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• Make sure your car survives the winter, page 2 • Planting and transplanting before winter, page 4 • Winter fire safety & emergency advice, page 5 • CHP's winter driving tips, page 6 • HELP Center has winter survival resources, page 7 Ernie Maxwell Town Crier front cover illustration — originally published Jan. 7, 1950. © Idyllwild Town Crier
Life on the Hill presents unique challenges BY VICKI JAKUBAC
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inter in the mountains brings to mind images of roaring fires in stone fireplaces, cute, snow-covered cabins and children frolicking in the snow. However, there is another side to winter that everyone, whether visitor or local, needs to be aware of. While winter in the mountains can indeed be beautiful and idyllic, it can also be dangerous. Preparing yourself, your car and your home prior to a storm arriving, will help you survive should a winter emergency befall us. We've assembled a series of articles to help residents, part-timers and visitors cope with winter scences and conditions which are atypical of Southern California. Driving and surviving in snow is a different challenge than walking sandy beaches. Some unique challenges we face here on the hill
are frozen or broken water lines, power outages and dangerous or impassable roads. High winds and heavy wet snow can topple trees onto roads or houses, and you can find yourself being housebound or isolated for the duration of a storm. Preparation is the key to warding off a potentially life-threatening situation. Any time you come to the mountains to visit, make sure that you let friends and family members know where you are going to be. Power outages are common during winter storms and you cannot be sure you will have phone service or electricity to charge your cell phone if there is an extended outage. If you own a mountain home, it is best to keep one old-fashioned, corded phone in the house. Bring adequate amounts of the proper clothing and footwear for cold, wet, snowy weather for each person in your party. Many people are sur-
prised at just how cold it can get during the winter and how wet snow can be. Having the proper attire and footwear will make your snow experience a more pleasant one. Preparation includes your car. Have a full gas tank prior to leaving for the mountains. Stock it with emergency items such as tire chains, flash lights, snow scrapers, sand and a few old rugs for traction. Make sure you have enough blankets, snacks and drinking water handy in case you get stranded in your car. And remember, if the roads are bad, it is always best to just stay home and wait until it is safe to venture out. Preventing an emergency situation is always easier than trying to rectify one. If you are planning to stay on the hill for several days, be sure you have enough food and an emergency supply of drinking water to last through an extended power outage. People don’t