Subaru Forester (2010) and Chains, WTF

My new Subaru Outback came with Continental Contipro Contacts, seemingly the most fitted OE tire on Euro and Japanese vehicles and the most despised.  So Wednesday I am going to have them replaced with Toyo Observes (one of those walnut shell tires) at Les Schwab (I have had very good luck with Toyo tires and my LS dealer) UNLESS someone can give me  compelling reason not to. 

Did you get the Observes? If so, what's your report with the recent snow & ice but also on dry and wet pavement?

Did you get the Observes? If so, what's your report with the recent snow & ice but also on dry and wet pavement?

I did get the Observes and I drove them on wet, wet & slush, new snow, packed snow and ice, new snow over sheer ice, ... with no problems, but I really can't evaluate them well because I am an old man and I drive so slowly and cautiously that I probably wouldn't have problems with retreads, in other words, I try hard not to push things to the margins where the biggest differences come through.

Apparently AWD and 4WD without chains in the vehicle were being turned back from the Nisqually Entrance this week (and/or Longmire gate). I wasn't ask to put them on, I don't know if they asked people to do that this week.