RUNNING FROM WINTER

I expected to have a more relaxed title to this posting such as “The Tranquil Journey South” but the weather wasn't co-operating with that plan.  The day before we left home, it snowed and the snow stayed on the ground until early afternoon.  It warmed up and stayed cloudy while we loaded the last items in the trailer and finished winterizing the house.

HOOKED UP AND READY TO GO

We started out early on Oct 24 and were the first ones across the border at Laurier.  The agent asked us a few questions, had a quick look in the trailer and we were on our way after a 5 minute stop.  The roads were wet as there had been some snow again overnight and it was cloudy with low fog in some areas but it improved when we reached Spokane. 

ON HIGHWAY 395

We were able to drive on the North Spokane Corridor (has been under construction for a couple of years) and although it isn't completed yet, we arrived at the I-90 junction in 23 minutes.  It would have been a lot slower going down Division Street.  

START OF NORTH SPOKANE CORRIDOR

Our route was east on I-90 and our first mountain pass was Fourth of July east of Coeur d’Alene, ID.  The roads were wet with snow on the edges and snow on the trees.  We thought it was a bit daunting but there was more to come.

Our next high elevation challenge was Lookout Pass and it had even more snow beside the road and some on the road, especially in the left lane.  It's a good thing the interstate highways are well maintained.

Conditions improved after that and we had a pleasant drive to Missoula, MT where we spent the night.  The weather forecast was for snow overnight so we were anticipating a later start if the conditions were poor.  As it turned out, the system was late arriving so we headed out early to try to stay ahead of it.  Well, that didn’t quite work out.  Light snow flurries began about 45 minutes into the drive and we had snow for the next couple of hours and below freezing temperatures.  The snow was drifting across the highway but the right lane was okay for driving.  We stopped just after the Continental Divide for a break.

TRAILER LANDING LEG ALL ICED UP

The snow let up before Dillon, MT and the rest of the drive to Pocatello, ID was quite good.  Idaho Falls had a dump of snow during the night but again, the roads were clear.  We set up in the sunshine at Pocatello and although it was cold, we thought we were past the snow zone.  Not so.  We woke up to 3 inches of snow the next morning and it was cold.

CHECK IN WEATHER

CHECK OUT WEATHER

There was no snow in the forecast for that travel day so we packed up and headed out after 8:30.  We needed 4WD to get out of the RV park but the roads were in good condition after that. 

The snow disappeared as we approached the Utah border and then we were into the big drive through the Salt Lake City area.  It is a long stretch through all the cities (about 2 hours of driving) and the traffic is always fast and heavy.  We went through in the middle of the day and didn't have to contend with rush hour traffic.  Once we were south of the urban areas, the traffic lessened and the roads were smoother and nicer.  We drove to Beaver, UT and had another cold night at an elevation of 5800 ft.  It was clear so we were able to see a multitude of stars and even saw a couple of meteors.  Beautiful.

Day four on the road had the biggest temperature and elevation change and we were finally in our “home free” zone.  We drove through St. George, UT and Mesquite, NV which are very colourful cities in the desert.  We buzzed through Las Vegas, over the new Hoover Dam bridge (Pat Tillman Memorial bridge) and stopped at the Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel about 12 miles east of Kingman, AZ.  It is near a truck stop and it’s been interesting to watch the trucks coming and going.

MOUNTAINS BETWEEN UTAH AND ARIZONA

We’re going to stay in Kingman for a couple of days to take a break from driving.  We went to church today, had lunch at a Mexican restaurant and purchased some groceries.  Tomorrow, we’re getting an oil change on the truck and have booked a tee time for golf.  We’re thankful to God for keeping us safe and giving us manageable travel conditions.

SETTING UP AT BLAKE RANCH