Chains

I had an opportunity to let my daughter try her hand at driving the Subaru in snow today. I picked a large open area near a hay barn. She hopped into the driver's seat, and I into the passenger seat. She made a loop in about 6 inches of snow, shrieking every time the wheels slipped. Turns out there was a hard layer of ice under the snow. Then she decided to drive closer to the barn and got it stuck in about a foot of snow. My son and I dug out the snow around it and behind it, and I backed it out. I drove back to the plowed area, put on the chains, took it for a spin in the area with 6 inches of snow, and invited her to do the same. This time she paused after the first loop and could not get it moving again. She let me drive after the clutch started to smell. It was not stuck this time, and I got it going no problem. Good fun, good experience for her, and I learned more about the Subaru's capabilities (6 inches on ice, no problem) and limitations (12 inches is too deep). The chains helped a little in deep snow, but not a lot. They should make a bigger difference on icy roads.