@Chrisbcritter A Buick under snow vs. Impala under snow Hello, Last month in California, we had some of the roughest snow storms, ever. One of our favorite snow skiing areas was closed due to tons of snow piling high on the mountain faces. There are photos of the snow level up to and including covering the chair lifts going up the various trails to the top of the mountain runs. Even the major highway that runs from So Cal up to the Oregon border was closed through parts of California due to the heavy snow and blind, whiteout conditions. The folks we knew that lived in Mammoth Mountain have always been the envy of us living along the coastline with its mild weather. They were locked in place and certainly are stuck until the road clearing crew from California pushes the snow aside for safe passage. But, in the winter conditions, who travels in a thick snow storm. Jnaki The photo above shows a Buick sedan under a layer of snow next to a small cabin. That photo could have been taken in our local So Cal mountains. When we were little kids, we stayed in a small cabin with our friends and the conditions were so thick that our dad who was coming up to visit us and then take us home got turned around at the CHP checkpoint. His big Buick was one of many to park off the side of the road in a driving snow condition. The CHP said no passage unless snow chains were on the tires. Some put them on and continued. Our dad had chains, but his tired old back could not stand the strenuous installation during any clear day, let alone, a driving snow storm. So, he turned around and went back down the mountain to the first gas station to have the attendants put the chains on his big Buick. Clumping back up the mountain road to the check point and then being allowed to go through he arrived at our cabin. By the time we all got ready and started to pack the car, it was snowing again and instead of the 56 Buick in the photo, our dad’s 53 Buick sedan was covered with a thick layer of snow. Note: As teenagers, after Christmas Day, the big thing was for any local Long Beach teenager to head for Big Bear Lake and City to stay in cabins for the vacation days until New Year’s Day. It was a tradition going back to the 50s and it was a great time had by all, through the different generations of teens. My brother’s group did not get snowed in place. But, for our teenage group, years later, the 58 Impala was covered with a thick blanket of snow and was hard to start the following morning. That was the scenario of snowing heavily late at night and our surprise sight at our cars covered with thick snow. YRMV Note 2: Opening Day of Trout Season in the Eastern Sierra! Saturday, April 27, 2024 5:00 AM 10:00 PM In the Buick sedan days from 1949 to 1963, our dad’s old Buicks made the trip to the Mammoth Mountain area up Highway 395, to go fishing on the opening day of allowed trout fishing. Usually, it meant that Lake Crowley was the destination. A nice down jacket, gloves, long johns and boots were necessary items for this cold trip. Our dad took the whole family when it was less snow and warmer, but he always went on opening day with his “fishing” friends. There were many years of the Big Buick sedan under snow. But, the result was the largest trophy we ever saw come home one year, with a huge smile on our dad’s face. It made our Lion’s Dragstrip trophies seem a little insignificant… especially with a jumping trout on top!!! YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
