At the 4,000 foot mark along Highway 41 near Oakhurst, chain controls are in effect. Independent chain installers, who are certified through Caltrans, are standing by to make some side cash from drivers.
“You'll see the same people a lot of times and they'll pay you because they don't want to get out in the snow and do it,” said Leonard Gray, Certified Chain Installer.
Amy Cohen, who was heading to Yosemite, tried tackling the task on her own.
“I don't look forward to it, but it's worth it to be able to enjoy a beautiful place,” said Amy Cohen, a traveler.
Driving directly onto the cables can be difficult. So too is attaching the clamps on both the inside and outside of the tire. Cohen was able to get them position, but it took one of the pros to get them fully tightened.
An installer says a good trick is to turn the tires for better access reaching around to snap the clamps together.
To make sure you never get stranded, gray recommends you practice at home.
“The best thing to do is check them at home in your dry driveway. See if they fit your car before you drive all the way up here and then have to ride back in town to get another set,” said Gray.
if the forecast holds true, the chain stop at the 4,000 foot mark should get moved Thursday about 12 miles up the road on Highway 41 to the Yosemite park entrance.