the early afternoon but lots more less experienced drivers on the road.

Really glad you came out of it ok specially with the new little one.

Amerman · 12-26-2001, 06:06 PM

Thanks to everyone.

Things seem to be good for all the family but I think it will be a few more days before I am rowing a driftboat again. It was just as everyone said there was lots of dry spots and people were drive to fast fortunately we were only going about 30-35 before we saw them coming at us and had time to slow down and try to get out of the way before they hit us. It's just a helpless feeling when there is no where else to go to get out of someone else's way that has lost control.

Cureless someone told me their boat flew up and over our car before landing on the pavement after they hit us.

Please take the extra time to get there and drive safe.

Thanks to everyone that emailed or wrote here.

HOGTIDE · 12-26-2001, 11:12 PM

Traveled from St. Helens on Christmas Eve morning to the NF Nehalem. The road was covered with frost and ice the entire length of the trip. I took it easy and saw no wrecks on the way over at about 4:30 am. But on the way back,at 10:30 am, I saw at least 6 different crashed vehicles on the side of the road. Two were completely upside down. State police had flares and lights going over the entire summit.

Sometimes I think the most dangerous time is mid-morning. The ice melts off in the sunny spots;people start to drive faster, and suddenly there are 500 yards of shaded icey road!

Firedog · 12-26-2001, 11:20 PM

Scott glad to hear you and your family are all right. That is a pretty helpless feeling watching someone come towards you and there is nothing you can do. Take care and hope the bumps and bruises heal quickly.

I have to agree with hogtide, that mid morning is the worst part of the day, some of the shaded spots on the road never do melt and the rest of the road can be dry. Ran into that problem Monday morning on my way up to Oxbow, dry as a bone out and came around a corner and it was icy, luckily I wasn't going to fast or I would have been in trouble as the back end on my truck started to come around as it was. Then just around the corner was a car in the ditch, stopped to see if I could tow him out but he already had a friend on the way to get it out. Everyone be safe.