Today’s guest post was written by Chip Bradshaw.
I realize snow storms are “old hat” to some of you but to an 18 year old Florida boy used to basically two seasons, maybe three really pushing it with limited exposure to snow and ice, this trip I’m going to share was a real eye opener for me. While I may be forgetting some of the finer details after a half century and the event, I’ve done my best to recount it. I can say unequivocally the drive from Young Harris to Helen on the trip referenced was a heck of an exciting drive for me, and in retrospect a real lack of common sense.
I arrived at Young Harris College for the fall quarter in 1972. I could not wait for the cool weather to start, for the leaves to begin to change, and maybe even a snow flurry or two. As the days and months went by, I remember watching the surrounding mountains begin to change from green to the bright colors of fall. I remember those mountain tops were white in the mornings with what I assumed was snow, but was told it was not snow but hoar frost. Every couple days it seemed this frost would get lower and lower on the mountains. Fall turned to winter, temperatures dropped, rain turned to sleet, snow, and on more than one occasion severe ice storms.
I owned an old Volkswagen (Bug) with larger than normal rear tires. Not only did I use it for transportation, I also used it for hunting and fishing back in Florida. These were varied areas that consisted mostly of flat woods, lakes, creeks, rivers, swamp or semi-swamp areas and sand hills. Nothing like the terrain in the mountains but this car with a motor in the rear made in the sixties (60s) was used to hard work and rough terrain. And it worked surprisingly well even on the icy roads I encountered around the Young Harris area and beyond. One late afternoon, I think on a Sunday, an overcast day immediately after an ice storm, my friend from Andrews (who also attended Young Harris) and I decided to try to pick up a fellow student in Helen, Georgia who was stranded there. The road north from Helen to Hiawassee had been closed because of hazardous conditions from ice and snow. He was returning, as I recall from the Athens, Georgia area where he lived. Of possible interest to you he was an excellent guitarist and banjo player, who I think was or later became a professional musician. There was some reason he had to get back to the school quickly but I don’t remember the reason now. The road trip to Helen meant traveling through Unicoi Gap, a steep and hilly, in what I consider a mountainous area. The road running through this area at the time was a simple two lane paved road. I have not been on this specific road in many years and have no idea what it looks like now.
I was familiar with the road in question, less the snow and ice; and I felt confident, using my car with caution could make the trip. My friend and I decided to try it. I quickly began wondering if my decision was a good one. I have never seen roads as slick as those encountered that evening. There were few vehicles on the road between Young Harris and Hiawassee, and most of them were not able to move safely on the icy roads even on level ground. I slowly made it to an area outside of Hiawassee, and found the road to Helen (the same road closed from the Helen side, I think Highway 75) was obviously iced/snowed up but not closed on this side. I continued slowly up the road toward Helen. Very shortly, we picked up a stranded couple from Helen returning in their car from a church meeting in Hiawassee. They were not able to drive their vehicle on the road and told us it was necessary for them to get back home this night. Actually I found their weight in the rear of my VW much improved traction. We continued climbing toward Unicoi Gap and helped a second car and occupants who were unable to make the ascent and were not able to turn around because of a lack of traction. The more power they applied to the rear tires of their car the closer they got to sliding into a ravine off the side of the road. The road was so slick we were able turn that car around on the road almost entirely by pushing it by hand which allowed them to go back toward Hiawassee. This was the last vehicle we encountered while heading south on the road that night. Road conditions continued to be very hazardous but we continued south climbing up and over the mountain pass subsequently descending toward Helen. There was so much ice in the trees along the road I was surprised we didn’t encounter down limbs or trees blocking the road. We didn’t, we were lucky. In retrospect we were probably lucky a tree didn’t fall on my car.
The descent to Helen was especially hazardous at times. My car would start to slide on the ice toward un-railed drop-offs adjacent to the outside lane or on turns. Most of the descent was in first gear, and I stayed off the brake as much as possible. Actually downright scary at times I must admit. We finally arrived in Helen.
The barricades on the road were up, and traffic was still not allowed north to Hiawassee. We were told no one else had been across this road that night. We collected our friend, and took the couple, who lived outside of Helen to a small wooden cabin in the woods outside of town. The snow drifts were very deep around the home. We were graciously invited in for coffee. The cabin was freezing cold inside, and the first thing done was the man quickly fired up the wood stove located in what appeared to be a two room cabin. There did not appear to be any running water in the home at that time, and two of us had to go outside and draw water in a bucket from a well for coffee. I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker but the coffee the lady made in a kettle was much appreciated.
We subsequently returned to Young Harris late that same night after the road toward Hiawassee was opened. I think the road had been somewhat cleared ahead of us by the time we headed back. I remember travel north was slow goin’ but not eventful as when traveling south to Helen earlier that night. Good lesson for me. Ice and snow storms are no joke where driving is concerned in hilly or mountainous terrain.
I can’t speak to snow conditions in that general area throughout the 1970s other than the winter of 1972-1973. But that year there was plenty of snow that I liked, and plenty of ice that I didn’t like. The ice, some very severe, negatively affected areas as far south as Atlanta.
Just a note, interestingly around 1976 or 1977 back in Florida, I was cleaning out that VW to sell it. I found an old Bible that had fallen down a deep crack in the rear of the car. It had enough information in it to believe it had belonged to the man and his wife I transported from the Hiawassee area to Helen in the car that cold winter night in the winter of 1972/1973. My wife and I unsuccessfully tried to make contact with the family to return it to them. I think I was finally able to contact a person by phone in the Helen area who knew of someone in their family but thought the owners in question had moved from the area in the past. I believe I mailed the Bible to that person who said they would try to get it back to the family.
I hope you enjoyed Chip’s story as much as I do! I’ve never had to drive on snow or ice much and that’s likely the reason I’m always hoping for a big snow. Most of the time if we get a big one we hunker down at home and if we do have to venture out I have The Deer Hunter to do all the driving while I look in wonder at the snowy world we’re moving through.
The photo at the top of this page is from well over ten years ago. On that snowy day The Deer Hunter was ferrying me and all my folkart to an art show that was being held in Young Harris GA.
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We are so used to driving in these types of conditions in CNY, that we go foolish places when the weather is bad! Nothing really closes, except schools – although now that they made thru 2 years of virtual learning I don’t understand why they even grant snow days – just make them go to school at home. (I homeschool, so none of that is my concern, I guess).
Back in the day, they didn’t plow. They ‘rolled’ the roads up here. The goal was to get a good layer of snow down & pack it down with huge rollers. then anyone lucky enough to have a car put chains on their tires. Even though we are not afraid of going out in the bad conditions, it is wise to have stuff put up, in case you can’t get out for a few days. All the old timers knew this, but the younger generations are not as prepared (with food, fuel, etc… stored in their homes) and NEED to get out. Not me. I could avoid a grocery store for months, except for fresh milk & butter, which I buy at a farm anyways. In 1966 they had such a snowy, severe winter blizzard that the snow banks reached the arms on the light poles. My adopted granddad has home movies of this, as his father had a snowplow contract & they were into documenting things with their movie camera. People had a hard time through that one. The video footage is quite amazing.
Loved the story today! Here in the part of North Carolina we are in if it’s just snow that we get, we have a 4-wheel drive jeep, and it does great in the snow, but you let a sheet of ice get packed down on the road and then it’s a little scarry. That’s what usually happens. My husband does the driving in the snow if we have to go out. No vehicle does good in ice. If you are lucky enough to follow someone else’s tracks, that can help some also and watch out for the young kids driving, some of them think they can climb mountains and wind up slid off the road.
l live in central Al, so when we get measurable snow the whole town shuts down. No schools open. I would love 6-10 inches for about a week. l love snow.
I no longer have my 72 VW but do now drive a 96 Jeep Cherokee 4WD. glad to see all the posts saying this will make it as I have never driven in snow.
Those VW beetles didn’t have a frame under them. The “pan” bottom of them look similar to a toboggan (the sled not the cap). Beetles travel very well in dense or packed snow but not so well in a light deep snow. The front tires will press down into the light snow and allow the bottom of the car to slide along on the top of the snow. It will still go as long as you don’t need to turn. The front tires just can’t overcome the drag on the pan. The rear wheels, having the weight of the engine on them, have more traction but in deep snow but they are have to overcome the friction of the snow on the bottom of the car, plus they are traveling in packed ruts where the front tires have just passed. In essence what you have then is a big sled with a cab on it.
I drive a factory lifted 4 wheel drive offroad 2004 Ford Ranger pickup. It will go anywhere I want to go in any kind of weather. Problem is I don’t want ta go nowhur nomo!
I’m very lucky to have survived the ‘no common sense but very brave’ period of teenagers. Raised in Wisconsin, my Dad scared the brave part of me away. Each summer we visited my grandparents for a month and Dad drove around the smokies like a race driver as I stayed on the floor, praying. I live in Florida now so no snow driving, YEA! We did have snow one year that iced up the small bridge over the Suwannee causing it to be closed since so many people never learned to drive in snow/ice. Northerner’s laughed when they saw the closed sign and just kept going while you knew who the southerner’s were by the cars parked on the side, waiting for the sun’s heat to melt the ice. I had icicles across my front porch and when my Son got home for Christmas (he moved to Charlotte and Nascar) he said our house was more Christmasy than his! All I know is my summer persimmon seeds said to expect snow and I laughed – it was over 100F at the time. Now I’m thinking we may get snow after all the little freezes and many more to come.
I can appreciate all the stories. I was raised in the mountains and foothills of Wyoming and Colorado. My father worked in the timber industry all his life, his trucks were 4 wheel drive and chained at times. I used to listen to Dad and my brothers tell stories of problems they had getting to the logging camps and then having to start small fires under the heavy equipment to warm up the engines so they could start them. My niece’s husband and his brother were caught in an avalanche while snowmobiling and even with the locators and beacon’s they had, the brother still lost his life. The family now teach backcountry snow safety. We get our main roads cleared and treated pretty fast here and if we have to travel a long distance we pack safety equipment, warm clothing and food. I like to stay home and appreciate the beauty of snow in front of my fireplace and catch up on Celebrating Appalachia videos
It is a challenge to drive in the snow’s of North Georgia, indeed; as Chip, owning a VW made this challenge a whole lot easier in my twenty five years of living in Georgia! I also had the privilege of driving my reliable “little VW bug” for three years in Germany. Am sure Chip’s ice and snow driving experience was something to have a few great conversations about, especially with his Florida friends, for many, many years thereafter. The “slippin’ and slidin’ experience” can sure be a lasting memory maker.
Such a great story. I could just see in my mind that little VW traveling on those icy road. My husband had a VW in the 60’s. That was such a fun car to drive! Thank you for such interesting stories. Take care and God bless ❣️
I’m a ‘snow gal’ from way back. I remember the really big snows we’d get in the Appalachians. My grandpa was an old moonshiner who knew how to drive in rough conditions and he taught us that dropping two wheels off the pavement to drive half on and half off the road gave us the necessary traction to keep from sliding. Of course that was back in the days when most cars were rear-wheel drive, manual trans and most roads were never salted. His old Plymouth could go just about anywhere, anytime, including creek beds if need be. Great memories, thank you Tipper.
That ice storm was in January of 1973. I was a kid in Kennesaw, GA at the time. We lost power for a week, as did thousands of others.
He’s lucky he made it back to Young Harris in one piece.
I did ‘the snow thing’ several years back and could not leave my home for 12 days….not my cup of tea, so now I live in upstate Florida. This rendition of ‘the Pig’ was beautiful. God Bless you guys and tell Granny hello for me please.
Well Chip, glad you made it and all the other folks you helped as well along the way. Remember the picture of the angel and the two kids on the rickety bridge? Somewhere I read somebody saying that risky things like that were working your angel overtime. I’ve done my share (or likely more) of that also.
Bless you, Lorie, and thanks for your diligence. No doubt there were a lot of people blessed by it that never had a clue what it took for them to get their mail. And only the good Lord knows how momentous some of that mail was. I know what you mean about seeing standards slip and how it affects you. I’m there and have been for a long time.
Hope you get a nice big snow Tipper that doesn’t cause you any trouble but can just be enjoyed.
My husband had a Jeep CJ-7 with 4 wheel drive when we were first married, and snow never stopped us. We have always had a 4 wheel drive vehicle.
I so enjoyed that story and it sure sounds scary to me! One can do NOTHING on ice. I’ve seen Ft. Bragg, NC come to a complete halt I can attest at least once. I’ve slid home from school like I was doing a backbend on my hands and feet before because I couldn’t stand up. I went down a dandy hill that a’way. Once going across the Rockies in Colorado to take Christmas trees to BRECKENRIDGE, we (the old man and me) were stopped and made to put chains on before going further. I spent the next several hours with a credit card prying ICE off the INSIDE of the front window. Ive come across Oklahoma slipping and sliding only to come to a bridge on a slight incline and be stopped for hours. I tried to get out and when I did, I couldn’t stand up. Here in WV, we are snow ready, but that ice will tear up the electric lines, down trees and stop your show!!! Lol there was certainly hard frost on the punkins this morning when I went to feed my feral cat colony…
For 38 years I had to drive 34 miles round trip to work at all times of day or night when it snowed. I drove a two wheel drive Ford truck and would put 10-12 eight inch cement blocks in the bed over the rear axle for weight. You can put in too much weight and make front end light. Not to plug any brand of tire, but during these times is when I fell in love with the Michelin LTX AS tires. In snow and in heavy rain when water puddles in road you can tell the difference between them and some cheaper brands of tires. If I had not worked for Michelin and got a free set every 5 years, I would not have had them. I often drove back roads and not the main highway, because of less vehicles and idiots. There was always someone usually in a 4 wheel drive driving fast and trying to pass on the main highway. Many times I would later pass them in a ditch or off the road. I think one of the main secrets to driving in snow is driving steady, go very easy on the brakes and don’t panic. A VW Bug is one of the best vehicles ever made for driving in snow, now front wheel drive vehicles are supposed to be good. One thing to remember, in the south the snow has a lot more moisture in it than northern snow, therefore more likely to change to ice. You can’t just take your hand and brush it off the windshield. There not much of anything that will get around on solid ice. My wife and I was at Roan Mountain state park one time when it had snowed about 1/2 inch of snow and I remember the joy some children from Florida had playing in it. Now I don’t care if it never snows because now I worry about my family and love ones having to to try to drive in it. I know of people stripping “Bugs” down and using them mud buggies.
This is a great story of managing in a snowstorm and even doing good deeds. I truly believe young people would never make it if they did not have a sense of bravery that outweighs common sense at times. At least this was true in my life and others I know. In my younger days I knew I could not survive without learning to drive on treacherous roads. Following a deepfelt prayer, I set out on the slickest day I could to master the art of driving in snow. I had a few cautionary tales to keep me safer. Many said do not follow close, ease out so as not to spin, and keep a slow steady pace. First day I almost slid into a car on a hill but managed because I was far enough behind not to slide into the rear bumper. My dad always complimented each time I would master some feat of driving. As a matter of fact, he had to teach me how to drive a straight when my company assigned me a Straight shift Geo when I had no clue how to drive it. Through the years I mostly chose Subarus and Jeeps with AWD, and actually realize now I placed too much faith in them. We had a curve below my dad’s house we called “horseshoe curve” and nobody ever wrecked on it because they had become accustomed to how to slide around it. One steep curve on a hillside always frightened me, as it was handed down that an older couple had gotten killed sliding off that steep hillside. I held my breathe, but went around it winter and summer to drive to my parent’s home. Back in the mountains for sure. I won’t bore with creeping up snow covered mountains to find the older patients had taken refuge somewhere else, nor the time I had a flat in a snowstorm and drove home in the snow with a donut for one rear tire. I used to shovel snow while it was soft even after dark to prevent it freezing and forming a slippery icy slope that lingered for days. The tales are many, but I find in retirement my bravery is gone! What was I thinking? I am happy all stocked up staying home cooking homemade soup and letting someone else shovel the driveway if its deep.
For 38 1/2 yrs I drove 45 min, one way, to work and have so many bad stories of driving on snow and ice, but the worst was always whiteouts! More times than I can tell you, my 45 min drive turned into a 2 hr drive. So, sadly, I hadn’t enjoyed snow period, for at least 25 yrs anyway (the years I was Postmaster and responsible for 16 employees gettin themselves into work.) I have always been a responsible and reliable employee myself, getting up at 3:30 to shovel myself out so I could be on the road by 4:30 to get to work on time at 6:30, if need be, but not everyone had that reliability about them, which made the Postmasters job so extremely hard. My worst winter driver experience ever, was in 1987, I was still just a Postal Clerk, 20 yrs old. We had bought a new 1986 Chevy Scottsdale 4wheel drive pickup and I was driving it due to the forecasted snow. On my way home that day it was bad but decent enough, until I got to the last 7 mi stretch that is, which was nothin but cornfields. Not a house in site, no trees, just IL flat land and bare cornfields. I was following a semi when we left the final town before that last 7 miles and vowed not to loose his tail lights. I stayed on his bumper and could not see one single thing, except his tail lights! That new truck was a standard shift, I had to ride the clutch the entire 7 miles because we never got up to speed to even get it into first gear. About halfway we came to a complete stop. The semi met another semi and both were in the same lane. The drivers got out and checked everyone that was following them, and had each of our vehicles back up just enough that the two semis could back up and move over to pass each other. Took me two hrs to drive that 7 miles. I remember it like it was yesterday. It set the tone for the future, which meant I spent many a night sleeping on a cot in the Post Office, to be sure I could get in the next day! It was different back then, there was no chance the mail wouldn’t run. Even if it was just to deliver the local mail because the mail truck didn’t make it in, which only happened twice in 35 years, (then became frequent when new contracts were won by different trucking companies in 2020.) So, last winter, was the first winter I enjoyed in a long, long time!! When it snowed me in at my sons house I absolutely loved it! And I hoping for snow this winter, but we haven’t had enough to call it snow yet.
Lorie, if you read my comment, I also drove 38 years in it. Because of living in the country – nearest small town 13 miles away- I would often be the only car on the road at night. Another reason I liked the back roads were because there would be ruts to drive in and less ice because these roads didn’t get scrapped like the main highway, The highway would be scrapped and the snow along the sides would melt some during the day with the water running across road and turn into a sheet of solid ice at night.
Our snows are specular to see! We don’t get a lot of snows anymore, but the mountains are just beautiful to see when covered with snow.
Geoff, I think you are probably correct about the angels!
This ol’ Southern girl is the first to say she CANNOT drive on ice. Chip definitely had several angels riding along with them. That was QUITE the ice storm in Kennesaw. We were out of school for a week. As we were on the tail end of the REA (as we called it then) service, we went a week without power. The ice and snow were beautiful, though.
I owned several VW Bugs back it the late 70s. They were great little vehicles. Fun to drive and capable of getting through various conditions, especially if modified in any way with big tires , or say a Baja package which was popular back then. One thing though, the heaters and defrosters never worked. The heat exchangers were always rotted out. I don’t know how Chris and his buddy made it through the gap in those conditions. Maybe the stranded passengers he picked up were actually angels. Hmmm?
Geoff, we had a 72 Volkswagen and while it was definitely a great and fun vehicle to drive (that’s how I learned to drive a stick.) you are so right about the heaters and defrosters because ours did not work either. Tried to get it fixed, but no luck. I enjoyed it but froze in the winter.
Growing up in San Diego county, the only snow I saw was when my family would go to the Laguna and Cuyamaca Mountains when they would get snow. Those mountain ranges are only about a 30 minute drive from my parents house, but they are a little over 6500 feet above sea level. My parent’s house is about 433 feet above sea level, at the foothills of the mountains. The house is a couple of blocks from Rattlesnake Mountain, which is about 1200 ft. Us kids would have a lot fun there in the snow, along with a ton of other county residents, everybody heads to the mountains when it snows! San Diego is so perfectly situated – you can spend the morning in the desert, stop in the mountains and enjoy them on your way down the grade to spend the late afternoon at the beach. When I moved to Iowa in my 20s, I had all the snow I wanted – in my own yard – from the end of November until it melted in March or April. Most years I lived there (a total of 12 years), there had been at least a foot of snow (turned to ice) on the ground for that whole time. I drove on ice and snow covered roads all winter long. It never scared me. One time I even did a 360 in the middle of the street when I turned the corner, thankfully I didn’t hit any cars! I was driving an old (1979) 4 wheel drive LandCruiser then. I loved that thing! It was a lovingly used old California desert toy when I bought it. But it was also perfect for driving in Midwest snow. So sad I sold it. Six years ago I moved here to North Carolina. We occasionally get snow, and it might stay on the ground less than a week. My drive here is steep, I live on a hill, so when I hear snow is coming, I get enough groceries and other supplies to last a week. I don’t like going down my driveway when it’s icy. I am always afraid when I get to the curve in it, I will slide into my neighbors kitchen! Their house sits a little lower than my drive. I love snow, I love how warm it feels when it’s falling and you feel like you are under a warm blanket. I love the hush of snow coming down. Then the next day when the sun is shining – it is so bitterly cold. There are no clouds to keep the heat in, literally like a blanket. I don’t waste my time shoveling the snow here in NC because it never stays around long enough to spend my energy doing that. But in Iowa, I would spend 2 hours shoveling my driveway, and just as I finished shoveling nice soft fluffy snow, the snowplow would come down the street, salting the roads and pushing all that heavy wet and dirty snow back into the front of my driveway, usually when I only had enough time to run in and change my clothes so I could leave. A few times it was too late to fuss with shoveling again, and I would gun my car (a 2 door Saturn Coupe, twin cams) backwards out of my driveway, praying my car didn’t get stuck in that pile of dirty snow just deposited by the dreaded snowplow! I did get stuck on top of the snow once. But only once. : )
Donna. : )