Wow...is anyone else "in line" on the 18 to Big Bear?

[cheapski]

I'm not familiar with your part of the 18, but does "Camp Rock" sound familar? This is the CHP log. Sounds like idiots and chains in the roadway.

8:33PM AT HARD CLOSURE AGAIN 1023ING FOR CT
7:54PM PER S3 REQ CT TO SCRAPE THE RDWY AND LAY CINDERS
7:53PM S3 ADVS LEAVE RDWY OPEN TO R3 CHAIN CONTROL
7:51PM PER 12-D2 GETTING MULT REPORTS OF VEHS STUCK IN AREA
7:51PM PER S3 IT IS A CLOSURE UNTIL HE ADVS FURTHER
7:49PM 12-S3 ADVS UNLESS THERE ARE HAZARDS OPEN IT UP / EVERY NEEDS CHAINS INC 4X4
7:49PM 12-42 INQ IF RDWY SHOULD BE OPEN NOW
7:48PM PER 101-S2 THIS IS A CHAIN RESTRICTION ONLY - NEG ON A CLOSURE^
7:48PM S3 ADVS 101-S2 18 SHOULD BE OPEN TO R3 CHAIN CONTROL
7:48PM PER 12-42 18 AT CAMPROCK IS COMPLETELY CLOSED
7:38PM 32C CACTUS FLATS IS IN GOOD SHAPE - NO REASON TO HAVE IT CLOSED
7:19PM 1039 FOR CODE 20 INFO
7:17PM A40 REQ A SGT ADVISE A DURATION OF THE CLOSURE, MANY IRATE CUSTOMERS OUT THERE
6:36PM A12-83 ADVS THE CLOSURE CAMP ROCK AT 18 IS INDEFINITE AT THIS TIME
6:31PM RDWY CLOSED BOTH DIRECTIONS 18 AT CAMPROCK
6:21PM PER LINE 40 TRFC GOING THE OTHER DIRECTIONS HAS ALMOST TC D INTO THEM
6:21PM REQ CT TO PUT OUT CLOSURE SIGNS 18 AT CAMP ROCK
6:19PM 83 ADVS IN UP BOUND LANES PRTYS WALKING AROUND TRYING TO PUT ON CHAINS
6:19PM PER S5 IF A83 FEELS IF ITS NECESSARY GO AHEAD AND CLOSE
6:17PM REQ IF S5 WILL ALLOW CLOSURE AT CAMP ROCK
6:17PM 83 ADVS NUMEROUS VEHS IN NB LANES TRYING TO PUT CHAINS ON / SNOW FLURRIES GETTING DANGEROUS
4:11PM HEAVY SNOW IN THE AREA
3:06PM CHAIN CONTROL IN PLACE AT CACTUS FLATS FOR SB TRAFFIC (UPHILL)

[theHighwayman]

WHEW!

what a CLUSTERF---!

WHEW!

jUMPIN JEHOSAPHAT!

reminds me of the time I was workin on local mountain when a CHP pulled upta my stand and asked if I would be so kind as to lend a hand w a "problem"?

2 miles of backed up traffic on the uphill due to a lady's [ she put em on herself ] chains comin off and wrappin the axle of her t-bird, stoppin the car in the only uphill lane -- no tows available fer a couple of hours!!! --

I got led "CODE THREE" [ lights & siren ] up the wrong sidea the road, past cheerin stalled motorists, upta the t-bird, where I jacked it up, dropped the chains, & got her movin downhill safely --

kinda excitin day!

[plethoraguy]

Dang... we thought about driving up to BB late last night... glad we decided to wait and see til morning. I've been in the "move 10 feet, stop, wait 5 minutes" line before coming off the hill and it's super aggravating to think that the 5 hours you spent on a trip to Big Bear would've probably been better spent getting to Mammoth. You have my sympathy, hope you are safely asleep in a warm bed as I write this.

[bdb27]

Sat in line for Mt High on 138 for 10 minutes. Turned around and went to Mammoth.

To many looky loos and snowman building crews.

[Peek A Boo]

Any updates Jane Doe?

[SurfnSnowboard]

My nephew's buddy was planning to head up to Bear this morning and they didn't think they'd need to have chains since it's a 4x4. I told them to check road conditions before heading up so they did at 6am and went back to sleep. Good move on their part.

[Jono]

I was in this line on Saturday morning. My friend won a free ski weekend through FM 94.9 for himself and 3 others so we were really trying to make it up there. Free lodging, lift tickets and meals, a really good deal.

We never made it. We made it to check point for chains and decided against it. We were hearing reports that it would take 5 hours to make it to the top and that people were sliding all over the place. A complete mess.

[cheapski]

10:10AM BOTH NB AND SB LANES ARE STOPPED WITH NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC
9:53AM REQ PLOWS FOR A ROCK RUN IN ARTIC CIRCLE PRIOR TO BEING OPENED, UNIT THERE NOW AND ADVSD ROCKS ARE STILL FALLING OFF THE MOUNTAIN ONTO THE RDWY
9:00AM PER RICHARD CT- ENRT TO SNOW VAL TO CLR THE BERM THEN WILL OPEN THE ARTIC CIRCLE

10:21AM 101-S3 PER CT SUPV OPEN SR18 AT SNOW VALLEY BOTH DIRECTIONS ** WILL BE EXTREMELY EXTENDED ***
10:19AM *** SR 18 CLOSED AT MITSUBISHI PLANT TO ALL VEHS *** DUE TO TRAFFIC
9:32AM ^SR38 IS CLOSED AT BRYANT - ROAD IS UNPASSABLE - NO RESIDENTS EITHER

[twins]

Thanks for the updates Cheaps

[cheapski]

I'm amazed that people came back for more punishment. Talk about abuse!

[Biker395]

I'm amazed that people came back for more punishment. Talk about abuse!

Cripes. And I was whining about the fact that I couldn't come up this w/e.

[cheapski]

Not only that but if they do get up there, the power is still out in some areas, and they are just getting re-supplied with essentials since the storm began.

[cheapski]

12:14PM SR330 - R2 - UPPER PASSING LANE TO RUNNING SPRINGS
12:14PM SR38 - STILL CLOSED AT BRYANT TO NB TRAFFIC
12:12PM SR18 AT SNOW VALLEY AND BIG BEAR DAM IS OPEN IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
12:10PM MOUNTAIN HIGH SKI RESORT IS AT MAX CAPACITY, PARKING LOT IS CLOSED
12:10PM SNOW VALLY SKI RESORT IS AT MAX CAPACITY, PARKING LOT IS CLOSED
12:03PM ** MOUNTAIN ROADS ARE OPEN WITH R2 CHAIN RESTRICTONS

[SoCal]

I hope they have the 38 open by tomorrow. There was nothing wrong with that road except for the snow being higher than the guardrails. Plow that ish and let me up! I can't stand the 330, way too many clueless drivers.

[janedoe]

I just thought I'd provide a quick trip report. We left LA around 8ish on Friday and finally made it to the town around 3:30am Saturday. The conditions were amazing - several feet of ungroomed powder in many places. It made the 7+ hour drive there all worth it.

When we left Big Bear around 4pm on Saturday they were requiring chains on all vehicles except 4 wheel drives, (but we still had ours on from Friday.) It took us about 60 - 90 minutes to get out of Big Bear and on our way to Victorville. The guy that put the cables on our tires put them on so tight that we had to have someone cut them off. Can someone please explain why cables that are supposed to fit (i.e. the size on our tires matches the size written the box the cables came in) don't fit???!?!?

All in all, the road conditions weren't great, but I was expecting A LOT worse. Caveat: I grew up in Michigan and drove in crap conditions for years, so driving in snow is nothing new. However, the roads really weren't that bad. It's funny to see people confused as to why they get stuck going up a hill when they try to approach it at 2 mph. Ok, maybe funny isn't the right word, but you get the picture...