Pocatello---momentum

Stayed in Logan today until the end of business hours on the East Coast. The Starbucks on the north end of town was particular good for work. I waited for a call that didn't come---didn't mind that---and got to put in some quality time making finishing touches and last minute commits for the day.

I headed north of town on the four lane highway. By that time of the afternoon the roads had accumulated a bunch of the thick white snow that had been falling since before sunrise. It wouldn't have been so bad, but it was just the right temperature to turn to lots of slush. The aslphalt of U.S. 91 had large patches of it, and they got worse as I drove on. The trucks sent huge geysers of slush onto the Bimmer's windshield each time they passed in the other direction, even from two lanes away.

Towards the Idaho border it seemed the crews had plowed only one of the two lanes either direction, the left lane. I didn't like driving there---right with oncoming traffic. But the right lane was left full of slush to such a degree that I feared the car would spin out several times, even thought it was above freezing.   I had to drive at barely above forty.

My eyes were glued on the road and my body tense to react immediately from any deviation in the car's direction.

My fears were well founded---a couple miles later I saw two trucks spun out by the road, on either side. The first was in the ditch. Two other cars had stopped to help him. The second one had slammed backwards into the guard rail. A police cruiser was alongside its lights on, as well as another truck

Once I crossed the Iadho border, the roads were thankfully better. I had begun to wonder if I really could make it all the way to Pocatello. But on the Idaho side of the border, the road grade kept the surface drier.

Idaho, as I recalled immediately, is rich in road side historical monuments. They have large enticing signs with the state outline. I whizzed by several interesting ones north of the border without stopping.

There was only an hour of daylight left, and I did not want to be caught outside after sundown when the roads would freeze.

Soon enough I was on I-15, close to my destination.  But even here it was snowing hard enough that I could barely make out the mountains on either side.

Never was I happier to get off the road and inside the warm motel room.