Okanagan B.C. 2025

S

Sbooker

Well-known member
This question is mildly related to your post given the commentary about driving in snow and having chains.
I’m planning to drive from Seattle to the interior of BC tomorrow. My preference is to drive over the Coquihalla pass but if safer I will go over the Cascades east of Seattle and cross the border at Osoyoos.
How is this driving going to compare to Teton Pass etc that I have recently done in a similar AWD SUV with M and S tyres?
 
I forgot to put my chains in for this trip. AFAIK CA is the only state that requires you to carry chains if you have AWD/4WD with M+S rated tires. I've heard of chains being required for AWD/4WD with M+S rated tires on Brockway Summit between Northstar and Kings Beach which is very steep approaching the top from Northstar. I've also heard of them being required getting to/from some of the SoCal ski areas.

I have Hankook 3Peak tires with ~15K miles that work well in snow and very well in rain and OK in mud. I leave more room behind car ahead than most people as I've learned, especially going downhill, you may need it.

I've never gone over Coquihalla. I've crossed border at Osoyoos at least twice, but I'm usually coming from Bend. The trade-off is bad freeway traffic through Seattle vs. miles of non-freeway going through Kelowna. I pick route based on where I'm going to ski. Apex outside of Penticton has delivered both times I've been there. (edit to add after looking at BC Mountain Collective areas) I would not be going so far W to get to Sun Peaks or Revelstoke. I'll PM you contact info for mid-70s Sun Peaks skier who would be a great guide there.

Adding screen print of my Garmin watch tracking for 1/3 which includes my ski route to SUV in best free reserved parking place.
All three of my trackers had 24 lifts/runs. Avocet recorded 24,230, Garmin had 24,377 while SkiTracks lagged a little at 23,672.
0397KWGarmin.PNG
 
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Coquihalla is a divided 4 lane road, so not as difficult (or probably as steep) as Teton Pass. What you want to know is the snow forecast. It is supposed to snow overnight in that area and taper off during the day Sunday. Apex and Big White are expecting the most snow from this storm, so your timing looks good there. Choose Big White on your clearest weather forecast day. The nickname "Big Whiteout" was coined for a reason.

You want to get off Interstate 5 around Bellingham and cross the border at Sumas, then get on the TransCanada Hwy at Abbotsford. The I-90 route is 75km and one hour longer. You should make the effort to see all 3 Okanagan areas plus Sun Peaks. Liz and I will probably do the same Jan. 16-19. She has never been to Apex or Big White.
 
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I’m not sure if this info is too late to be useful, but the Coq should be fine with M+S tires, especially today.

The Coquihalla Summit area can be sketchy in bad weather, but not for the same reason as Teton Pass. The combination of semis crawling up the pass and yahoos flooring it in the left lane makes for a treacherous combination.

Border crossings can take anywhere from a minute to 30+ depending on when and where you cross. I use the Sumas crossing most frequently but that’s because it’s convenient for going to Baker.
 
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