Crazy Snow Evening (I think I see a pattern developing...)

Get ready, this is a long post.

Yesterday morning the weather reports said a small snowstorm was on its way and that it would leave a small dusting of snow during the rush hour traffic. Since this has happened several times in the past few months, I didn't think it was a big deal, so I generally disregarded it.

About 4 p.m. it was apparent that this storm might just be a little crazier than the meteorologists were letting on. At 5 p.m. Adrian (AKA the apostle of appreciation, and my boss) told me to be an example to the rest of the team and go home. I called Karli, who nervously informed me that while Dustin and Dallin had made it home ahead of the storm, the bus that was carrying Katelyn and Kristen had not yet arrived at the bus stop (which usually happens at 3:50 p.m.) She had also received a call from Kristen asking if Karli could come pick her up.

Well, Karli couldn't because the storm was raging so bad that they had closed the Alpine Highway, making it virtually impossible to get to Ridgeline Elementary.

Here's the 10 oclock news explaining the craziness that I was working with.

So, I left OC Tanner at 5 p.m. Three hours later I finally got off the highway at our old Lehi Exit at 1200 west and did some backtracking until I snuck onto the closed Alpine Highway. At this time, the wind was Insane and the drifts were crazy.

(Did I mention I was driving 'The Hamster Wheel' -- aka my Oldsmobile Alero. Yeah, the one with 2-wheel drive.)

There were several times I was driving with no visibility. Miraculously, I was able to turn at the right place and proceed towards the school. Only to have the road blocked by one of the school buses that had stalled in the snow with all the kids in it. Turning around was crazy. The road had turned into a parking lot and it was impossible to pass. People had just decided to park and wait the storm out, which is not what I wanted to do.

With no real options for going anywhere. I stayed in my car for an hour, listening to the BYU basketball game (They won). At 10 p.m., the police were moving some of the cars, enough to where I could get past, back on the Alpine Highway, up one street and straight to the school.

I walked into the school at about 10:15. Grabbed Katelyn, Kristen and Miles Hepworth (our neighbor) and happily started on our way home, knowing that we lived only minutes away.

We drove past one police officer without stopping. (He flashed us but we kept going). We went past another police officer at the old Micron building who actually gave chase. I pulled over, and after pleading with him to let me proceed, reluctantly gave in, and drove down to our old neighborhood in Lehi, with the idea of sneaking back onto the freeway by the nursery south of us.

Well, everyone else had that idea too, and soon, search and rescue crews were helping us all turn around and go back down into Lehi. We were so close, but so far.

Defeated, we decided to get a hotel room. Unfortunately for us, everyone else in the city of Lehi had that same idea. After checking four hotels, we decided to get some pancakes at IHOP in American Fork at 11:30 p.m. (I had skipped lunch, so I was almost anorexic.)

At this time, while drinking hot chocolate with three very tired kids (Krissy had been crying a few times for her mom) we all decided to give it one more try.

We got back onto i-15, and drove straight to the police officer parked at the intersection to Cabelas and Alpine Highway. He told me that he couldn't let me through because I only had two-wheel drive. I plead with him to let me pass, that I had three tired kids in the car, that all the hotels were booked and that we lived only one mile away. He grudgingly let me by, telling me that if I get stuck I was on my own. We were then stopped by another Police officer who asked me if I had all-wheel drive. I responded that I did (which I need to repent for) and that I had just had new snow tires put on my car. He reluctantly let me through as well.

Now all we had to do is get up the hills of Traverse Mountain, which we did heroically. As we drove the last little way to our house Katelyn said "Daddy, I'm so glad you're such a good driver!" We walked in the door around 12:30 a.m.

Whew.

It was obvious that we were watched by a loving Heavenly Father who wanted us to get home safely. While the weather was crazy, I kept surprisingly calm. When I got home, I was a bundle of nerves.

Well, here are some media recaps of the craziness.

Here's an article from my old newspaper

Here's Grant and Amanda's interview with one of the teachers


I took today off work. I'm officially sick of the snow.