so if you're one of these people that actually enjoy cold weather because you
do winter activities and sports and stuff like that then chances are when
you're out in it you're already prepared but what if you're one of these people
that's trying to avoid winter and you're out trying to actually get somewhere
warm and the storm happens well this is what happened to me in my case I already
was somewhere warm after spending the winter in the American Southwest and
Mexico
like all snowbirds I waited for a window in the weather to
migrate back north just as the Sun went down a cool wind started to blow a
little rain was in the forecast but nothing that really concerned me
so in the morning I set out under partly cloudy skies it
was actually good driving weather but as soon as I left Wyoming a little rain
started to fall it was just a sprinkle at first but eventually it started to
pour
roughly halfway through my journey the rain let up but the clouds were looking
rather ominous heading west an hour later I hit snow
this kind of as bad as it gets kind of my worst nightmare coming back to Canada
is there to have to be a bloody blizzard snowstorm and super cold
why didn't I stay down there
the farther I drove the worse it got with frequent patches of black ice so it
was time to make a decision do I keep going and hope some weather was better
ahead or find shelter and a safe place to ride out the storm as night was
approaching the answer was a no-brainer
I'm stuck in a snowstorm in Shelby Montana
fortunately I made it to a truck stop
but it looks like I'm spending the night here whether I want to or not I'm gonna
try to get the trailer up. So the questions gonna be can I actually get
the roof up. My concern was the freezing rain and ice had glued it shut.
yes
not exactly the perfect scenario but I got it up that's gonna have to do until
the snow stops
well not exactly the ending I'd hoped for stranded in a snowstorm and it's
just weird I mean this morning it was warm it was like at night it was like 55
degrees during the day it was like 65 75 you know Wyoming and a few hours later
I'm in this ah boy glad I like winter just not right now but out the window
another drama was taking place a
transport truck was spinning on the ice and couldn't get his chains on so I got
my traction aids out see if I could lend a hand
after a couple of adjustments I got him out and he was on his way again now I
just had to find my traction aids in the snow I actually got to use these I hope
to pay great get hope that's so cool now I know at least they work so if I have
to use them sometime I can on my little trailer and truck oh it's cold damn well
I wasn't really planning on using the foam this trip but I'm glad I brought
it not only will that keep a little bit more of the heat in but it'll keep some
of the moisture out as well the melting snow and the ice that's on the
roof every little bit helps well it looks like I'm not the only one stranded
there's a few trucks hauling could be horses I'm not quite sure but they're
stuck too so the parking lot is full right now it's just about dark it is
cold in here it's just above freezing inside it's below freezing outside and
it'll be below freezing inside as well if I don't hook up the furnace and I
probably won't because I'm gonna use the electric blanket it's what I bought it
for it saves heating up the whole trailer when all I have to do is heat up me so
here we go I'm stranded snowstorm but I think I'm gonna be nice and warm tonight
what I've got is my electric blanket I've got my heavy-duty warm sleeping bag
and I'm actually going to wear my sweater tonight because it will be way
below freezing I do have a full tank of propane or almost a full tank but I
don't plan on using it because then I'm gonna have issues with condensation
and I really don't want to be bothered with that so right now I'm just I've got
the electric blanket plugged in it's keeping me warm sleeping bags keeping me
warm and what I will do though first thing in the morning when it's at its
coldest is I'll turn on the furnace just to warm my pants up that way I have warm
clothes to get into in the morning and off I go that's it but it's really
really important to always have a back-up plan for emergencies like if if
I don't have a battery I have propane if I don't have propane
or battery I got warm sleeping bag I've got you know like a winter coat
you know hat stuff like that so I'm always prepared for the cold prepared
for rain prepared for wind I don't know not earthquakes earthquakes I'm I'm
hooched I'm I could survive an earthquake but everything else I think
I've got reasonable preparation for at least I hope
by morning it was very cold and a few more inches of snow had fallen overnight
despite this I did keep warm using the electric blanket so I didn't need to
turn on the furnace however in the morning I did turned it on in hopes it
would help melt the ice on the roof
when trying to warm up the car and the trailer at the same time and
hopefully I can get out but there's a big truck in my way so
story and over yet
I don't get it off the top of the roof that's what's going to be going inside
make sure you wipe down the sides
- so any moisture on them won't leak into the trailer once you close it down
the question is are the roads good enough to drive I see some trucks on
them and can I get out of this parking lot
there's about maybe eight inches of snow
okay here it goes
trailers out oh boy
it's icy
if I get stuck man, it's very icy
this is just the on-ramp
oh my god I don't like it
seriously who is I kidding that I could beat Old Man Winter this year no way he
got me back this time
the border was only 40 miles away but the roads weren't safe
so you've got to know when when safety has to trump your goals
this morning it's started off okay I'm only about 20 miles to the border now
but it's starting to snow again so but I've got a little bit of a convoy
of cars and trucks at enemy so I'm hoping I can at least make it to
the border
life on the road it's not always what you want it to be it just is what it is
ironically on the Canadian side the roads were free of ice and snow and I
just had to deal with a little fog the trailer however was a mess and it took
several passes at the car wash to remove the crusted ice and snow but I made it
back safely and that's what counts always go where the road takes you
unless the roads not safe so then always go where there's
somewhere safe