

Stuck in snowdrift... what would you have done? - jsight
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/27/family-buried-in-new-mexico-snowdrift-for-two-days-saved/#continued

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sklnd
I planned for such a thing, as I intended to drive through that area during my
holiday travel to see family. I ended up taking a different route because most
roads in New Mexico were closed, but I still brought an ample supply of water,
a couple days worth of food, a snow shovel, a zero degree sleeping bag, and I
had my cell phone reporting my location every minute or so when I had cell
service. I also drove a very capable 4x4 vehicle, but that's a more difficult
detail to change just for a winter trip. :)

All of that planning is a good idea, but better than that would be to monitor
the weather and road conditions closely, and stay home if it looks bad. NMDOT
and CDOT publish state road conditions on easy to use sites like nmroads.com
and cotrip.org. They're absolutely necessary information for travel in this
area during winter. If there's a blizzard warning posted for the area (and
there was), its a VERY BAD IDEA to try to travel in remote areas like north
eastern New Mexico. The distance between towns is quite large, and that area
is pretty prone to blowing snow.

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Kynlyn
I've never been in that situation, and hope I never will be, but I would
certainly hope I would had the presence of mind to keep a path clear so I
could be seen and get out of the vehicle. If you're traveling that part of the
country in the winter without planning for being stuck in the snow, then
you're being incredibly foolish. Just a bit of common sense goes a long ways.

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DanBC
I would have tried to keep some kind of pathway clear. This does mean loss of
heat as a door is opened, and use of calories to do work.

I would have tried to have some kind of bright orange flag / blanket symbol
tied down and cleared to help people find us.

I always ask my family to carry plenty of water, food, and blankets when they
travel. They laugh at me. We live in the UK, and one motorway was closed for
more than a day by a few centimetres of snow. (Really, less than 2 inches.)

([http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-
safety/2738538/Pass...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-
safety/2738538/Pass-the-salt....html))

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mikecane
Set a timer so I would go out every hour to try to get the snow off at least
part of the car so it didn't get totally entombed like that.

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badragon
I would not have let my cellphone die. Charging it off the car should keep it
alive for days.

