Great story Pete, thanks. Sounds like you're headed to Mexico this spring but if you're ever back up this way with your tribe, give me a jingle.
Bob
'87 Westy Syncro
Salt Lake
--
http://groups.msn.com/BobsPhotoShare/87westysyncro.msnw

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> I have no detailed experiments or major experiences with busses, vanagons,
> westies or SYNCROS in the snow but I do have a story that might be of interest
> to some.
>
> In 1973 or thereabouts I bought a new 73 bus - red body - white top. Within
> a year I learned the value of John Muir as my new work vehicle would not turn
> over in the parking lot after work one day. Yep "crawl under front of the
> right rear wheel and look for two cylindrical shaped things" - yeah, I knew
> what a starter and solenoid were but he was right - the 12V hot wire had
> vibrated off - YAHOO! But I digress.
>
> My snow story. I had a young ski family at the time and the bus made many
> successful trips from the SF East Bay Area to the Sierras and OR over the
> years. One spring, 75 or 76 not sure, I decided it was time to do the Utah ski
> thing. Spring break I packed up my 2 boys (8 and 12) and a high school student
> friend and we headed off to Park City one evening. I drove all night and we
> had Bk in Park City at 8AM - a little icy but a fun ski day - ended up on a
> hill with a bunch of young folks (pretty good skiers) who all had the same
> parkas - US Ski Team. Kinda fun.
>
> I slept well in SLC that night.
>
> Next AM we were off to our 2nd day of the adventure (Vanagon content
> finally). I just now went to Mapquest to verify my memory of distances, etc.
> which
> wasn't bad after 30+/- years but here's the gig. We turned onto UT 210 south
> of SLC - sign says 8 miles to Alta - it's raining like crazy and the sign says
> CHAINS REQUIRED - BS - "I don't need no stinkin' badges" or chains for that
> matter when it's raining.
>
> Up Cottonwood Canyon we go - raining like mad - bout 3 miles up the rain
> gets footprints - ah - no problem. Another mile and it's snowing pretty hard.
> It's almost whiteout conditions when I catch up to a bus (Greyhound type). I
> hang out behind it and then see it start to slide out to the right with the
> unfenced canyon below - I'm going for it so I pass - as I start the teenager
> yells "Every one in the back". The bus dug in and, to make a long story short, I
> blasted by Snowbird and plowed into the more or less empty Alta parking lot
> and breathed very deeply. I opened the door and it pushed snow - this is the
> absolute truth. This was not the stuff that Sierra concrete is made of. A
> great ski day! Oh, BTW, the teenager had lived in Breckenridge, CO for many
> years.
>
> A few years later after a blown engine thanks to that 5 year old who grew up
> a little, that bus went to someone who wanted to fix it up - I have no idea.
> MOL 5 yrs ago, 2nd family, we acquired an '80 Westy in Durango, CO in the
> winter. The Westy blew the doors off my unloaded F150 4X4 coming home over
> Carson Pass in light, but sticking, snow - uh, no chains. It's a project car but
> has served us well with a rebuilt engine and a few other basics. Discovered
> some new unmarked campsites in the central Sierras, Southern OR and looking for
> more on the 2nd Baja trip this spring.
>
> I think my point should be obvious but if you get into traction problems and
> don't have 4 80# bags of rock salt but do have a passenger, yell!
>
> Pete
> Murphys, CA
> 80 Westy
> Couple of 4Runners
> F150