I came home from work one winter night during a blizzard. We received something like 11 to 13 inches of snow, but the wind was also blowing hard which made it much, much worse.
At the time I lived out in the country, a couple of miles from the nearest highway. The county road to my place was very steep and winding, like a snake going uphill. My car was just a standard sedan with front wheel drive. The front wheel drive helps a lot in snow, but I was skeptical about it getting up the hill.
I attempted driving up the hill in the unplowed snow several times, but I kept sliding back down hill and nearly went into the ditch backwards. Not a good idea as the ditch is more akin to a 30 foot ravine full of trees.
Well, I learned that I was NOT going to make it up this hill, so I opted to take an altenate route home. I backed down the road, trying to stay in my original tracks as much as possible until I could find a place to turn the car around. Then I headed back out to the highway and drove uphill on the paved road to the next county road one mile east thinking that I would then at least be on top of the hill while on the gravel roadway and maybe it would be more clear of the snow if the wind had kept it blown clean.
Unfortunately, the plow that cleared the highway had left a ridge of snow and ice at the turnoff that was about 30 inches high and packed solid. There was no way of cleaning a path open with my plastic, emergency snow shovel and I couldn't punch through it with my car (tried it and failed), so I turned around again and drove back to my normal route home.
Knowing that my car would not make it up the steep hill in this snow, I relenquished myself to the fact that I was going to have to walk home..... Uphill, 1.3 miles, at 5 a.m., into the headwinds blowing from the north at 27 to 35 mph, in the midst of a blizzard with air temp around -2 F, with not-so-good winter clothing donned. I parked the car at a turnaround area and warmed myself in the car as best I could, spending most of the time trying to psych myself up to make the trek.
I didn't want to carry my lunchbox and stuff along, so I left them in the car.
I walked about 1/4 mile on the flat part of the road and had just started making my way up the incline when I realized that I had earlier put my house keys in my lunchbox and left the lunchbox in the car! i had to backtrack and start all over again!
Back on the 1.3 mile trek up the hill, I found some of the journey acceptable, the road was protected from the wind by hills and trees so I wasn't doing too badly here. Unfortunately, this zone of protection also meant that all the snow dropped out and made the path very difficult to traverse. The snow was about 26 to 28 inches deep so I had to trudge through it picking up one foot and swinging my leg over the snow and setting that foot down again further ahead and repeating this with the other foot. This is quite a chore when going up this hill, even during nice weather! The grade of this hill road is such that you must ride your brakes coming down or you will be going 80 mph at the bottom - if you make it that far.
I finally crested the top of the hill and had only another 1/4 mile to go to get to my door. However, I was now out of the trees and hills and the fierce north wind was going to pound me head on and hard! I pulled my hoodie on my jacket up and turned around and walked backwards for the entire distance.
I reached the door of the house and realized that something was wrong. It was too dark. I opened the door and the house was cold and no lights were on. The power was out!
I was freezing from my trek up Mt. Everest and came home to a cold house, just great! Well, it was better than being outdoors and the house wasn't freezing cold. So I sat in my easy chair and drank a few shots of Jack Daniels Old No 7. Then I crawled under the covers and fell asleep.
I had to go to work the next afternoon, so I woke up early so that I could walk back to my car and hopefully make it back to the highway. On my return trek, the neighboor offered me a ride on his tractor. He was out clearing his driveway when I walked by. I made it back to work that day and when I returned home after work, my neighbor had cleared a one lane path down the entire road for us and even cleared my driveway (which was about 1/8 mile long). That night I was able to drive all the way home.
I was off work for the next few days, so I didn't need to leave the house. The wind blew and blew and huge drifts formed everywhere. The high temp for the day was only 5 degrees or so, it was doggone cold! But, at least the power was back on now.
The wind kept blowing and kept drifting the road shut. My neighbor with the tractor got the tractor stuck three times and finally gave up. We all ended up stuck there at home for a total of five days, I think it was. The wind and snow finally let up and the county plows came through and opened the road.
I took a picture of one of the plows clearing the road and the snow was over the top of the plow's cab in one drift and that drift was 125 to 175 feet long. The rest of the roadways were also very drifted. After they opened a one lane path for travel, you couldn't look out your car window and see over the snow. You had to get out of your car and stand on the hood to see over the drifts. It was surreal, it was like driving through a tunnel.
It was all very pretty, but I really hate snow now! So how is the weather down in Florida?
Gordy
At the time I lived out in the country, a couple of miles from the nearest highway. The county road to my place was very steep and winding, like a snake going uphill. My car was just a standard sedan with front wheel drive. The front wheel drive helps a lot in snow, but I was skeptical about it getting up the hill.
I attempted driving up the hill in the unplowed snow several times, but I kept sliding back down hill and nearly went into the ditch backwards. Not a good idea as the ditch is more akin to a 30 foot ravine full of trees.
Well, I learned that I was NOT going to make it up this hill, so I opted to take an altenate route home. I backed down the road, trying to stay in my original tracks as much as possible until I could find a place to turn the car around. Then I headed back out to the highway and drove uphill on the paved road to the next county road one mile east thinking that I would then at least be on top of the hill while on the gravel roadway and maybe it would be more clear of the snow if the wind had kept it blown clean.
Unfortunately, the plow that cleared the highway had left a ridge of snow and ice at the turnoff that was about 30 inches high and packed solid. There was no way of cleaning a path open with my plastic, emergency snow shovel and I couldn't punch through it with my car (tried it and failed), so I turned around again and drove back to my normal route home.
Knowing that my car would not make it up the steep hill in this snow, I relenquished myself to the fact that I was going to have to walk home..... Uphill, 1.3 miles, at 5 a.m., into the headwinds blowing from the north at 27 to 35 mph, in the midst of a blizzard with air temp around -2 F, with not-so-good winter clothing donned. I parked the car at a turnaround area and warmed myself in the car as best I could, spending most of the time trying to psych myself up to make the trek.
I didn't want to carry my lunchbox and stuff along, so I left them in the car.
I walked about 1/4 mile on the flat part of the road and had just started making my way up the incline when I realized that I had earlier put my house keys in my lunchbox and left the lunchbox in the car! i had to backtrack and start all over again!
Back on the 1.3 mile trek up the hill, I found some of the journey acceptable, the road was protected from the wind by hills and trees so I wasn't doing too badly here. Unfortunately, this zone of protection also meant that all the snow dropped out and made the path very difficult to traverse. The snow was about 26 to 28 inches deep so I had to trudge through it picking up one foot and swinging my leg over the snow and setting that foot down again further ahead and repeating this with the other foot. This is quite a chore when going up this hill, even during nice weather! The grade of this hill road is such that you must ride your brakes coming down or you will be going 80 mph at the bottom - if you make it that far.
I finally crested the top of the hill and had only another 1/4 mile to go to get to my door. However, I was now out of the trees and hills and the fierce north wind was going to pound me head on and hard! I pulled my hoodie on my jacket up and turned around and walked backwards for the entire distance.
I reached the door of the house and realized that something was wrong. It was too dark. I opened the door and the house was cold and no lights were on. The power was out!
I was freezing from my trek up Mt. Everest and came home to a cold house, just great! Well, it was better than being outdoors and the house wasn't freezing cold. So I sat in my easy chair and drank a few shots of Jack Daniels Old No 7. Then I crawled under the covers and fell asleep.
I had to go to work the next afternoon, so I woke up early so that I could walk back to my car and hopefully make it back to the highway. On my return trek, the neighboor offered me a ride on his tractor. He was out clearing his driveway when I walked by. I made it back to work that day and when I returned home after work, my neighbor had cleared a one lane path down the entire road for us and even cleared my driveway (which was about 1/8 mile long). That night I was able to drive all the way home.
I was off work for the next few days, so I didn't need to leave the house. The wind blew and blew and huge drifts formed everywhere. The high temp for the day was only 5 degrees or so, it was doggone cold! But, at least the power was back on now.
The wind kept blowing and kept drifting the road shut. My neighbor with the tractor got the tractor stuck three times and finally gave up. We all ended up stuck there at home for a total of five days, I think it was. The wind and snow finally let up and the county plows came through and opened the road.
I took a picture of one of the plows clearing the road and the snow was over the top of the plow's cab in one drift and that drift was 125 to 175 feet long. The rest of the roadways were also very drifted. After they opened a one lane path for travel, you couldn't look out your car window and see over the snow. You had to get out of your car and stand on the hood to see over the drifts. It was surreal, it was like driving through a tunnel.
It was all very pretty, but I really hate snow now! So how is the weather down in Florida?
Gordy
