Winter Drive Through the Rockies! Recommendations Please!

[akendall]

Hi everyone.

I am currently planning a trip from Vancouver to Red Deer over the xmas holidays and want to make sure Im prepared. I have a 1990 L300 Delica with General Grabber AT2 all-terrain tires. I will bring an emergency kit, extra warms clothes and food. I also have BCAA incase we break down.

We are going to take the Crows Nest Hwy to Penticton to stay with family for the night and then head up to Banff. We will only drive in daylight hours and be super cautious. I will use the DriveBC website to be updated with road conditions.

I will also probably buy winter chains to have them on hand.

Is there anything else I should be thinking about? Anyone done this drive in the winter? Is it too risky? Apparently the drive from Golden to Lake Louise can be super sketchy. How will the deli handle the climbs? Any extra gear I should bring?

Advice is appreciated!
Thanks!
Angela

[Tojo]

Done the drive from Calgary to Vancouver many times in winter. Most sketchy section is the just past the old tolls on the Coquihalla heading downhill. I prefer the low road along Hwy 3, slower and longer distance but safer IMO, lots to see and do. Take a dip at Radium Hotsprings, down through Invemere and past Crankbrook to Creston. Take the ferry from Crawford bay to Balfour to avoid Kootenay Pass, or go through the pass if conditions are good. Hotsprings at Ainsworth. Stop in Nelson for food and supplies and a yoga class, ski Whitewater, go to Rossland and ski Red Mountain. Back on Hwy 3 over the passes. Stop at Apex after going to Pentiction and go ski there, then onto Manning for your last day of skiing before heading down to Hope. Manning is usually the most challenging part of the drive. Watch out for the super tight slippery hairpin turns in the canyon. Theme of my ideal trip is alternating skiing/snowboarding and hotsprings!

[akendall]

Thanks Tojo! Appreciate the recommendations :)

[Big-Bird]

I have done the Calgary to Vancouver and back again with my L400 a few times My Nissan Xterra, and once with the wife's Nissan Quest....let's just say I prefer winter tires and 4WD in winter especially when we hot the higher and snowy areas.

we always trek to Golden and then head through Salmon Arm and then to the Couq. takes us 13-14hrs with just a few stops along the way.