We are back from our whirlwind tour through three states this weekend. Whew. I think that's all I can say about that!
We left NM on Friday afternoon and drove north. We opted to go the more scenic and (mileage-wise) direct route up into southern Colorado through the mountains, traveling through Chama and Pagosa Springs, and then west into Durango before heading into Utah. The other option is come and go through the Four Corners region, but unless the weather is bad (it's flatter in the western part of the state), it's more mileage, and frankly, very unattractive to drive through.
The weather held for us Friday p.m., and we made it all the way north into Moab. We stopped there overnight, had dinner at the brew pub (Dead Horse Ale, anyone?) and then got up to gray skies and flurries on Saturday a.m. We headed north as it got stormier, and ran into some pretty nasty weather to get over the summit by Strawberry River, where the weather is notorious. We had gotten over the summit and started our run downhill to find a tractor-trailer had jack-knifed in the slushy, slick conditions and had cracked open its gas tank to lose all of the diesel fuel into the snow at the side of the road. The Hazmat crews had travel down to just a half a lane plus the shoulder, trying to get the accident cleared. Scary stuff!
We made it into SLC close to 11:30, and were in town a whopping 3 hours (one of which was eaten up standing in the camping gear store trying to get a heavy duty battery that would fit in the camper), but did get the camper hooked up to the truck in sunshine, before the next band of storms came in across Utah Lake. We gave the house a quick once-over, shoveled the driveway, did a quick house showing to a couple who were driving by (seredipity, eh?) and then jumped back into the truck and headed south again in the snow. Happily enough, the summit had cleared and we made the drive in brilliant sunshine over the peak of the mountains, and headed down into the flatter sagebrush country in the SE corner of Utah.
We stayed overnight in Moab again on Saturday, and then finished up the drive back to NM on Sunday. The forecast storm for Monday here in NM fizzled out. It's windy today (Tuesday), with high clouds, but none of the snow that went further north of us.
I did get some knitting done in the car while we weren't dodging the snowstorms, and after 4 stymied attempts to get things looking the way I wanted them, I got the first sock pattern I'm doing for Nancy started. I was kind of on a roll, but I hesitated to go much further until I was home with my charting software. It's hard to remember sometimes what you've done without any notes, and I didn't want to get so far along I couldn't reproduce this.
It's a little more purple and a bit less gray in this picture than in real life, but you get the general idea, yes? I'm doing a cabled pattern that takes its inspiration from an ironwork gate in New Orleans. I believe I'll carry the pattern down the leg, and then switch to a 2x2 rib like the cuff for the top of the foot, so it will have some extra stretchiness. The silk component in the yarn (it is a CVM wool/alpaca/silk blend that Nancy had specially spun for her farm store) keeps the yarn from being overly stretchy, so I think the ribbing will help counteract that.
I'll be back tomorrow with some WIP progress on my new vest too!
All for now....
When we made that epic car trip through the west (to go to your fiber show in Montana) we made that drive, but starting at the Denver Airport, down through those passes and over to Moab. I love Moab! We followed Tom up to Park City so I have no idea our exact route, but I know we stopped at Ray's in Green River for the BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD, then through an old mining town. I wouldn't want to do it this time of year with a trailer, though!
Interesting sock!
Posted by: Marcia | February 17, 2009 at 09:28 AM
We heard about the accident later that day. Glad you made it through and your trip was quick and safe! Next time say hello, ok? ;-)
Posted by: margene | February 17, 2009 at 09:37 AM
Whew! Frankly, I think I had a better weekend. Not to rub it in or anything.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | February 17, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Yikes! I love the mountains, but a visit in better weather will be enough excitement for me.
Posted by: Marina | February 17, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Yikes! It sounds like a white knuckle drive over the summit!
Guess you are glad to be back at your desk, knitting with that yummy blend!
Posted by: cyndy | February 17, 2009 at 05:56 PM
Durango is one of my favorite places - my in-laws lived there for 10 years, and we dearly loved our trips to visit them. That's where we fell in love with the Rockies.
Posted by: DebbieB | February 18, 2009 at 05:11 AM