DRIVING IN A SNOWSTORM
Finally, it happened. A significant snow fall happened twice this week. After all it is the end of February and I have been waiting and waiting for a big snowfall. I was a happy guy. Actually it was the first time I used my snow blower. Purchasing my snow blower a few years ago was one of the best purchases I have ever made. I enjoy snow blowing.
However, a downside to all of this was that I happened to have been driving during the hard snowfall. Last Thursday I traveled to Tyler, Minnesota to broadcast the Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks girls basketball playoff game with RTR. While leaving Madison around 2pm Thursday it wasn’t bad until I reached Canby and then it started to snow. By the time I reached Lake Benton along highway 75 the road was completely covered in snow. When I reached RTR high school in Tyler and parked in the parking lot it was snowing very hard. I thought to myself if this keeps up it is going to be a interesting drive home.
Now this might sound strange, but I actually like driving in a snow storm. I see it as a challenge. It is the competitive nature in me. I like a good challenge to see if I can make it to my destination. The basketball game was over and it was time to go home. After brushing about 4 inches of snow off my car in the parking lot, I took off from Tyler. As I drove out of Tyler I realized this is maybe not a good idea. Maybe I should just stay with some relatives that I have around Tyler. Driving on highway 14 from Tyler to Lake Benton was very difficult, going about twenty miles per hour. I could not see where I was on the road, and I think I only met one car in that seven mile stretch.
When I arrived in Lake Benton I considered just staying in the gas station parking lot overnight. It was very difficult to see with it still snowing so hard. But I continued along highway 75 north to Ivanhoe, the road was not plowed at all. From Lake Benton to Ivanhoe I think I met four or five vehicles, it seemed like I was the only person on the road. I called Maynard to see if there was a motel in Ivanhoe and asked him to check the radar for me. I’m glad I called him, he said he couldn’t find a motel in Ivanhoe and the radar looked like the snow was letting up around Canby. So I continued and he was right, by the time I reached Canby the snow had let up. Still the highway was not plowed and had at least 6 to 8 inches of snow on the highway. I did finally get to the stop lights at the intersection of 212 and 75. Highway 75 was plowed to Madison. I arrived home and it took me a little over two hours. It was a difficult drive, but kind of fun! I conquered the snow storm!!
I did the same thing last Saturday driving from Montevideo to Madison. Not as bad as Thursday, but still a good challenge. I was very thankful that my wife was not with me in the car. I would have had to drug her to keep her calmed down and quiet. Bring on the next snowstorm!!