Mon, Oct 25, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Ok, this day definitely changed our plans at every turn.  We were up did a little reading and enjoyed a good continental breakfast before heading out for the day.  We had planned to drive across southern Colorado perhaps stopping at Mesa Verde National Park and other spots along the way with no particular destination in mind. 

As we left Cortez though it was a dark dreary cloudy day and the rain had begun to fall.  It was far too dark and rainy to attempt a stop at Mesa Verde so we just figured we would be out of it somewhere down the road.  The forecast was for just scattered rain but the probability for rain increases tomorrow so we felt like there was no reason to hang around.  We drove on thru Durango… more rain.  We got to Pagosa Springs… more rain. Then we started up Wolf Creek Pass toward South Fork and it began to snow… hard.  Before we got to the top of the pass there was one 18 wheeler stuck and a BMW car as well.  We met the snow plow going down and were hoping we would soon be behind another plow to take us across the pass.  Traffic was being very good and everyone was taking it very slowly.  Just over the top of the pass we saw a poor motorcyclist who had stopped on his way up probably to add more clothing.  I really felt for him. He was riding a BMW GS which is considered an adventure bike but I doubt he really wanted to add this adventure to his repertoire.

We made it down the pass without incident and were pretty sure we would return to rain but that was not the case.  The snow continued at South Fork and Monte Vista and Del Norte and thru La Veta Pass. We spent the day pretty much in a near white-out. The temperatures had fallen from the fifties in Cortex to thirty-three and the wind was about to blow everybody off the road.  The gusts were supposedly about fifty mph. 

We decided it was important to try and drive on out of this unpredicted storm so we would not have to deal with it tomorrow.  At every coffee or restroom stop it was the topic of conversation among all of the travelers.  Luckily when we got to Walsenburg, CO and had to get on Interstate 25 the snow had returned to rain.  This was quite a relief. 

At Raton, NM we exited the Interstate and headed toward Clayton, NM where we knew there was a good Best Western that took puppies.  About 40 miles from Clayton the rain stopped and the sun even peeked out ever so slightly.  We almost broke into applause! 

We have had supper, are in our room and are well tonight and hope that you all are too.  And our hopes for tomorrow… let the sunshine, let the sunshine, the sunshine in!

Peace, Hope & Love,

Donna, Charles, Paris & Dodger