#3 WASHINGTON, A Visit to Winter

I’m sitting in zero degree remininsing about a trek to the dark side of winter last week . I was in Spokane, WA visiting my 94 year old grandmother. I get up there a couple of times a year and usually enjoy what the Northwest has to offer along with seeing family members. I like the snow, I hoped for snow, I even said that I’d be happy to shovel snow. Well this was ridiculous! Two days before my arrival the area was hit with significant snowfall. The efforts to dig out and get back to “normal” went well Monday but Tuesday brought another 10 inches. Understandably the city’s efforts to keep the roads clear weren’t enough. They plowed the main arteries but throughout the week snow kept falling and they were unable to keep up. The impact was significant. Schools were closed the entire week because buses couldn’t safely negotiate the streets. Several portions of town remained unplowed rendering the streets four wheel drive accessible only.

My Alaska Airlines flight from SEA to GEG took off with the announcement that we were going to go over and see if we could land (!!???) if it wasn’t advisable then we would return. OK, fine. Luckily there was no problem landing. My first true weather related problem came 20 minutes later when I picked up my rental car. I was literally pushed out of the unplowed lot and waved off with a “good luck”. This was not my usual car rental experience. Being from California I don’t get to experience winter driving as much as the locals. I’m happy to be from Sunny (or more accurately lately – Rainy) CA!

Driving across town was snowy and slushy and snow but definitely doable until I turned into the unplowed streets of Grandma’s neighborhood. As long as I kept moving I was ok but others were not as lucky. (see above)

I parked in front of the house and tromped up the walk. These roll-aboards don’t roll worth a darn in a few inches of snow. I rang the bell, knocked and peered in the windows without any answer. The dread that something may be wrong was sweeping over me. Please let her be ok!! I checked on the side of the house and noted the recently shoveled patio but again had no luck raising anyone inside. Finally behind the 5 foot pile of snow in the back there she was. She was perfectly fine and busy shoveling. 94 years old and shoveling snow!

The next morning we were able to get out and run some errands even though the streets remained unplowed. That night 8 more inches of snow fell. When I tried to get the car out I was only able to spin my wheels. I shoveled and shoveled and tried to clear a path but stayed there for a day until finally I was able to get out with a liberal sprinkling of cat litter for traction under the tires.

My hope to drive through Idaho to Montana for lunch was squelched. Next visit in a few months will give me another opportunity for those two states after the thaw.

My flight home via SEA was overbooked due to the pass having been closed on I 90 from Seattle for the last few days. I was able to change to a Horizon flight through Portland and made it back to snow-free San Francisco where I shelved my snow boots until next year.

All about Chicago next....