A Triple Track Winter

Whilst I don't particularly enjoy being cold or slithering around in snow, I do like the photographic/video results. I'd been keeping an eye on the weather forecasts, and finally snow was forecast for Nebraska. I set off a day earlier than planned, as the Tucson area was supposed to get snow, and getting over the Dragoons in snow might be a problem, as the Rav is not 4wd. I didn't get under way until about noon, and made it to Santa Fe, NM, about 525 miles before stopping for the night. I was at O'Fallons, west of North Platte by 4pm or so, and was surprised by an almost total lack of snow. It was a bit crisp out, having lived in Tucson for almost 16 years I've grown accustomed to being warm! The next day brought light snow and flurries and a decent amount of trains and I shot as far east as Cozad. Thursday brought winter storm "Q" and I got some nice snowy footage as far as Brady. The plows had, it seemed, not been past Brady, and eventually, since I couldn't really see the road, and there was no other traffic, I decided discretion was a good thing, and turned around and went back to North Platte. The snow seemed a bit lighter and the roads a bit better, so I ended up working my way to Hershey. Friday I slept in, having forgotten to turn the alarm on, and woke to bright blue skies. I worked my way east to Overton, where I sort of got stuck, as a set of headlights appeared as the previous train disappeared. I spent the night in Lexington, where the roads were extremely slippery. Next day promised to be clear, so I was out before sunrise. It was seriously cold out, and what wasn't covered in snow was covered in hoar frost. Great day! I ended up at Gibbon with a nice series of shots to end the program. It had started to cloud up in the west, and I thought I was going to be skunked for sunset shots, but a gap appeared, the sun popped out and an eastbound stack train showed up at just the right moment. Sunday was very cold, and very foggy. I got a few shots in the fog, and set off for home. It started to snow somewhere west of North Platte, and it was a thoroughly dismal drive across Nebraska and through Colorado on snowy and icy roads, lots of cars in the median, some overturned. South of Colorado Springs there was no snow, and the sun was out, but I ran into very heavy snow at Walsenburg. I figured I could make it to Raton, and pressed on. If the drive over Raton Pass, in deep blowing snow, in the dark with almost zero visibility, wasn't the worst drive in my life, it was a very close second! I eventually made it, leaving 700 miles to cover to home. Next day brought indifferent road conditions to just north of Albuquerque, after that it was snowless, sunny and clear. All in all, a good trip, and some very nice footage.