SNOW...THE NEW FOUR LETTER WORD

I think before this Winter is over, snow will be the new four letter word added to George Carlin's 7 words you can't say on TV. Every weather and road condition we have heard this past week, has that dirty little word in it, and it shows no sign of leaving. I know I would embrace it more if I could be inside my stationary home, instead of our moving one, where we have to worry not only about us, but those driving around us. Case in point.

After our empty call on Sunday, we were told to head to Spokane. Since Craig had no driving hours left, we told dispatch that we would head that way early Monday morning. Sleeping in, which these days is 3am, we took off West on Interstate 90. The roads were pretty good until we hit our first mountain pass near Butte, and progressively got worse as we hit Missoula and then Look Out Pass.

By the time we got to Fourth of July Pass, just before Coeur d'Alene, ID, traffic was getting heavier. Ahead of us was a pickup pulling a travel trailer which was as light as we were with our empty trailer. As we started coming down off the pass, on a 6% grade, on a banked turn, the travel trailer ahead of us slowed and started to jack knife. In order to avoid hitting it, we also had to slow down which caused us to loose traction and start to jack knife as well.As my finger indentations on the passenger hand grip became permanent fixtures, Craig was able to right the trailer and slowly straighten out the rig and avoid the travel trailer who had moved over to the more snow packed lane to get some traction back. With a big sigh of relief, we were both able to get down off the pass and we happily watched as the travel trailer took the next exit and left the Interstate, no doubt to change his underwear.

It didn't get much better as we got closer to Spokane, as traffic was even heavier. As one driver said on the CB, the four wheelers are just like sheep, they herd together as they travel, which is the main cause of most accidents. Craig kept as much cushion as he could between us and them as we tried to make our way on a very slushy, slippery, ice and snow covered road.

I was so happy to see the exit for our Company yard in Spokane, and as we pulled into the yard we knew it would be difficult to try and find a place to park due to the vast amount of snow everywhere. Luckily, we found a spot, and Craig decided to put chains on for in the morning where we had been given a dispatch to a local beverage company. We had no way of telling what condition the local roads would be in compared to the Interstate and we wanted to be prepared.

Presently we are sitting at the Shipper's lot waiting to be called to a dock. The weather forecast calls for yet another storm with 6 inches of snow predicted. This load is suppose to go into Canada, but Craig's 14 hours will be up and there won't be time for a mandatory break before the scheduled midnight delivery tonight. We will either swap out loads with someone else, or the appointment will be changed. But first........we have to get loaded and then make our way West and over Snoqualmie Pass and the snow that will surely be waiting for us.

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