Mile 2518. Back on I-80 in Wyoming, Pete tells me about the Snow-Chi-Minh trail. The story is that the Elk Mountain section of I-80 is so bad in the snow that a detour up to Rock River and back south to Laramie is often a better alternative. We laugh as though this is a ridiculous…

Mile 2199. Our momentum carries us past Twin Falls, where Pete has friends willing to put us up for the night. He tells them we’re merely following Bergman driving rules, “…when you’ve hit your groove, for God’s sake don’t stop…”. In Ogden another blizzard hits, reducing visibility to near zero. We pull off, thinking we…

Mile 1865. On twenty minutes’ notice Ann’s parents, Bob & Carol Fish, welcome us into their home in Nampa, Idaho for dinner. Bob is in the middle of painting the kitchen, which he continues as the rest of us enjoy stir-fried veggies, African bean soup, and rice. We pass along hugs from Ann, talk a…

Mile 1636. We’re impressed with size and variety of the landscapes of central Oregon. Volcanic features are definitely the main theme, but forests and pastures also abound. There are several passes to surmount, one of which features a SNOW ZONE sign that, true to its word, marks the boundary of a blizzard. There are many…

Mile 1523. Both the road and the sky have cleared by the time we reach Bend, raising our hopes. In Redmond we stop at a grocery store for bagels, cream cheese, chips, and salsa. Munching on these we get on the road to Madras. Topping the final hill we see one kind of dark cloud…

After a cold night, dawn finds us encased in ice. Thankfully the Malibu came with a scraper. The sky looks like it could clear up, but we don’t know if that will be enough to get us into the air later. We get underway, and haven’t gone 2 miles before a stranded motorist flags us…

Mile 1403. We find a couple of trucks to lead the way, and proceed around Crater Lake and over the crest at a snail’s pace as the snow piles up. Just when fatigue is demanding we stop, the snowpack lightens and signs for highway 97 appear. At the first side road I pull off and…

Mile 1362. We cook our dinner on the patio of a gracious bakery and cafe in Medford. We’ve found that “welcome” and “information” centers in this part of Oregon don’t supply picnic tables. Heading out of Medford it starts to rain. As we ascend the Rogue River toward Crater Lake, the rain turns to snow.…

Mile 1281. We race through the high forests of southern Oregon to reach our destination with enough light left for some pictures. The orange and yellow live oaks in the Siskiyou valley are stunning, but we don’t stop for photos this time. At the Mount Ashland ski area reality hits us: the forest road that…

Mile 1021. The landscape here brings us to a halt. Northwestern Nevada seems to have some treasures hidden away. The broad vista hides dramatic volcanic canyons. As we head back to the car Pete comments, “Well, we’ll never capture that in a picture, will we?”