As it should, our story begins with breakfast. Pine State Biscuits, fried chicken, and coffee.
We proceed to the trailhead, where once again it’s a Mustang… and a couple of huge, lifted, offroad doom-machines. I mean, sure. If you need a doom machine to drive in the snow… us New Englanders just drive. Not to brag or judge, of course…
Then, I dove into the woods.
It’d been a while since I’d gotten out into the snow, and this was just what I needed. Cold air, cutting crisply into my lungs, with that unique type of deep silence that only snowfields bring.
While there were the two other vehicles at the parking lot, the trail held tradition and I didn’t see either group while I was hiking. I had the mountain all to myself, it seemed, and I took full advantage of that to soak in the quiet, take two quick drone-flights, and simply let my mind wander as long and as far afield as it felt the need.
I hiked back in the dark – night fell quickly, so close to the Solstice, but I didn’t mind. I had my headlamp, my warm clothes, and the emergency gear to see me home (or to stay safely on the mountain) if needed. I lived in my warm little puddle of light, illuminating from my headlamp, and forged my way back to the car.
I mean, okay. I went snow-hiking last Saturday too… but I didn’t put the chains on the car, so I don’t think it counts as a “Return of the Snow-Stang”, right? Snow driving required, for the title?
So yeah. If we’re all in agreement that this one counts as my first snow-stang snow-venture of the… snow season?
I drove out!
The snow wasn’t too bad, to be perfectly frank – I was able to get all the way to the high-point of the drive, right near the turn for the Timberline Lodge, before the roads had any snow / ice accumulation at all. In the spirit of paranoia and precaution, I took this chance to pull over and toss on the tire chains – Better safe than sorry when there’s ice on the roads, right?
The rest of the drive definitely made me glad that I’d stopped – That one intersection is basically a dividing line for one reason or another. One side – mostly cleared, plowed, and graveled roads. On the other side – packed snow, ice, and walls of snow on the sides of the road.
It.
Was.
Gorgeous!
I really do love the winter. I love the snow on the trees, I love the drifting flakes of snow, and I love the focus that the snowfall brings with it… Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of rain pattering! But for some reason, the quiet of snowfall just hits differently, you know? It’s so serene…
With almost no one on the road with me, and my speed capped at 30mph thanks to the chains, the serenity of the drive was real. I went slowly, grinding my way over the snowpack toward the parking lot, thankfully without a slip or a slide to speak of. Even turning onto the side road to the trailhead saw the Mustang react exactly as it would on a dry summers day… or at least, the slides weren’t more than a few degrees off center axis.
I parked, I hiked, and I enjoyed the falling snow. I enjoyed the quiet that came with it, and I enjoyed the sense of exploration that I felt when my footprints were the only things I could see behind me.
The canyons cut by the rivers that I crossed were just one more piece of evidence that the winter truly had come, and when I did finally turn around I was happily content with how my little “first exploration of the season” had gone.
I definitely wanted to keep going, don’t get me wrong! Driving home at night, though… See, driving in the day isn’t so bad, because the sun’s heated the road up and kept the snowpack malleable. Enough for the chains to grip, yeah? But once the sun goes down, so does the temperature… and without the sun rays to keep the snowpack soft, it quickly becomes ice.
And while I can definitely drive on ice… I’d still vastly prefer to be past the snowline, yeah?
Back I hiked, off I drove, and soon enough I found myself back in the traditional Oregon world of warm rain…
This part of the trip was always going to be a little ridiculous. It wasn’t the longest leg of driving, but it was definitely the most packed.
Starting in Chattanooga, I would be driving to the Jack Daniel’s distillery for a tour, then to Memphis to have BBQ for dinner, and then finally to a hotel in Arkansas for the evening.
From the hotel was a pretty simple & straight drive out to Tulsa – but never underestimate simple and short drives. Somehow they always get interesting along the way…
Monday, 01-Jun-2015
Leave Soddy-Daisy a little late, but I can grab lunch on the way to make up the time, so it’s ok.
Rain rain rain rain
Stop for lunch… wait… time change yes! Extra time to eat!
GREAT fried chicken lunch, nice and slow while reading. It’s excellent.
Head out, put the top down since it’s finally nice…. crunch. Broken window.
Drive to Nissan dealership, he gives me tips & location of Home Depot
Clean out most of the glass with boxes and papers and bags
Get “clear” plastic & gorilla tape & a brush, clean out the rest of the glass
Search for a vacuum… nothing, drive a mile or two to find a car wash, which is run by a dude from CT. Sure, why not?
Clean out the back, patch up the window and the front fender… now I’ve wasted 3 hours. Fuck.
Drive fast for Jack’s Distillery, make it in time for a 3:45 tour
Tour’s done a little after 5:00… too late to make it to Memphis. Go into town to get food… no toys though, nothing interesting.
Drive on. This is a really long drive. A very long, very tiring, very unpleasant drive. This is not good. I am not doing well. Eat lots of cinnamon Altoids to stay awake and alert.
Hotel in AR, drag damn near everything into the room, just to be safe.
Sleep
Tuesday, 02-Jun-2015
Wake up, and make a few calls for the Mustang. Nothing good… no one can do it easily / quickly, because… <drumroll> the entire top has to be replaced! Yay!
Call insurance, fight with that (they need to send an adjustor, who won’t call me)
Forget it. Move along. Move along.
Thankfully they don’t charge me for a second day in the hotel, since I take so long getting out…
Lost jacket. Forget it. Move along.
Long drive, but do it fun and chill with the top down, so that I can… you know… actually see?
Arrive @ Jig and Dave’s place, and hang out with Dave for a short bit until Jig gets home. Showers, and then roll out the the bars!
