Ground Blizzard - 60 mph Winds

The forecast warned us many hours in advance that North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota was going to be hit with a blizzard. Early reports from western North Dakota confirmed 60 mph winds with gusts over 70 mph. As the day progressed and the storm failed to appear, many people, writer included, continued their daily routine. By dark on Friday March 11th, 2011 we had strong winds but little snow and it appeared the brunt of the storm was going to miss us.

I drove into town late in the evening to visit friends, but I kept one eye on the weather conditions outside.
One favorable condition of the storm was the report that it would end by midnight. I waited until after midnight and then got in the truck and headed for home a few miles away. While still in town I appreciated that the winds were still very strong and any snow in the air was being driven horizontally.

As I left the protection of the town the winds increased, as did the blowing snow. When I was about a mile south of town all protection from buildings and trees were left behind and I drove into the full force of the storm. As I continued south the wind blew from the northwest and the sky filled with blowing snow that crossed my path from right to left.

On the prairie, snow blowing firecly across the road has a tendency to cause a driver to drive in the direction of the snow. Headlights are virtually useless as the snow in the air reflects the light back so you see nothing but white snow in front of the vehicle.

The blowing snow has a hypnotic effect on the driver and it takes concentration to stay on the road. To make matters even worse an increase in the wind causes what we call a "white out" when absolutely nothing can be seen for four or five seconds. Just the sound of the storm is enough scare you.

When I lost the last protection from the trees, I slowed right down and had to look out the drivers window at the ground. The pavement was free of snow as the winds were so strong the snow was blow across it and out into the open fields. No other vehicles were on the road so there was only a minor chance of running into something.

It was at this point that a firece gust of wind caused a white out and I was unable to even see the pavement out the side widow.  I applied the brakes and brought the vehicle to a stop and sat there waiting for visibility to improve.

When I went to move forward the truck would not move.  I opened the door and saw snow.  I was no longer on the road.  With difficulty I got out and walked around the truck in the blinding winds and snow.  I had to hold onto the truck the whole time or I would have been blow into the field.  I soon determined that I had crossed the highway to my left and was now sitting still facing north, but on the side of the ditch.

I was only a few feet from the pavement but the tires on the left side were in a foot of hard snow while the tires on the right side were in six inches. I tried to back up in my tracks but they had already filled in with snow.  Any attempt to rock the vehicle back and forth did no good because the snow was packed hard.

The roar of the wind was so strong that it would have been very difficult to talk to someone, if I had not been alone. It was impossible to face the wind and snow and you could only look down at the ground or down wind. The truck was being buffeted strongly by the blizzard winds and was rocking from side to side.

When I got back into the truck to warm up I realized I had three options. The first was to stay put and wait till morning or until the storm blew itself out.  I had enough gas and was warm so that was the best option.

The second, was to try and dig the vehicle out, get back up on the pavement, and slowly work my way home. The last option was to leave the vehicle and walk the mile or so back to the house. All the advise in the world states, stay in your vehicle. Most people die when the get lost in the blizzard and walk in circles until they finally fall down and freeze.

After sitting a short while, I decided that I would at least try and dig the vehicle out as I always travel in the winter time with a large shovel, known locally as a grain shovel.  I was wearing a warm coat and had on my head a stocking cap. So it was up with the coat collar and down with the hat and I jumped out.

I started at the back of  the truck where the loose snow lay in the tracks.  I was able to shovel the loose snow away and with each shovel full I hardly had to lift it up a foot and it was instantly blown from the shovel and took off into the darkness for parts unknown.

After about five minuets the cold winds and snow would force me back into the truck to warm up. I was in and out a half dozen times before the snow was cleared from behind the truck. I also cleared the snow away from behind the front tires. A couple of times the wind grabbed the lower section of the shovel and I almost lost it, had I not held on tightly with one hand on the handle. It was a very good demonstration just how strong the winds were blowing.

Getting back in the truck was always difficult as the wind first tried to rip the door off, then made it difficult to get the door closed again. Once I was warmed up I tried to back the truck up. By driving forward and back for about three feet I made room to make a run at backing up. In a matter of moments I was  moving freely but then the tires started to spin, they lost traction and the back of the truck started to slide down the slope into deeper snow in the ditch.

The only choice was to get back out and continue shoveling. After a few more tries at backing up onto the road and sliding further into the ditch I gave up and got back into the truck to warm up. Once I was warm I decided that I had to change my plan and try to drive forward. It would mean shoveling away a lot of snow in front of the truck as well as  from under the vehicle and back tires.

At the point the wind started to work for me.  As I cleared away the snow down to the dirt and grass the wind kept in clean and no further snow built up. After many trips in and out of the vehicle I had enough snow moved away to attempt to move forward.

It is at this point you realized that if it does not work you will be forced to spend eight or ten hours waiting for help.  I cautiously put the vehicle in gear and it began to move forward but then once again the back tires lost traction and moved down the slope. The truck was now facing the road and the rear was much lower than the front tires which were on the gravel shoulder. It was time to rest and think things over.

Digging in the cutting wind and snow takes all your energy and concentration.  I could think much better when I was in the truck and warmed up. I realized that with the front end on the edge of the road I not longer had to worry about shoveling snow from the front tires and could concentrate on the back.  If  I could dig down to the dirt in the ditch I should be able to get traction and get out. It was worth a final try.

Out I went for one last try. The wind and snow had not let up in the slightest but now any snow I dug away from under the vehicle and around the tires was whipped away and kept away. After many in and out trips I was ready to make my last attempt. As I shifted into gear and applied the gas I could feel the tires starting to dig into the dirt. The more dirt I dug, the more dirt it packed in behind the truck so I was able to rock the truck back and forth until I got more room to make the run up the slope.

Eventually, with each roll back and forth I was able to climb the slope higher and was very happy when the back wheels reached the pavement.  It was at the very moment, when I sat sideways blocking the entire road, that I had thoughts of some large truck appearing out of the blizzard to hit me broadside. Not good.

I was very quick to get turned south and then with the door window open I watched the pavement very carefully. A couple of times I saw the yellow center line and moved right to stay on my side of the road. The winds kept trying to force me across the road.

The vehicle moved at a crawl as I knew I was close to my road where I had to turn east. I could see a sign between the gust of snow that showed I was at the intersection.  I made the turn very slowly as I had no intention of going back into the ditch.

My spirits were lifted when I got on the gravel side road and slowly started eastward. At this point the winds seemed to be coming more for the west, blowing the snow down the road ahead of me. I left the window open and stared down at the gravel on the road and made sure I did not leave it for the snow filled ditch. It seemed to take for ever as I moved forward at a crawl, and a lot slower than a person could walk.

After almost a mile I reached the protection of my woods that was to the left and this slowed the wind down so I had a little more visibility.  I was a pleased to see my mailbox by my driveway. Once I turned into my drive and my woods, visibility was almost normal and it was a great relief to turn off the truck and head into the house.

The next day I had a few sore muscles from the marathon of shoveling but I considered myself lucky compared to the many people that spent anywhere from eight to eighteen hours before they were rescued.

So far I have not heard of anyone that lost their life. I got home at 2:30 a.m

Interesting Statistics

As you read this, my 64th post, please note the recorder in the upper right hand corner of this page. Below the numbers you will note the words "view my stats".  If you place your cursor over these words they will turn light blue. Click on them and a new page will open that shows this weeks numbers of the people who have visited this Blog as well as the number of pages they have visited.

While the numbers are rather low, they do show a very slow growth. What I find even more interesting is when I go down the list on the left hand side of the page to the 18th item that states, Recent Visitor Activity.

If you click on this heading you will be taken to a detailed list of the more recent visitors. In most cases a person simply reads the page they searched for and then moves on.  In that case the time spent on the page is simply recorded as zero.  If the person moves to one or more different pages the time spent is recorded.
I am quit surprised at the number of people who spend up to an hour or two reading many posts.

What is even more interesting, and some times down right surprising, is the information displayed when you click on item 19 on the left hand list, called Recent Visitor Map.  When this page opens it displays a map of the world with a marker over each town where a recent visitor resides. Clicking on a marker results in a pop up with more information. The markers are constantly being added and subtracted as I believe they only remain about a month. In other words the map shows the visitors to this page during the last thirty days. It only proves that the Internet continues to shrink our world.

Thoughts of Spring

This post is merely to confirm I am still alive, though I barely survived February with a serious case of the Flue. This is the time of the year we search desperately for any signs of spring. I have heard a few crows so that is one indicator.

Late last night the coyote pack was howling in unison with the occasional solo, which my dog replied to. They are on the prowl looking for winter killed deer.

If you look carefully you will see small signs of the snow retreating. The south facing ditch banks are almost free of snow, so I know woodcocks will soon appear .They are a very hardy bird that likes to reclaim their territory and nest very early.

Having said all that, I must get back to work writing some new posts, before the few loyal readers I have give up on me.

Freezing Rain in February

I awoke during the night from the sound of raindrops on my window pane. It was hard to get back to sleep what with worrying about all the problems it causes. The worst is the build-up of ice on the power lines, coupled with strong winds which pull down the lines . No power, no sump pumps, equals water flooding the basement.

Ice on the windshield a quarter of an inch thick gets the day off to a good start. Car door hard to open, windows frozen shut, roads like a skating rink.

But all that is minor when considering the effect freezing rain has on wildlife. With our two feet of snow, a frozen crust cuts the front legs of deer as they walk. Owls are unable to break through the crust to catch the mice they hear under the snow. Ruff Grouse can be sealed in their overnight shelter and starve to death.

I am not going to complain as I will not suffer any injuries or die of starvation.

More Snow and Colder Weather

This morning started out at -18F, the second of two cold nights, with one more to go this evening.

By afternoon it was a sunny and a balmy -3F, so it was time to hit the snowshoe trails.

With three to four new inches of fresh snow, that makes a total of at least twenty-four inches of snow on the ground. The snow depth is very obvious on any large logs laying around.

The packed snowshoe trail is only six inches below the overall snow depth. Without snowshoes, the snow is knee deep and very difficult to walk in. The dog occasionally forgets and ends up floundering up to her chin.

The frequent snow falls through out January has made it difficult to keep all of our trails packed down. One in particular was deep with fresh snow so it was slow going. The old dog was not too happy as she has been spoiled with travel on the packed trails.

Flying Underwater

One spring, as the north end of the Lake of the Woods began to thaw, I headed out into the open water in my canoe. The distance I could go was limited by the ice. Where there was the slightest current, that was where the ice melted first.

As I explored the sections of open water, I noticed a single duck swimming some distance away. When I paddled towards it, the duck moved away ahead of me. The channel slowly narrowed, until it was no more than six feet wide.

Since it was a duck that I was not familiar with, I kept paddling slowly towards it in the hope of identifying it.. As the distance narrowed, the duck suddenly found that it no longer had enough open water to take off in.
I expected it would hop up on the ice and take off from there.

To my surprise, the duck simply dived underwater and disappeared. Because of all the ice, the only open water was behind my canoe, so I looked down into the water to see if I could find the duck. Within a few seconds I saw the duck about ten feet below my canoe and it was moving swiftly through the water by using its wings as if it were flying.

I had seen many ducks and loons dive under water but they seemed to use their webbed feet to propel themselves. In this instance the duck was flying in the water, similarly to the way it flew in the air, with its wings fully outstretched. I watched as it flew below the canoe and then popped up behind me in the open water. From that point it quickly ran across the surface of the water and took to the air.

The ease with which the bird moved through the water was impressive, as it seemed to move effortlessly but with speed. The entire demonstration took place in a matter of seconds, but I was able to identify it as a male Common Goldeneye.
　
　

Saved by "A Flash of Light"

I was directing traffic in Banff, Alberta, one day, at a minor traffic accident, when a passing motorist rolled down his window and asked, “Was anyone hurt in that accident where the car went through the guard rail and down the cliff?” “What accident and where?” I enquired.

I quickly obtained a good description of where the accident occurred, thanked the driver for the information and waved him on.

Once the damaged cars had been cleared from the intersection, I got on the car radio and contacted the dispatcher in the Calgary sub-division. They had no reports of any accident as I described. At that point I contacted the Canmore Detachment, as the accident scene was in their area. They had no knowledge of the accident.

I carefully explained where the accident was located in the mountains, on a very sharp curve, where there was a very steep drop off down the face of the cliff. The key was to look for the any damage to the guard rails.

Within the hour I heard radio traffic and realized they had found the vehicle with the driver still in it and a rescue was taking place. After that I was distracted with other duties and did not hear any additional details.

About a week later I was on the phone with the Canmore Detachment on another incident, and when I was done I asked them about the accident where the car went over the cliff.

I learned that they had a great deal of trouble locating the car as there were no tire marks and no damage to the guard rails. The vehicle could not be seen by anyone standing on the road at the point where the car went over the edge.

The driver of the car that first reported the accident to me, was very careful to point out that he noticed the wrecked car only because the sun was reflected off the windshield, when they were about a half mile away and approaching a u-shaped curve. They were at the top end of one side of the curve and the wreck was at the top end of the opposite side of the U.

It took some time to realize that the car could only be spotted for a second, in one specific place on the highway, some distance away and down the side of the mountain. Many spruce and pine trees hid the vehicle. Both before and after passing that point, it was impossible to see the wreck.

Eventually tire tracks were found in the dirt, where the vehicle had gone between the guard rail posts without touching any one of them. The car dropped down the steep slope about a hundred feet and became lodged on its side between the mountain and the base of a large pine tree.

Mountain climbing gear had to be used to lower a rescuer down the side of the mountain to the car.
It was discovered that the male driver was still alive in the automobile, and terrified to even move. Because the car was on its side he was sitting on the driver’s door and looking down through the glass, to a the bottom of the valley, very far below.

Each time he tried to move, his weight shifted the car and it seemed about to fall down the steep cliff.

Later it was determined that he was not paying attention to the road, but was enjoying the scenery, lost control of the car and went over the edge, but was saved when the car jammed between the tree and the cliff.

The rescue of the driver took place many hours after the accident had occurred, and at a time when he thought he would never be found. He yelled for help but could not be seen nor heard. He would probably have died, long before he would have been found.

Recovery of the car was even more difficult and all traffic on the road had to be halted for a number of hours until the job was done.

The man was saved only because a very observant driver saw "a flash of light" off the windshield and realized it was a car. He assumed it was an old accident but spoke to me only because he was curious about the details. I was too busy at the time to get his name, but I did follow up on the report and was happy to hear the driver was saved.