Alternative title - the time we got stuck in a huge snowstorm & they closed the freeway. . .
We had a fabulous time skiing on Friday (we got up at 5:00 am, and headed to Tahoe). We skied for most of the day, and then headed to the condo unit we had rented. We were pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of space, and while everything was quite dated, style-wise, it had everything we needed.
We made chili, cheese bread, & salad from things we brought from home. The kids & I got in the hot tub. M started to not feel well (cough, cold, fever, etc), so he stayed behind. We all went to bed early, with plans to ski on Saturday.
We woke up a bit late on Saturday (M is usually the "alarm" for our group), but overslept as he wasn't feeling well. We checked the forecast, and it appeared that snow would start around 3-4, so our plan was to get to the ski area, ski until 1:30 or so, load up & head out to avoid the snow. . . . ah, yes. So foolish.
The ski area was extremely crowded. We struggled to get everyone dressed, dropped off, tickets sorted, etc. The road leading to the ski area was super crowded. We were off to a late start. We skied for a bit, but it was pretty clear that M wasn't feeling well at all. It also got pretty windy & icy. I'm an okay skier in the best of conditions, and don't love skiing in the wind & ice. I grabbed a hot chocolate with Nick, and we sat by the fire while we waited for M & Sam to finish a run. Except, they got separated. There was confusion about where to meet. At this point, it started to lightly snow. It took another 30 minutes for us to find Sam, and then we had to wait in line for a gondola back to the car, schlep a ton of ski gear to the parking lot, undress the kids, load the skis & the gear. We were out of the resort by 2:00 pm. At this point, there's some snow on the ground, but all is well. Until we get on the freeway, and see that it's completely stopped. I don't know how many accidents were ahead of us, but we were trapped on the freeway not moving, while snow poured down. For the first time in my life, I got to pee on the side of the road with the kids. It was quite an adventure. ;-)
I was so grateful that I'd made sandwiches, and we could all eat those in the car. Of course, Sam ate mine (and his), so I made do with a few leftover snacks. The kids were exceptionally well behaved, but being trapped in the car wasn't much fun.
As the snow accumulated, and no cars could progress, it made a bad situation worse. Many cars were without chains (or 4 wheel drive) & started to get suck. They eventually closed the freeway. So, by 6, we were back to where we started (managed to get off the freeway) & we had dinner in Truckee. We had an unexpectedly expensive dinner (all of the closer/fast food restaurants were packed with other travelers) & then decided to check out the pass freeway again. It was open!
We made it home after eleven. At that point, M was incredibly sick. I can't drive in snow, so it was him or no one driving. It was very close to having to spend the night in Truckee, and all of the lower end hotels were full. We could only find one room, a few miles away, for close to $500. So, the expensive dinner was less of an issue than staying in a hotel.
Lessons? We did well having lots of blankets, snacks, water, & food in the car. We also had plenty of gas. We need a second phone charger, as mine died, and we struggled to get it recharged. Next time we will also allow even more time for car loading & kid corralling. I'd asked M if we should just head home when we woke up on Saturday morning, but he didn't want to disappoint the kids. Obviously, we would have missed all of the drama if we'd headed out in the morning.
Anyway, we are all back, safe & sound. M is crashed out & feeling terrible. I'm helping Sam prep his four course meal for his cooking class. (By that, I mean, answering questions about where baking utensils are, and ensuring kitchen safety. . . he's doing all of the actual cooking). I'll take Nick to indoor soccer soon, and I need to get in a workout today, even though I'm totally not feeling it!
What about you? Have you ever been stuck in a snow storm?
Sorry about the snow storm and being stuck.
ReplyDeleteSince I live in Alabama and we have a true winter storm about every 10 years or so there is no snow/ice removal system. When son2 was a tyke, an ice storm was approaching. I went to pick up son1 who was at school because I could not reach the carpool mom who drove that day. In the 30 minutes I was gone the roads iced over and became impassable. I finally pulled over about 2 miles from home and we hiked/slid home. Fortunately I had friends who lived en route to our house so I did have a restroom and it was needed. Probably for the first time in his life son2 had on a heavy coat, mittens and a hat. Fortunate because the ice was relentless.
Oh, that is so scary! One of our friends had actually left to pick up their son from a group that was skiing about ten minutes away at another resort. Except, she was trapped & couldn't get to him for hours. That kind of thing is so terrifying, particularly with kids in the mix! So lucky that you had both friends you could stop at, and that your son was dressed warmly, to at least make it a bit easier.
DeleteOh yes many a time, it is scary especially if you are not sure you are really off the road. But you just stay put help does come.
ReplyDeleteIt was a crazy drive. So many cars were just pulled over in the far right lane, blocking the other drivers, putting chains on & off. They didn't want to wait for the shoulder to free up? It was a mess.
DeleteWe've been stuck in a snowstorm at home with no electricity for 6 days. I was ready to go to a hotel by the end of it. LOL
ReplyDeleteI grew up in Washington, & we had a snowstorm right after Christmas. We had already been out of school for close to two weeks, and then were stuck for another 5-6 days at our house. We had a huge pantry, and my grandparents lived about an hour walk away, so we were able to help them out. At the end, my parents took us all to a restaurant in "town" (I grew up in a pretty rural area) as a celebration that we could drive again. I remember it being a huge treat! :-)
DeleteOh wow, that must have been scary. I LOATHE driving in the snow. I totaled a car once when I was in college after sliding in snow into a ditch. Thankfully it worked out ok for your guys. Hope your husband is feeling better.
ReplyDeleteIt was really not fun at all. I slid off the road once while taking Sam skiing years ago, and will never drive in the snow again. Yes, we feel so lucky we made it work! My husband is pushing on, but doesn't feel great. Yet, can't quite make the time to rest up. ;-)
DeleteI hate snow, and cold weather, which is why I left New England at my first opportunity, never to return. I also hate driving and crowds, so going to a ski area on a Saturday in January would be nothing short of torture for me. Well, going any day would be awful, but I would never attempt the first Saturday after New Year's. Cooking with my kids, however, sounds like a perfect weekend. I'd love to hear more about this class your son is taking. Hope your husband feels better soon.
ReplyDeleteWe should have skied at the smaller resort both days - it would have been great. No lines, easy access, etc. We were spoiled when we lived in Washington. We were 45 minutes away, and it wasn't a "resort". It was a small ski area with plenty of runs, but you drive right up & start to ski. This was our first time attempting the "resort", and it's definitely not worth it unless you are staying somewhere on property. Which of course, is a fortune.
DeleteYou would have loved yesterday cooking with Sam! The class he's taking is an elective at school. He's enjoyed it so much & talked about it all quarter, so now Nick plans to enroll next year. It has taught him a lot of helpful things: kitchen safety, knife skills, basics, etc. He is still extremely messy in the kitchen (in their class, they have one person cooking & someone else on clean up, so he's not used to doing both) & his time management/prep skills need some work. Plenty of time for us to keep working on that!
I've only been stuck in snow temporarily for a couple of hours so I have zero true experience with it. We've still not gone to Tahoe yet but if we ever try it for ski season, we'll definitely need to be better prepared than we currently are.
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely prepare with plenty of water, food, blankets, a full tank of gas (everyone having gone to the bathroom ahead of time ;-)). This week in chatting about Tahoe with coworkers, many of them have shared they've been stuck at the pass for multiple hours as well. So, doesn't sound like our experience is very unique!
DeleteOh, & also have chains available in your car, because mandatory chains could occur at any time.