Stuck in Arizona

[HaydensDad]

We unsuccessfully attempted to leave through Flagstaff on the 29th. We sat on the interstate for 4.5 hrs before finally being able to turn around to find a hotel for the night. The 30th was no better. We tried going out of the way through Tucson but were blocked by sand/wind storms. Finally we were able to leave yesterday.
Anybody else have similar experiences or were we just that unlucky?

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

Wow! Guess I'm glad I didn't go! I don't fly so I would have been in the same position you were.

 

[VintageHawkeye]

Way back in 1984, two buddies and I drove from Iowa City (by way of Crystal Lake, IL) to Steamboat Springs for spring break skiing. As we headed west on I-80 in Nebraska (nighttime by now), the Highway Authorities were closing the big gates with the blinky lights on them right behind us; we were literally among the last cars through as the Interstate was closing because of a winter storm. Mind you, we were in a Chevy Citation hatchback, three 18/19 year old knuckleheads armed with only Pepsi, Doritos, and bravado.
So we keep driving west, through the blizzard. It's pretty dicey.
We manage to reach Laramie, WY and decide we all HAVE to get some rest (I hesitate to say 'sleep', because I don't think any of us truly slept); we pull in to the parking lot of a (closed) fast food place and shut down for a few hours.
Next morning, we awake to a diminishing weather system, but a lot of snow.
We embark once again, west/southbound. We get to the junction of the road that will take us up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down in to Steamboat, only to find that the pass and the entire road are closed. HUGE plows are heading in and out of the gates, but no private vehicles allowed. We sit for probably 3-4 hours while the plows work. Finally, the gates open and the line of vehicles is waved through. We're probably 5th in line, and WOW what a ride. Walls of snow on both sides of the road, twisting turning up & down, total full-pucker ride (we're in a freakin' Citation, remember).
We made it in to Steamboat and had a riotous week. Shared a condo with a guy from Rutgers and a guy from Alaska (!!). U-Texas was also on spring break that week, and those cowpokes really like Steamboat. Flooded with Longhorns. Lotsa frisky lil' Texas gals running around for apres ski and beyond.
Good times...good times...

 

[tweeterhawk]

After going to Phoenix for the game, my son and I returned to Tucson. Stayed there until Thursday night when I took a red-eye out of PHX for EWR. A vicious cold front moved through Tucson around 4 a.m. Thursday, bringing high winds, snow and then rain. Blew some trucks over on I-10, caused other problems. No problems leaving late Thursday but midway through we hit a lot of chop riding over that large front that produced storms in the Midwest.

 

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

After going to Phoenix for the game, my son and I returned to Tucson. Stayed there until Thursday night when I took a red-eye out of PHX for EWR. A vicious cold front moved through Tucson around 4 a.m. Thursday, bringing high winds, snow and then rain. Blew some trucks over on I-10, caused other problems. No problems leaving late Thursday but midway through we hit a lot of chop riding over that large front that produced storms in the Midwest.

That's why I don't fly. I would have been barfing like a madman!

 

[tweeterhawk]

That's why I don't fly. I would have been barfing like a madman!

Didn't seem to bother a lot of my fellow passengers, most of whom could be seen swallowing sleeping pills before boarding the plane and remained sound asleep even during the rough patches. Guess that's de rigueur of the frequent night-time flyer these days.

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

Way back in 1984, two buddies and I drove from Iowa City (by way of Crystal Lake, IL) to Steamboat Springs for spring break skiing. As we headed west on I-80 in Nebraska (nighttime by now), the Highway Authorities were closing the big gates with the blinky lights on them right behind us; we were literally among the last cars through as the Interstate was closing because of a winter storm. Mind you, we were in a Chevy Citation hatchback, three 18/19 year old knuckleheads armed with only Pepsi, Doritos, and bravado.
So we keep driving west, through the blizzard. It's pretty dicey.
We manage to reach Laramie, WY and decide we all HAVE to get some rest (I hesitate to say 'sleep', because I don't think any of us truly slept); we pull in to the parking lot of a (closed) fast food place and shut down for a few hours.
Next morning, we awake to a diminishing weather system, but a lot of snow.
We embark once again, west/southbound. We get to the junction of the road that will take us up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down in to Steamboat, only to find that the pass and the entire road are closed. HUGE plows are heading in and out of the gates, but no private vehicles allowed. We sit for probably 3-4 hours while the plows work. Finally, the gates open and the line of vehicles is waved through. We're probably 5th in line, and WOW what a ride. Walls of snow on both sides of the road, twisting turning up & down, total full-pucker ride (we're in a freakin' Citation, remember).
We made it in to Steamboat and had a riotous week. Shared a condo with a guy from Rutgers and a guy from Alaska (!!). U-Texas was also on spring break that week, and those cowpokes really like Steamboat. Flooded with Longhorns. Lotsa frisky lil' Texas gals running around for apres ski and beyond.
Good times...good times...

Steamboat after a nice snowstorm.....there is nothing better. And yes, those Texas girls LOVE Colorado.

 

[Xerxes]

Way back in 1984, two buddies and I drove from Iowa City (by way of Crystal Lake, IL) to Steamboat Springs for spring break skiing. As we headed west on I-80 in Nebraska (nighttime by now), the Highway Authorities were closing the big gates with the blinky lights on them right behind us; we were literally among the last cars through as the Interstate was closing because of a winter storm. Mind you, we were in a Chevy Citation hatchback, three 18/19 year old knuckleheads armed with only Pepsi, Doritos, and bravado.
So we keep driving west, through the blizzard. It's pretty dicey.
We manage to reach Laramie, WY and decide we all HAVE to get some rest (I hesitate to say 'sleep', because I don't think any of us truly slept); we pull in to the parking lot of a (closed) fast food place and shut down for a few hours.
Next morning, we awake to a diminishing weather system, but a lot of snow.
We embark once again, west/southbound. We get to the junction of the road that will take us up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down in to Steamboat, only to find that the pass and the entire road are closed. HUGE plows are heading in and out of the gates, but no private vehicles allowed. We sit for probably 3-4 hours while the plows work. Finally, the gates open and the line of vehicles is waved through. We're probably 5th in line, and WOW what a ride. Walls of snow on both sides of the road, twisting turning up & down, total full-pucker ride (we're in a freakin' Citation, remember).
We made it in to Steamboat and had a riotous week. Shared a condo with a guy from Rutgers and a guy from Alaska (!!). U-Texas was also on spring break that week, and those cowpokes really like Steamboat. Flooded with Longhorns. Lotsa frisky lil' Texas gals running around for apres ski and beyond.
Good times...good times...

Great story, as long as you make it okay those are the kind of stories that you remember forever. I have a few but that one is pretty extreme. Good stuff.

 

[InNormwetrust]

Way back in 1984, two buddies and I drove from Iowa City (by way of Crystal Lake, IL) to Steamboat Springs for spring break skiing. As we headed west on I-80 in Nebraska (nighttime by now), the Highway Authorities were closing the big gates with the blinky lights on them right behind us; we were literally among the last cars through as the Interstate was closing because of a winter storm. Mind you, we were in a Chevy Citation hatchback, three 18/19 year old knuckleheads armed with only Pepsi, Doritos, and bravado.
So we keep driving west, through the blizzard. It's pretty dicey.
We manage to reach Laramie, WY and decide we all HAVE to get some rest (I hesitate to say 'sleep', because I don't think any of us truly slept); we pull in to the parking lot of a (closed) fast food place and shut down for a few hours.
Next morning, we awake to a diminishing weather system, but a lot of snow.
We embark once again, west/southbound. We get to the junction of the road that will take us up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down in to Steamboat, only to find that the pass and the entire road are closed. HUGE plows are heading in and out of the gates, but no private vehicles allowed. We sit for probably 3-4 hours while the plows work. Finally, the gates open and the line of vehicles is waved through. We're probably 5th in line, and WOW what a ride. Walls of snow on both sides of the road, twisting turning up & down, total full-pucker ride (we're in a freakin' Citation, remember).
We made it in to Steamboat and had a riotous week. Shared a condo with a guy from Rutgers and a guy from Alaska (!!). U-Texas was also on spring break that week, and those cowpokes really like Steamboat. Flooded with Longhorns. Lotsa frisky lil' Texas gals running around for apres ski and beyond.
Good times...good times...

Pepsi..... riiiiiight

 

[tbhawkeye]

We had a very similar experience. We were scheduled to drive back on Thursday but due to the forecast we were hearing, we decided to leave on Wednesday the 29th. It had just started to sprinkle as we left Tempe. As we drove into the mountains, the rain turned to snow and about (30) miles south of Flagstaff the interstate came to a dead stop and we sat there in a severe snow storm for 4 1/2 hours. Finally, traffic started to move but we still needed to go up in elevation, there were many stuck cars and trucks. It took us over nine hours to make it to Flagstaff (120 miles). Fortunately we had booked a room there earlier in the day as everything was completely booked.

On Thursday, I-40 and I-17 were closed in all directions out of Flagstaff. We were told that I-40 was to reopen at 10:00 am, then moved to 3:00 pm then to 5:00 pm and finally to noon on Friday. We were able to stay in the same room on Thursday night. We went to a movie and hung out all day Thursday (I-40 did reopen at about 6:00 pm on Thursday but we chose to stay overnight anyway just to be safe). There was a busload of older people there that we're trying to get to the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl - I hope they made it!

We left Flag early on Friday morning and drove on some crappy roads but made it home on Saturday afternoon. What a trip! I'm just glad the Hawks won. Made it all worth it!

 

[VintageHawkeye]

Steamboat after a nice snowstorm.....there is nothing better. And yes, those Texas girls LOVE Colorado.

I forgot to mention in my story that this was my first ski trip out west. I had only skied in the midwest until this trip. So, naturally, it was my first experience with powder...Steamboat Champagne powder.
Purely sensational.
That trip remains in my top-5 all time, and I've skied all over the world since then (elsewhere in Colorado; Utah; Italy; France; Switzerland).