Running the weather

We are back in Montana, having crossed Stephens Pass, 4th of July Pass and Lookout Pass yesterday. So far we have made this month’s journeys on dry roads, but we know that the weather is changing. Significant amounts of snow are forecast for Montana this afternoon and evening. Chances are that our plan of stopping to do some work at my sister’s place today and heading out to Rapid City tomorrow will need some adjustment. We’ll get up early and get to Big Timber before noon to stay ahead of the weather, but by the time we get our chores done, which include some winterizing at my sister’s place, it will be too late to go any farther today and the weather will catch up with us late this afternoon or early in the evening. Chances are we’ll stay in Big Timber on Saturday and perhaps Sunday as well in order to avoid having to drive on slippery roads as the weather system heads off to the east.

Chasing storms is a way of life in the mountains in the fall and winter and we knew that we ran the risk of running into weather by delaying our move the way we have. However, we are retired and have more flexibility of time than was the case when we were actively engaged in our careers. Part of retirement is learning the art of patience.

It seems to us that we have a significant amount of work ahead of us once we get back to South Dakota. Although we have moved our household, there are things we left behind that need to be sorted and delivered. There is probably another trip to the dump, a couple of trips to various recycling agencies in town and a reasonable load of items that we will pack into our pickup and car when we finally leave. There is cleaning to be done at our house before it is ready for the next owner. We have a car to sell, as we own one too many. The old Subaru has served us well. It is 21 years old and has 292,000 miles on it. I had hoped to drive it all the way to 300,000 miles, but those last few miles will need to be driven by someone else. The joke at our house is that we now can put ethanol in that car as at the age of 21 it is legal for it to consume alcohol in South Dakota.

A week more in South Dakota and we should be coming close to wrapping up our work there. Then it is a matter of watching the weather and timing our trip to fit between storms. The highway departments in Montana, Idaho and Washington are used to the snow and prepared with good plows and plenty of equipment, but icy roads are a part of winter travel and winter has arrived in the high country. Over the years we have made plenty of trips across the mountains in November and December and we know the routine. These days we have the advantage of more accurate weather forecasts and a more flexible schedule to assure safety for our travels.

Running between storms brings to mind stories of trips we made in the past. During the first winter we lived in Chicago, we drove back to Montana for Christmas. Our little car didn’t have the best heater and we had blankets on our laps and were scraping the ice off of the inside of the windshield part of the way as we endured sub-zero temperatures. The next winter we rode the rain home for Christmas and the weather was even more intensely cold. The train had problems with freezing water systems in Fargo, North Dakota and it was a chilly trip across that state to the edge of Montana where the sunshine returned and we made a somewhat more comfortable trip home. I don’t remember much of the return trip, so I suppose that the weather cooperated.

The weather can change a lot during the winter in this country. There are plenty of wonderful warm days with bright sunshine. After the heavy snows have fallen in the high country, the road crews get out and make the surface ready for traffic and life goes on all year around. Folks in this country continue to travel all year around and, with the exception of during the actual storms, the roads remain passable. We used to be willing to travel any time the state highway department had not shut down the roads, driving as far as we could and then waiting for a few hours while the plows worked. These days we are in less of a rush and more likely to plan our waiting to more comfortable locations.

Having just drive a U-Haul truck and trailer 1200 miles across the mountains, I am more aware of how many people are on the move. We see U-Haul trucks and trailers everywhere we go. I noticed one in the small town where we are staying stopping for gas late last night. I don’t know if it was west- or east-bound. If it was heading west, chances are they would be running into snow at the top of Lookout Pass. Each of the moving trucks and trailers that we see makes me wonder how many of those movers are, like us, making happy moves and heading out to wonderful new adventures. Some of them, to be sure, are moving because they have been forced to move. Young people have become unemployed and are forced to move in with their families until they can find new jobs. Others have been forced from their homes by hard times and the effects of the pandemic. Unemployment is reaching record levels as congress seems to be hung up on passing significant legislation to help those whose lives are most affected by the spread of Covid. These are hard times for a lot of people. We are very fortunate to be in the position of having many choices and being able to move to a wonderful new home in a new place, surrounded by a supportive family.

So we will continue to chase the weather and discover new adventures, remembering how truly fortunate we are. Be careful out there. The weather can be harsh this time of year.

Copyright (c) 2020 by Ted E. Huffman. I wrote this. If you would like to share it, please direct your friends to my web site. If you'd like permission to copy, please send me an email. Thanks!

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