Many people are under the impression that the grades in the eastern mountains are not as serious as the grades in the western mountains. Apparently this is because the elevations are not as high in the eastern states. But elevation alone is not the problem -- it is the change in elevation that makes a grade potentially hazardous. If all other factors are equal, a grade that descends from 4000' to 1000' over 10 miles is no different than a grade that descends from 10,000' to 7000' over 10 miles. In either case, you have a 3000' change in elevation spread over 10 miles. This example would result in an average grade of almost 6% for 10 miles.
A large percentage of the grades in the western states are in the 6% range. A large percentage of the grades in the eastern states are in the 8, 9, or 10% range, sometimes even more. In the northeastern states, the grades tend to be very steep but fairly short. As you go farther south into Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, the grades are not only very steep, but they begin to get long as well. The main ingredients involved in overheated brakes during mountain descents are the length of the grade, steepness of the grade, weight of the vehicle, and speed of the vehicle. Reducing any of these will improve the chances of getting down the mountain without overheating the brakes. Usually, the only ingredient the driver can control is speed. Reducing speed may keep you alive. Remember the old phrase, "You can go down a mountain a thousand times too slowly, but only once too fast."
