After putting John on the train, I faced a scary drive north from Gallup NM on Hwy. 471.
Ahead I could see very black clouds with quite a light show on both sides of the highway. Then I drove into them and had heavy rain until Shiprock.
After I entered, for about 20 minutes the rain was blowing sideways, no visibility, constant flashing of lightning on each side of road. I could not see stripes on the road or judge how much water was on the road, but on hills it was running down the road and maybe an inch or two standing I guess on lower parts. Much up and down.
Good factor was that this was divided highway and no traffic. I could crawl along at 5 mph and not worry about getting hit. Only two cars passed me during an hour and a half; when they approached, I put on flashers.
I debated whether to pull over and wait it out or whether to try to drive out of the storm. If the cell was stalled, the wait could be long.
I slowed to 10 and 5 mph, following the car ahead of me to see where road was. When it pulled over, so did I.
I couldn't pull over sooner because it was hard to judge where I was (low spot or top of hill--the latter not good b/c of lightning) and how much shoulder was available. When the other car started up again, so did I, feeling safer with someone to follow.
Toward Shiprock the storm let up, and I stopped for a taco and bathroom break for me and the two dogs.
I was listening to KTNN, The Navajo Nation, all the way, and as we entered Shiprock, Buck Owens was singing "You wouldn't judge me if you'd walked the streets of Bakersfield."
No rain then until Rico, and no deer or elk the whole way up Hwy. 145 to Trout Lake, but just before Cayton Campground some sort of large cat crossed the road in front of me. All I could see was its bright eye and the shadow of its body. The motion of the legs and body was very fluid, like a cat.
I've seen a bear cross this highway, galumphing like a rabbit with the hind two feet ahead of the front two at one point. This animal was bigger than a coyote, which crossed Hwy. 145 ahead of me a few days ago, its legs moving fast while the body was just carried along without the shoulders moving.
Driving on ice is scarier, but for above 40 degrees weather conditions, this was the worst I've faced.
Hallelujah! I made it home.
Hallelujah! I made it home.
