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Old 03-28-2011, 07:31 AM   #1
Wayne and Carolyn Mathews
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dillon KOA
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Monida Pass on I-15 north of Idaho Falls

(Posted earlier under the wrong topic by mistake--sorry)

Wayne and I took our RV over to Bish's RV Super Center in Idaho Falls on Friday morning. Monida Pass on I-15 is always risky between November and May, but we checked the road conditions took a look at the Montana highway department road cameras showing the pass immediately before we left. Between our house and Dell, Montana, we had partially sunny skies. However, about 15 minutes before we hit Monida, we ran into blowing snow and lots of snow on the roadway and on the shoulders. And then, from that point on (no turnaround possible) it was white-knuckle driving. The road disappeared; while the southbound side had been plowed, the northbound side had not. We crept along at 20 - 25 MPH, staying close to the rumble strip so that we were sure we were still on the road. Out of the blue, a van came flying by on our right side, traveling on the shoulder. The snow was so thick we never saw the lights behind us; we don't know if the van driver was irritated by an RV poking along or if he simply didn't see us and thought he was on the roadway. Talk about scaring us--that did it. We made it through the pass with only one more incident; our rig swung out to the right behind us, but Wayne was able to hold on and get us straight within a few seconds. (I think I put permanent finger-marks in the armrests of the truck, however.) We saw several vehicles, including an 18-wheeler, off the road and down in the ditches or sideways across the median.

We came back through that pass today without our trailer. Although there wasn't a whiteout, the road was terrible--black ice and slush, and occasional low visibility. We saw another 18-wheeler off the road; it apparently slid down and across an entrance ramp before jackknifing and rolling over onto its side.

The photos show the road in the good shape it was in today. Add blowing snow, near-zero visibility, and an unplowed surface and you can imagine what we went through with our rig on Friday. We have to make the trip again in 2 weeks to pick up our trailer. I hope conditions are better, but with Monida, you never know.

Carolyn
 
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Old 03-28-2011, 03:51 PM   #2
Waynem
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And when do you get to Texas. it has been in the low 80's and mid to high 70's here this week. Summer is sprung.
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Old 04-10-2011, 07:58 PM   #3
clutch
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We were at Bish's RV for some slide adjustments on our trailer. Monida to Butte and Butte to N Idaho would have been shorter for us but we decided to cross S Idaho into Pendelton and then go North to home. Guess what??? We encountered the same situation you just described. It is good to be back home and I am glad we found Bish's RV. Their service was great as they even got us in a day earlier than expected.
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Old 04-11-2011, 03:11 AM   #4
Wayne and Carolyn Mathews
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Dillon KOA
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M.O.C. #7445
We went back to Idaho Falls to pick up our trailer this past weekend. On the way over, Monida lived up to its reputation with black ice, blowing snow, and generally terrible driving conditions. Coming home on Saturday, the pass was just another pretty drive with clear roads and plenty of sunshine. With Monida, you just never know what you'll encounter. Even in the middle of July, hitting a bad storm in that area is a definite possibility. I'm glad you made the drive safely!

Carolyn
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