Question about driving the Grapevine

[NStramler]

Oh trust me, I am bundled....sitting at my desk here at work wearing my long sleeved shirt, my scarf, my winter coat.......LOL I work in a refurbished bunker so when it gets cold it get cooooollllldddddd.....I would be wearing gloves but it's really hard to type with them on! LOL It's probably about 40 now, but I'm not going outside until 5 so I don't know for sure. You stay warm too!!

I would cut the tips of the fingers off and use the rest of the gloves to keep my hands warm!!!

 

[pixiewings71]

I would cut the tips of the fingers off and use the rest of the gloves to keep my hands warm!!!

Nah, not worth that, they are my favorite purple gloves! LOL I've got fingerless gloves in the van, but I don't want to walk to get them....it's too cold.....LOL I moved away from Oregon for a reason....and this is the reason. LOL

 

[GrandBob]

At least you aren't trying to drive to Lake Tahoe with this weather.

Or flying there

So, we took DGD6 to DLR from 11/28 thru 12/3. As we made the plans, her parents decided they'd like to visit friends in Seattle this last weekend, so could we keep her until Monday? Um, yeah!

In the middle of planning this, Southwest had their big fare sale for $59 each way. So, being clever, I bought tickets for DW and DGD to fly from San Jose to Reno yesterday, do a quick drop off, and for DW to return on the next plane an hour later. Should have been an easy 3 hour round trip, right?

Enter old man weather. First, DSS (step-son) and DDIL got stranded in Seattle. After a bunch of phone calls, we arranged for DW to drop off DGD to her uncle (DSS's brother). Whew! But Reno airport was seriously backed up yesterday. DW eventually got DGD to Reno where her uncle picked her up, but the plane was so late that DW missed the return. Southwest came to the rescue and rerouted her back, Reno->Vegas->San Jose. DW managed to actually get home at 1AM. But at least she didn't have to deal with chain controls on I-80! DSS and DDIL should be retrieving their daughter around the time I'm posting this.

Yes, this weather has kinked a lot of plans!

-Bob

 

[Leofoenget]

Hi Everyone,

1st post here...just wanted to thank everyone for their great info...I have been lurking here for a few weeks. My DH and I are taking our DD (2) to Disneyland this week. Thursday (10)- Sunday (13). We are driving down from the Bay Area.

For those of you who drive I-5 from the north, when do you decide if you are going to take an alt. route. It looks like the last time you have to cut over to 101S is around the 31 to Paso.

Several reports show light snow/rain mix at Lebec on Thursday. We are leaving the Bay Area around 6 am on Thursday.

Any thoughts/suggestions/previous experience would be great. I have only driven the Grapevine once, in July, when I took DD for her first time while DH was fishing in Alaska. So, I have zero experience with it during the winter months. I am from Oregon originally, so I totally get the snow driving thing...but it seems like I always hear about what a mess the grapevine is....

THANKS!!!

I've been checking constantly too this is what I was looking at before I went to Dis:
http://www.myforecast.com/bin/expanded_forecast_15day.m?city=516021&metric=false

I don't see any snow for Thursday. I'm in San Jose and I leave tomorrow afternoon, stay over in Buttonwillow and finish up Thurs morning. If it even hinted at snow I would drive 101 to about Buellton finishing up thursday also.

I think driving over the grapvine will be fine. However when will you drive home?

 

[bzkds]

So far we've only had it closed once, that was this past Feb when we went for Presidents Weekend....that was the drive of nightmares....it took us almost 11 hours to get home, and we are about 6 hours away.....

My son goes to college about 10 miles from DLR. We have driven back/forth many times and only had a problem like this once (last Dec). Drove over the Grapevine at about 20 mph in a near blizzard. It was already closed on the other side and they closed our side just behind us! It ended up being an 18 hr trip instead of the 12 I expected for a quick down/back pick up! It took nearly 3 hrs to drive all the way across L.A. to get from I5 to 101. And then another 7 to get back to San Jose.

 

[pixiewings71]

Maybe I'm confused, but it takes you 12 hours from San Jose? Or is that both directions? I'm confused.....

 

[Leofoenget]

Maybe I'm confused, but it takes you 12 hours from San Jose? Or is that both directions? I'm confused.....

I would assume that's both ways

 

[iLUVdisneyLAND]

It has been crazy weather...we are in the East Bay and have had snow for the 2nd day on Mt. Diablo...feels like we live in another part of the country....I love it actually, but not for my trip to DL!!! It looks like it should warm up a bit for our thursday mid-morning trek over the grapevine and then sunday we should be fine coming home.

Thank you everyone for your help! Stay warm

 

[pixiewings71]

I would assume that's both ways

That's what I was guessing too, but thought I'd clarify.

 

[1 goofy family]

Yes, highway 46 to Paso Robles is about your only alternate to not going over the Grapevine. I have taken the 101 route home or to LA a number of times & the only bad spot is getting through Santa Barbara. If you see that there is the potential of the Grapevine closing, then just head down 101.
We have had to drive ove 46 to 101 when the fog was so bad on I5, it was insane. We have also decided to take what I call the "scenic route" (101 to Paso) and then cut back over to I5 on 46. Daytime nice weather it isn't too bad.
Keep in mind that the Grapevine is a major artery and they won't close it unless they have to. Those truckers want to get to & from LA just as bad as you do. At least you aren't trying to drive to Lake Tahoe with this weather.

We are driving from San Luis Obispo to Fresno, looks like most of the route is on Hwy 41. Is this a relatively easy drive? We're leaving SLO around 7:00, is fog a problem in that area?

We decided to take the longer route to enjoy the scenic drive...and to avoid having to deal with weather issues on the I-5.

 

[DanT]

if you drive to Fresno, from SLO, when you get to Fresno your freeway will be 99. 99 merges with I5 just before you start the climb up the Grapevine...the only other way on that side of the valley is to use 58 which goes east out of Bakersfield and over the Tehachapi mountains and then down into Mojave and on to Lancaster.....gets high up there and they get lots of snow when the Grapevine does....


you are not gaining anything by using that route....since you are already in SLO why not just go south on 101? No high mountain passes to climb...
and it has to be the shortest route from your geographical area....

 

[1 goofy family]

Thanks, Dan. If I go further south on the 101, where do I cross over to get to Fresno? I'm looking at googlemaps and I'm sorta lost. These are the instructions I got from San Luis Obispo to Fresno:

San Luis Obispo, CA

1. Head northeast on Monterey St toward Toro St 0.8 mi
2. Take the ramp onto US-101 N 15.4 mi
3. Take exit 219 toward CA-41/Morro Rd 0.1 mi
4. Turn left at El Camino Real 0.1 mi
5. Take the 1st right onto Mercedes Ave 1.0 mi
6. Continue onto CA-41 N/Morro Rd
Continue to follow CA-41 N 22.4 mi
7. Turn right at CA-41 N/W Centre St 2.7 mi
8. Turn left at CA-41 N/E Centre St 112 ft
9. Take the 1st right onto CA-41 N/CA-46 E 6.5 mi
10. Turn left at CA-41 N 83.2 mi
11. Take the exit toward Tulare St 0.3 mi
12. Turn right at E Tulare Ave 0.2 mi
13. Turn left at N 1st St 0.3 mi
14. Turn right at E Washington Ave 23 ft

Fresno, CA

 

[SueTGGR]

I think the confusion is that you are only going from SLO to Fresno, yes?
If you are headed over to Fresno to drop down to Disneyland, you are going way out of your way and really don't need to mess with Grapevine at all.
You might want to clarify.

 

[DirkLogan]

I am in Bakersfield and we are going down this thursday night and coming back Sunday afternoon. The forcast looks like there will be no trouble. You would want to check Lebec, Frazier Park or Gorman weather also.

For us leaving bakersfield, it is 142 miles down the I-5. The best alternate route for us is the 58 to the 14 and then I-5 the rest of the trip. That route adds about 50 miles to the trip. For us, the coastal route is WAY longer. The 58 does sometimes close, but not as often as the grapevine does.

 

[1 goofy family]

I think the confusion is that you are only going from SLO to Fresno, yes?
If you are headed over to Fresno to drop down to Disneyland, you are going way out of your way and really don't need to mess with Grapevine at all.
You might want to clarify.

We are driving to Fresno from Disneyland. We are leaving mid-day and taking the scenic route along the coast, we will then spend the night in SLO and then head to Fresno the next morning.

Thanks for the help. I confused even myself with that last post, it's a good thing I'm not the one driving on this trip!

 

[Karlzmom]

Hi Everyone,

1st post here...just wanted to thank everyone for their great info...I have been lurking here for a few weeks. My DH and I are taking our DD (2) to Disneyland this week. Thursday (10)- Sunday (13). We are driving down from the Bay Area.

For those of you who drive I-5 from the north, when do you decide if you are going to take an alt. route. It looks like the last time you have to cut over to 101S is around the 31 to Paso.

Several reports show light snow/rain mix at Lebec on Thursday. We are leaving the Bay Area around 6 am on Thursday.

Any thoughts/suggestions/previous experience would be great. I have only driven the Grapevine once, in July, when I took DD for her first time while DH was fishing in Alaska. So, I have zero experience with it during the winter months. I am from Oregon originally, so I totally get the snow driving thing...but it seems like I always hear about what a mess the grapevine is....

THANKS!!!

As a resident of Kern county -at the Valley end of the Grapevine, I will say that its not a bad drive IF its open. We already had it close once this week, and my family is canceling a trip to LA on Sat b/c I think its too risky with the line of storms we are dealing with. A co-worker got stuck having to back track and go out to Oxnard on the 101 and cut across at Santa Maria to get home on Monday...a drive that should have been less than 2 hours took 18 and included a night in a hotel.

If I was coming from the Bay area, I'd take the 101 in a heartbeat. It may seem like it is a longer drive, but there won't be any concern...that and I think its a nicer drive. I'm not a big fan of the 5.....99 I like, but 5 is too straight, not enough visual stimulation....

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I live about 40 min. north of Fresno and I refuse to take the 5 any farther than I have to...Once I get in LA I take the 210E Pasadena Fwy to the 57S and its a straight run all the way to anaheim....shaves off about 10 min WITHOUT bumper to bumper traffic because of the carpool lane we can go in all the way once we hit the 57....

 

[blackjackdelta]

I live about 40 min. north of Fresno and I refuse to take the 5 any farther than I have to...Once I get in LA I take the 210E Pasadena Fwy to the 57S and its a straight run all the way to anaheim....shaves off about 10 min WITHOUT bumper to bumper traffic because of the carpool lane we can go in all the way once we hit the 57....

Did you not have a fender bender a ways back up on the grapevine. I really do not care to take it but really have not found a better way. I have heard that the 210E was like playing bumper cars.

Jack