Navigating the Snowy Red Mountain Hill- when driving fast is all you’ve got left

Todd and I could never afford a four-wheel drive vehicle. (Well, it wasn’t a priority. Taking our children on adventures was!) Hence, we had to learn how to drive a front wheel drive car in the snow, including our 1/2 mile long, steep driveway on the north slope. 

Snow takes a long time to melt on a north slope. After it warms up a bit and refreezes into ice, it’s downright treacherous. We didn’t own a plow for most the years that we’ve been living on Red Mountain (couldn’t afford it) so we depended on our neighbors to plow us out. Our job was to be in charge of cindering the road, because most cars will still have trouble on a hill of solid ice.

Todd took his cindering duties seriously. He had his method down pat, knew exactly where on the individual little inclines you would be most likely to spin, and threw the perfect amount of cinders down. 

Todd always drove a rear wheel drive truck which got parked when there was snow on the hill and we only drove our little car when the driveway was snowy (either a Geo Metro, Toyota Echo or presently, a Toyota Yaris). But once we took the truck to the airport in December because we were cycling Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and needed to transport our bikes. That night on our return drive, we got stuck on the hill. We had to throw down cinders in our flip flops and shorts, still dressed as though we were in the Caribbean. Mostly, the truck didn’t do the hill in winter.

I learned to drive the hill quickly. Fast. Real fast. You begin on the 1/10 of a mile flat stretch gunning it to get up to speed. Then into the first turn, the steepest, you might spin out, but you regain momentum quickly. Keeping your foot heavy on the gas pedal will get you up, albeit a few spots where you might spin and burn rubber, but your car will continue to climb. We tell folks who are coming up to visit in two wheel drive to “go fast.” Some don’t get it or are uncomfortable with the amount of speed you need to get a front wheel drive successfully up the hill and so they either park down below by the mailbox and hoof it, or get stuck, back down and then hoof it. Few feel comfortable driving as fast as you need to. 

Not me. One time, I was driving down the snowy hill a little too fast. Todd was following me in the truck. I had the kids. It was dark out. When I realized I should probably slow down, I applied the brakes rather quickly. My car suddenly does a complete 180 in place so that I am now facing Todd, my headlights shining into his truck. Sierra and I started laughing real hard. I had to back down before I was able to drive forward again. 

Once Todd got injured, we had to bite it and buy an all wheel drive vehicle. I could not risk getting stuck at home or on the hill with a paralyzed husband. Not safe. So since we needed an adaptive all-wheel drive van, we had to buy a $75,000 vehicle. We always use the cost of our log home to compare prices, which was only $20,000, (including the well and the septic) since we built it ourselves. It was very hard to spend the money but thankfully Todd’s parents and a Gofundme helped make that happen. (That vehicle is now up to $120,000- unbelievable- being disabled is very expensive).

I keep my little Toyota Yaris road worthy because I love to drive stick and it’s a good local car. I took it down to the bottom of the hill last week when we got 8 inches of snow and parked it there. No one was bothering to cinder Red Mountain road since Todd got hurt (who used to spread cinders) and everyone pretty much has all wheel drive vehicles in the neighborhood. But when my neighbor men saw my car down there, they cindered for me. Both men asked if I wanted them to drive it upon for me. One admitted he loved to drive little stick shift cars in the snow. I thanked them for trying to take care of me and assured them that I could handle the drive up myself. After all, before Todd fell, I was the queen of navigating the snowy hill successfully in front wheel drive. Over thirty years of driving it, I am still good at it! Especially now, when pretty much the only thing I can do fast in this life as a disabled spinal cord injury caregiver is to drive fast.