AVOIDING THE SNOW : WEATHER CLOSES DOWN FREEWAY TRUCK DRIVERS SWEAT ABOUT LOST EARNINGS AS ICE BLOCKS ROUTE.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

Ice and snow on the Grapevine closed the Golden State Freeway for five hours Wednesday, a boon for local merchants but a loss for some truckers unable to meet delivery deadlines.

Jim Heisler, who waited in Castaic while crews cleared the roadway, figured the delay cost him at least $200. Heisler said he is paid by the load for the sand and rock he hauls from Frasier Park to many Southern California areas.

Heisler said he already had been suffering economically from the winter storms that have hit the West, and he expects more losses ahead.

Flooding in Northern California and other regions has closed roads and delayed trucks, said Rob Kniss, a spokesman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters No. 63, the union that represents truckers in the Los Angeles area.

The Interstate 5 closure Wednesday probably forced some trucking businesses to move their cargo by rail, Kniss said. Most trucking companies guarantee service and must ship another way when highways are closed, he said.

Truck drivers paid by the load lose work and money.

``Usually, the drivers just eat that,'' he said. ``It's much more of a strain on those guys.''

Many of the truckers stuck in Castaic had encountered several other roadblocks along their routes.

``This is our fifth one because of weather and wrecks. They're all weather-related,'' said trucker Faye Sneed of Nashville, Tenn., who hit closures in four states on her trip.

Sneed and her husband, Alfred, work alongside each other as truckers. They waited four hours for the Grapevine to open so they could haul produce back to Nashville.

They were among dozens of truckers resting and eating a leisurely breakfast at Cafe Mike in Castaic. They traded stories with local residents about life, business and children.

A truck parked outside the coffee shop sported a miniature snowman atop its hood.

Koree Madewell, also a trucker from Frasier Park, and Heisler took their coffee outside after spending several hours inside a cafe.

``You can only sit in there so long before people start looking at you funny,'' said Heisler. Madewell added: ``When you've had one cup of coffee for two hours, it's time for you to leave.''

Authorities closed a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 5 at about 4 a.m. from Templin Highway north of Castaic to Laval Road in Kern County while the state Department of Transportation cleared 2 inches of snow from the highway, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman said. No major accidents were reported along the pass, which reaches 4,300 at its summit, she said.

``If we don't close it to clean it, then the traffic collisions occur,'' CHP spokeswoman Paula Allec said.

By 9:30 a.m., the CHP began escorting traffic at just 20 mph, authorities said. And by 10:30 a.m., the Grapevine reopened to unescorted traffic.

During the layover, some truckers rested at a motel, took their soiled clothes to the cleaners and stocked up on food and toiletries bought at stores along Castaic Road, the last stop for food and gas before Gorman.

The Comfort Inn saw 25 percent to 50 percent more business than usual, said Verna Gist, the front office manager.

Cashier Lorna Hurst at Payless Drug Stores in Castaic rang up many purchases by truckers.

``They're buying chips, water and things to nibble on,'' Hurst said. ``Some of them were buying tobacco and cigarettes . . .and a lot of cold medicines. A lot of them buy pocket books because they have to sit out there awhile . . . They're usually a friendly bunch of guys.''

CAPTION(S):

3 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Trucks kept off the snowy Grapevine stop near Castaic while a California Highway Patrol officer waves directions Wednesday.

(2--color) Trucker Gilbert Bolander waits to use a pay telephone at Castaic after he was stranded when the freeway was closed.

(3) Because of ice ahead, Officer Robert Rockafellow of the California Highway Patrol directs traffic off Interstate 5 at Templin Highway.

David R. Crane/Daily News