Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday

Yesterday afternoon was insane. The boys went to school for the day so I left to pick them up at 5:00pm. It had started to snow at ~3:00 and it was white out blizzard conditions. It took me 3 runs to get out of the driveway and the snow plows hadn't been out yet, which is very unusual up here. We live on a school bus route and only 1 mile from the main snow plow facility for the entire canyon. As I got closer to school which is 2 miles away there was stand still traffic on the main canyon road and fire trucks blocking off the main access. I was diverted down the worst road to drive on in snow, Skyline Road, which I love to run but avoid driving when there's snow. It has hairpin switchbacks at 20+% grades. I slid/ inched down to pick up the boys. I knew there wasn't a chance I could make it back home on Skyline. On my way down I saw a 4X4 barely able to make it up! After picking up the boys I got in line with the rest of the traffic trying to head up the main road. We then got diverted up another road that would mean I had to go back country to get home... more 20% grades and hairpins but a much longer route. I ended up pulling up to the road block and talking the highway patrol officer in to letting me drive down the main road which would get me home in about 1 mile. He saw my boys in the car and radioed down to the other officers and told them I was coming through. As I drove down the closed highway I passed a foot away from a SICK roll over accident. An SUV had lost control on a curve, slammed in to the rock cliff on the side of the road and then flipped. There was a door laying in the middle of the road and the fire crew had cut the damn thing almost in half with the jaws of life. One of the worst car accidents I've ever seen. If I had been alone I wouldn't have stressed so much, but I had Liv and Ben and the roads were treacherous. This morning I feel completely drained and sick. I left my house at 5:00 and got the boys in the door at 6:30 (1:30 to drive a total of ~4 miles). I think I was sweating cortisol the entire time. Day off today.    

10 comments:

Brett said...

Yea life is all fun and games until kids are involved.

Lucho said...

Unfortunately not every one thinks so.
I was more scared of the other people who were in a hurry to get home and riding my ass.

GZ said...

And think about how those kids drive in that when they are 16. Or at least how I drove. Ack.

Lucho said...

Totally! I'm amazed I'm alive.

Anonymous said...

Next time use the double wide stroller!

Lucho said...

Ha! That would have only taken about 40:00, damn. It's actually a bike trailer with a stroller conversion kit. It has a bomb proof rain cover and you can completely close it in... it would have worked! Next time for sure.

FatDad said...

crazy! You need a skidoo with some kind of crazy rig for Oliver.

Lucho said...

Dad- It was a weird day. It's never been like this since we moved up here. We actually get less snow than Boulder per year. I see guys on snowmobiles sometimes. I'm actually thinking a horse would be the best alternative. Our land is zoned for 'large animals'.

FatDad said...

That's rad. I can totally picture you driving and ole timey Amish style wagon. Big beard, boys in the back.
I'm no horse guy but it wouldn't take anything at all to sell me on getting some cattle.

Lucho said...

I hear you on that. Before we bought property up here in the mountains we looked at a ranch in Idaho and one in Wyoming. Both working, one with 750 acres. That has always been sort of a dream to ride the borders of a self sustaining ranch. I'm not sure how well I could raise my kids in that environ though. I felt we would sacrifice their social skills and education to some degree. we could have horses here but the cost is crazy high when you add it all up.
T