Vancouver to Okanagan Falls (pentiction)

Should I take crowsnest or Coquihalla

Crowsnest is shorter but a crappier highway
Coquihalla is 50k longer but a better connector highway from Merrit across.

Never done this trip in the winter.

Suggestions

Coquihala

/end thread.

Crowsnest is crappier, but lower elevation for more of the way. I think it only gets a little above 1300m in elevation for a short stretch around Allison Pass. The connector is around 1600m for a long stretch and a summit of over 1700m. In the winter, could mean a lot more snow on the road.

I'd likely wait until the day before your trip and check the DriveBC website for current highway conditions and then check the weather forecast.

Coquihala is usually a safer bet. More people take it, wider, straighter, etc. The Coquihala is higher in elevation so sometimes the Crowsnest is a better option depending on snow line.

The okanagan forcast is forcasted to get [HTML_REMOVED]0 temps all week and rain. So somewhere on the connector it will be snowing….oh and beware of the fog. As soon as you start to drop into this valley it's like a wall of death. I like to park myself behind a transport with my 4-ways on and let the idiots fly by.

Crowsnest, just check drivebc.ca for information. Allison pass can be a bitch in crappy weather. But if you drive like a human and take it easy you will have no problems.

leaving in 3 hours

There isn't any fog in the ok valley at the moment and it's like 5degC. But their calling for rain all night, so that might = snow.

Another thing to consider is that if you take the Coquihala, you get merrit as a food/gas/coffee stop. Take the crowsnest and you get very little between hope and penticton…princton doesn't have much in the way of food or coffee.

just drove the 3..it's in perfect, totally clear shape (zero snow/ice).
+4 C all the way.

It was all resurfaced in the summer too..way faster to Ok falls

Sweet

It all depends on the the weather. I used to drive from the OK to the coast every week or two. In the winter the 3 can be better because your stay below the freezing level except for a couple of passes. check the hwy cams. Its really all about the weather.

sleeper, did you die?