A little over a week ago a good storm came in and put down a few more feet of snow on the Cascades and Sierra-Nevada mountains. I have always wanted to checkout the area now known as the Sugar Bowl ski area and I plan on attending a party up there next month so this was an opportunity to check the road out in the daylight.
http://sugar2.sugarbowl.com/trailmaps/sugarbowlmap.swfYears ago Walt Disney was going to build a big winter event center at the site, but the Serria Club shut that down. It was a rather nasty battle that went on for a number of years.
There are a couple of ways of getting to the site. Both of them off of old Highway 40, which has been re-named Donner Pass Road. And this is where an auto navigation system can get you into trouble. If you are coming from the Reno-Truckee side you can get onto Donner Pass road but you cannot depend on it being plowed. I had stopped in Truckee to get a get something to eat, and made the sudden decision to visit the Sugar Bowl because I was close. During the recent storm I had checked the web page for the Norden Snow Lab and found there was a 109 inches of snow at that time. The Lab is not far from the Sugar Bowl and Donner Ski Ranch. I pulled out my 76C, which is loaded with Topo USA and City Navigator v8. I had City Navigator showing so I could take advantage of the auto routing feature. I had already set the options so the unit would recalculate the route if I by passed a turn.
I went to the Find Button, selected the Recreation Icon, which displayed a drop down with a number of options, which included Donner Ski Ranch, Boreal Ski Area, Viking Ski Club, Sugar Bowl and others. Using the rocker I scrolled down the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, and selected it. This brought up a page with the address and phone number. In my travels I have found the provided phone numbers handy. I selected the Go To option, I then selected the Follow Road option, and the unit calculated a route.
The 76C and 76Cx along with some other Garmin handheld trail models has auto routing capability if the correct software is installed. Unlike automotive gps units you do not get a voice telling you to turn right or left. The unit gives you an early warning tone some distance from your turn and another tone when you are just about on the turn. The screen will pop-up and display the turn. As I was leaving the fast food outlet in Truckee and it routed me on to Highway 89 and then immediately put me on I-80 West. In a few miles I heard a tone which would have me take the Donner Pass off ramp, which would have put me down next to Donner Lake and then West bound up over the pass. Fortunately I guessed this route might not have been cleared of snow.
I choose to continue West on I-80, the gps unit automatically recalculated the route. The next option it provided me was off at the Boreal ski area off ramp. I did not think that was a good option, but checked it out a little. I found my self on a road that had a few feet of snow removed but about 4-6 inches of snow it. I quickly decided that this was not a viable route and turned around. I must admit that I am impressed with the non-slip rear end in my 2005 GMC. I had made this side trip to check out the unit and see how fast it re-calculated a new route. (The road into the Boreal Ski area was clear.)
I re-enter I-80 West and the unit calculated my next off ramp and route as being Soda Springs. Soda Springs was a major stopping spot on old Highway 40, or as known to many the Lincoln Highway. I-80 was built across the Sierra’s to handle traffic for the 1960 Olympics at Squaw Valley. Just before the Soda Springs Off Ramp the gps sound the early warning tone, and again when I was at the top of the off ramp and I needed to turn left over I-80 on to the Donner Pass Road (Old Hwy 40) and head for the Sugar Bowel.
The road had been cleared to about a lane and half with some ice and slush on the road in shaded areas, but as I approached the road into the Sugar Bowl the gps unit again sounded a tone and the screen showed the turn to the right. In about a mile I was in the parking lot.
I should note that on my way out I noticed a sign East bound on Donner Pass Road stating the road was not plowed, it reconfirmed my decision not to take the first option I had coming out of Truckee.
I believe that a multi-function trail gps with auto routing is a good investment for the individual who does not want to buy a dedicated automotive gps and a trail gps unit. If you can afford both go for it, because you will have navigation without the same compromise. I have found that my units better suit my needs now then when I first worked with them because I have set the option to fit my needs. The recalculation of a new route is very important if you miss a turn, or decided to continue down the road a few miles and try a different option.
Another travel note is that most State Highway departments have excellent web pages with highway information and traffic cams. But once you turn off the State Highway on to a roadway such as old Highway 40 (Donner Pass Road), which has now become a County road in the area I was traveling there is a lack of information.
P.S.
I had my gps unit powered by an external power source that kept the screen lite up which helps me see the detail while driving, and saves the batteries for when I am out of the vehicle. An external power source is a good investment.
