So.....Saturday about noon my wife and I headed over to Helena to spend the weekend at a B&B just south of Helena back up in the mountains with her cousin Debbie and her husband, Randy. There was snow, of course, but we figured the roads were good, plowed, and it would be no problem getting up there. After all, we're Montanans and all Montana's have 4-wheel drive. We got to Debbie and Randy's house about 2pm....played a game of Tiger Woods 09 PGA Tour golf on the Wii. Randy and I failed to look outside at the weather. Somewhere between the 7th and 15th hole on the Doral Course a full blown blizzard (not the DQ kind) had thundered into the Helena area and all we saw when we looked outside was WHITE!
We quick loaded up and took off. Me riding shotgun and navigator, Randy in the pilots seat and the wives in back making rude comments about how stupid we were. We head south on I-15...destination Montana City, just 8 miles south. At mile 4 we can't see the edge of the highway and speed has dropped to 10mph.
We finally get off at Montana City...Randy plugs in the coordinates for the B&B to his Magellan GPS...and, hey, this is going to be a piece of cake. At mile 2 up Jackson Creek Road we hit a virtual white-out. We creep along and it lets up, but we realize that what had been 6 inches of new snow on the road was now a foot or more.
Just around the next turn...at least we think it was a turn...we see a car off the road and just the top of its hood and car top showing. "Man", Randy says, "that guy must be an idiot."
"That car doesn't have 4-wheel drive" I chip in. "No wonder."
We plow along for another 100 feet and Debbie finally says,"Randy, do you think we should try to make it in this weather?'
Randy...."NOPE, we better turn around." (first time he has aver agreed with Debbie)
My wife heaves out a sigh of relief and mutters...."20 more feet and Debbie and I were gonna be widows, 'cause I'd have shot both of you."
(gun rack with 30-06 is within one foot of her left hand.)
We finally find what looks like a place to turn around and Randy tells me to get out and see how deep the snow is in the "suppossed" driveway we're going to use. I step out and take two steps into 3 1/2 feet of new snow.
"This ain't a driveway Randy."
"No Shit!!" come three replies from the vehicle.
We finally get turned and head back. Get to the Interstate and find they have closed the sucker to all travel north and south. We manage to get on and head back to Helena. We spend the evening playing games, playing golf, and having a good time.
The storm didn't let up until late Sunday so we stayed put and headed home today. So much for a nice Spring break.
Anyone for a Weenie Roast?