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Full Version: Will Hwy 40 be plowed?
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]OK, if Mystic Minnow’s willing to predict ice-up 5 weeks out, is anyone willing to hazard a guess on the next 24 hours? I routinely use the NOAA super-duper weather page, and as of their 4 AM forecast, they’ve actually bumped this to a snow warning instead of an advisory. From their wording, I can’t tell what time Sunday morning the front is below northern Utah, but it seems like around 5A.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Since this whole boat thing is new to me, tomorrow will be my first drive on 40 in possibly bad conditions.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I prefer to fish Strawberry instead of J-nelle because I think the weather change will mean the bass-bite is off.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]My planned departure time puts me in Parley’s at 6:30 A, and outside of Heber at 7. [/size][/font][font "Times New Roman"][size 3]UDOT’s Commuter Link is really a great tool, and there are cameras on 80 to almost Heber. But I don’t know how good they are before dawn. And after Heber, I’m on my own.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I’m betting UDOT will have 40 plowed, particularly since it’s opening weekend of the hunt. But if it snows between plow runs…[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]But maybe the bigger concern should be the road to the Strawberry Marina, and ramp conditions. My 4WD sits on big tires on 10” wide wheels, and loves to slide around on a slick surface.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]So, am I fishing tomorrow, or am I doing laundry???[/size][/font]
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So....How is the laundry coming along? [Wink]
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Very funny...

But, sorry I'm foolishly optimistic. Called Strawberry Marina couple hours back; they had 3" the other day and said it wasn't a big deal.

Plus, as of 2 P today, this front don't look so tough. So unless there's a big change, I'm goin.

Not doin laundry!!![laugh]
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Sorry but the front is here now and putting down lots of snow in the hills, I would brake out the soap....[unsure]


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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I went! Left at 6:45 A. Was STILL raining in the Valley @ 6. Sheesh. Glad I waited, because I think Parley’s would have been tricky. The Parley's weather cams at 6A seemed to confirm that. At 7A, Parley’s was fine. [/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Great, one hump down; only Daniel’s left. Talked to a buddy Saturday, and he brightly was thinking that if Parley’s at its higher elevation was good, so would Daniel’s be. I’ve used that logic with the Uintas for years, so it made complete sense to me. (Can you see where this is goin?)[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Outside of Heber, and the higher I drove, the more 40 became “overgrown” with snow/slush. Traffic was light, so by the time I hit the passing lanes, I was compelled to drive nearer the center of the two lanes. UDOT finally appears, but they’re only plowing the downhill/WB lane. That’s understandable because of downhill speed, but hey, my two lanes over here are sort of one and a half now.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]And then the Summit. From the tip of the Summit at 8A to half-way down the ramp at the bay Marina was one sheet of hard-pack (from cars) snow. One solid sheet.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]So much for UDOT…[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Had to run it in 4-Hi at a blistering cruising speed of 25 mph. Four of us got to the ramp at the same time. If the bottom half of ramp had not been just a skiff of powder, this would have been an unsafe launch, IMO. [/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]It was windy, white-capping, and water temp was 47. My newly-epoxied-transducer mount lasted 3 min in the cold water. I’ll bring back to life my previous transducer mount thread shortly to follow up on that…[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Fishing was pretty good; d-rigged Hawes Point in 70” water and was suspending at 40’. Was using white or green 3” glow squids 12” behind a 5” silver/gold flasher. Gunked with Crawdad smelly jelly.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Attempted to jig Rainbow Point, but the wind was really starting to do its thang, so I wouldn’t anchor and instead, drifted. Nada. When drifting at Rainbow, noticed the water in the pass seemed to be turning “feisty”. Since it was mid-aft, thought I’d head in. [/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I don’t have a lot of S-berry experience, but the waves seemed to be unusually high and rolling in the Pass and Bay. They were more like 3’ sea swells. I have felt safe so far in my new 16 5 Smokercraft, but I just thought that if I entered one of those swells wrong…[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Back at the Marina, snow was completely gone everywhere, by 2:30 P.[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]So this was a good lesson. That lesson being Hwy 40 is a crapshoot right after a storm, and that you can’t use Parleys as a gauge of Daniels. And the biggest question mark will be ramp condition. And the only way to get rid of the ramp question mark are tire chains. [/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I’m glad I did this trip just to find out firsthand, but in similar future snow/rain conditions, I would stay home and do laundry…[/size][/font]
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[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Unless I chain up…[Wink][/size][/font]
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Okay bad roads windy and white capping water, but did you get any fish????

If I could get my boat to the Nell I would be fishing today....[Wink]


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Need actual numbers, huh? A good day for me. Not a good day for the pro's here. 4 bows, and had I not lost my tape measure. I would say all around 20".

J-nelle is next weekend; probably Sunday. Hope you get your boat there by then!
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On some days one is a lot to get, glad to hear you got some after going through what you did....
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[reply]Talked to a buddy Saturday, and he brightly was thinking that if Parley’s at its higher elevation was good, so would Daniel’s be. I’ve used that logic with the Uintas for years, so it made complete sense to me. (Can you see where this is goin?)[/reply]

That was your first mistake. Parley's Summit is about 7,120 feet. Daniels' Summit is closer to 8,100 feet. Strawberry is 7,612 feet at maximum pool. Daniels' canyon is narrower and runs more north to south. It gets less sunilght on the road, less traffic, (which helps to heat and clear a road), and isn't quite the priority that the interstate is when it's time to call out the plows.

Let that be a lesson to ya!

Glad to hear that you didn't wind up in a wreck, or gettin' stuck.

Fishrmn