Need help with snow/hill climb

[jonorok]

Hello all.

I need some advice to go from theory to practical application.

My apartment is at the top of a hill, with a steep grade. It's steepest point is about 45%. Being NH, we have naturally occurring springs at the top of said hill, which, of course, means that all winter long there is a thin sheet of ice (or a thick sheet of ice if I leave it alone). Normally, I can get up this just fine. But today, with 6" of wet snow and the ice underneath, I just slide sideways after I'm about 80% up the hill.

What do I need to change? (I know I can walk the 100 yards, heck I just snowshoed two and a half miles in deep snow, but it's home, and I really just want to park at the stairs, you know?

I have a 99, 2.7, 265/70r16 Wrangler RT/S (plenty of tread) open/open. No studs, chains, etc. This is actually the first time I haven't been able to get up the hill. These tires have been great even in a foot of snow where the ground is level.

Thoughts?

 

[NHRunner]

This sounds like something you need to take up with the landlord haha. You need more salt and some springtime landscaping to redirect the water.

Chains are certainly an option. But they are too time consuming to take on and off when you are only going a hundred yards.

ps hello from the Lakes Region.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Yeah, chains would be the only thing your could do, unless you do what NHRunner suggested and talk to management about it.

 

[KidVermicious]

Wet snow on top of ice is the worst. If it's safe, use more momentum. If that's not safe, hike up the hill and throw around a bunch of sand or driveway salt before you drive up? Your other options are to chain up or get better tires.

And yeah, talk to your landlord. It's his responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen, by hiring grounds crew to keep it clear or preventing the ice formation in the first place.

 

[gamefreakgc]

If this were California (with all of our beloved red tape) the owner would be slapped with ADA non-compliance fines and penalties and all that sort of stuff, probably forces to re-grade the entire road lol!

 

[jonorok]

Hello from Hebron!

Yeah, my landlord and I have a great relationship. Our town's plow guy has been pretty busy today, so this is a rare occurance. He should be by later this evening with sand. (We're on Newfound Lake, where we're really concerned about chemicals getting into the lake, so we don't salt the roads, just sand. 98% of the time I'm taking care of the property and the other tenants because my vehicle never has trouble getting up - till today.

Ironically, my wife made it up just fine. I gave her my 205/50r17 general altimax tires for her mazda 626, and with gentle momentum, she floats right on up, ice, snow, anything.

I've been itching for a reason to get another set of tires. I bought the runner with these on, and they work well enough, most of the time. But I learned my lesson a while ago not to skimp on tires. Is there some other brand out there that would magically walk up my snow covered hill, or should I go out, stud the tires I have (still have plenty of tread for it,) and get a second set for the rest of the year and for road trips?