Stuck in the snow...for hours...

Thursday, February 21, 2013.  Forecast is 4 to 7 inches of snow.  No problem, right?  We decided to drive the car to work since it can handle that amount of snow and it will save on gas.  And by the time we get off work, things should start clearing....still slick, but clearing, right?

Nope, not at all!  My work closed at 1:00 p.m. and Brian couldn't leave work because he was on call.  So I stayed at work to get some stuff done.  Brian did get to leave early....he left at 2:00 and when he got to the car, he found this.  Do you think we have a shovel in the car?  Do you think we had a change of clothes for Brian?  Well of course not!  That would have meant we were prepared for the weather man to be wrong.  Ha ha!  It took him 2 hours to dig out and come get me.  Traffic was crazy and it was weird slick stuff so people couldn't move. 

We decided to go the interstate instead of the hilly curvy roads.  Nobody was out at this point...we drove slow and the car did great.

Then we came upon this....






Not long after we hit stopped traffic, this is what was behind us.






I always carry reading material, and I was reading the new rider handbook for the Upper Midwest Endurance & Competitive Rides Assn.  Persevere was on the front of the handbook, and I thought this moment was a good time to take a picture.  Little did I know it would mean more several hours later.  :-)

Come to find out the interstate was closed.  The snow came down so fast that people started to abandon their cars.  In some areas there were so many vehicles parked along the highway and side roads that the plows and maintainers couldn't get around.  So we were told they closed the interstate so they could get a section of highway cleared.  We were out here 3 1/2 hours.  We did have a full tank of gas so I guess we were kinda prepared.

We finally got to our highway to head north.  It was like the interstate.  Cleared off but slick, so we took our time.  We were excited....we would be home by 9:15 at the latest.  Nope, wrong again.  We turned onto our secondary road, there were some vehicles parked and left along the road but it was clear at that point.  We came around the corner and saw tracks in the snow, but it did not look that deep.  Brian slowed down a bit, and by the time we realized it was too deep for the car it was too late.  We were high centered and stuck.  We spent almost an hour trying to dig out so we could back up and head back to town, but every time we would move snow, the car would slide one direction or the other and it would pile up snow under the car again.

I wanted to walk home...it was only about 7 miles.  Brian said "No way!"  It was windy and it started to snow again, and it would take me 6 or 7 hours to get home in this stuff....and it was dark.  No way!  He was right...I just felt helpless, and I was dressed for it.  I called a friend but they did not have a 4x4 truck, but they knew people who did.  Brian and I decided to ride it out.  We had enough gas in the car, I had a leftover apple and orange from lunch that day, and we had a couple bags of shredded cheese and a container of salsa we got from the store before we left town.  We would not starve.  :-)  So we sat and waited for the snow plow.....and waited...and waited....

The funny (Oh, not funny as in funny Ha ha!) thing is we counted 25 plows that came up the exit ramp that was close to us, and back down it again.  We were the only ones out there...we had our lights and flashers on...but they had a job to do.  We quit counting....

This was our view for 6 hours.  The lights are from a trucking company down the highway.






I lightened this picture up a bit.  It is snowing again and I had visions of us being buried by morning.  You can see the area at the front of the car where we were digging to try to get out.






At 2:30 a.m. a plow came by!!!!  He left this track right by us.  Woo hoo!  The pictures do not show how deep the snow really was.  Anyways, we decided to wait for the guy to come back then flag him down.  All we needed to do was get the car in the cleared track.  He did come back and stopped to ask if we were staying warm.  He was a young kid and offered to help push the car.  We got out and headed back to town.  A huge thank you to that young guy...I really didn't expect anybody until daylight.




 We drove back to Brian's work and hung out there.  We arrived there at 3:30 a.m. and drove thru the parking lot.  It still looked just as bad as it did when Brian left.  Brian ended up working until 12:30 Friday afternoon then we headed home.  We were taking a chance on the roads being cleared.  As we were driving in the road we were stuck on for 6 hours, a plow went the opposite direction and said it was clear up to our dirt road.  Woo hoo!

A little bit of this way...






A little bit of that way...

 




And last but not least, the big hill!  Yay!  On the other side we go straight across...totally within walking distance if we need to!

 




We hopped across the road to see how far it had been cleared.  (This is where Brian ended up parking the car because part of the dirt road had not been cleared)





We made it this far with no problem, but we were being very cautious.  It was hard to see where the edges of the road and snow were...it all blended together.

 


We got to the turn and it looked rough.  I hopped out to check around the corner and it had been cleared, so I told Brian to get momentum thru the corner mess and don't stop!  :-)





We made it up the hill....and that was it.  A local person had cleared up to their driveway and a friends driveway.  Brian turned around and headed back to park the car, and I walked to the house.  It was only about a mile or so, and I was happy to get out and burn some energy.





I made it to our road and all of a sudden heard this heavy panting and thumping sound around me.  I was so zoned out I was not paying attention.  The dog that lives at the corner came to visit and escort me home.





The dog is showing me the way...





"Hurry up lady!  It is not far now!"




"Do I need to come back to get you?  Are you lost?"





"Here I am lady!  Not to worry!"




"AAAHHHH, we are almost there!  I checked, nobody is in this vehicle.  Now let's go!"





I made it to the driveway!  Yay!  Home Sweet Home!!!!  Now to feed the dogs, dig out the truck and go get Brian.





My escort dog went all the way up to the gate to say hello.  Also, I decided I wanted to ride in snow this weekend, but not enough to dig the trailer out. I was tired of digging.




Hemi was so happy to see me!  My biggest worry thru all of this was the critters.  I did not plan for an extra day away from home so didn't put out extra food, and I was worried about Tandee, my older horse.  Everyone fared well and was glad to see me.




Misty said she wasn't scared.  She was dressed for the weather too.




Nakita doesn't have time to visit...she is hungry.





 Tandee was cussing me like crazy...that made me so happy!  She was fine.  Whew!





Tandee and Tripplette on their way to the barn for brunch.





Batman says he missed me.  "I love you Girl."

The llama was making faces at Red...

The snow was so pretty on all the trees.

It was pretty on everything else too.

Snow hanging off the edge of the roof.

"Oh there you are!  Treats?"

There is 14 inches of snow on this table.  The dogs had already been back and forth on the front porch so they had it flattened out.

Wyoming says he took care of everyone while we were gone. 

Wyoming wanted a picture of how he looked while he was keeping watch...he is handsome.

It was quite an adventure!  I know God was with us...Brian and I did not bicker, get snippy, we laughed a lot, we talked, we were quiet with our own thoughts...and it was all okay.  We both felt okay inside during all of this.

On the other hand, yesterday we shared our scary thoughts...there was only one 4x4 truck that came by and he stopped...we both had those crazy thoughts that he was some crazed murder.  Yep, we watch too many crime shows. EEK!  He never asked how far down the road we lived...nothing.  All he said is "I hate to leave you, but I don't think I can pull you out.  See ya."  And he walked away...

Until later...Karen and Tripp who is glad he missed out on this adventure.  :-)