By Kylie Blanchard, Staff Writer
Although modern conveniences have made winter easier in North Dakota, sometimes all it takes is a bit of snow and a lot of wind to remind us who is really in charge this time of year. And it is often these reminders that also create the stories retold each winter as the wind howls and the snow swirls.
A couple of weekends ago, my family headed to my in-law's house tucked in the trees next to the Sheyenne River outside of Kindred. This was our second attempt at visiting since Christmas, having been shut out over New Years due to the blizzards that hit the area.
Our drive on Friday was on clear roads under clear skies, although I can't say I was real excited about watching the temperature drop from a balmy 28 degrees in Bismarck to -11 (without wind chill) at our destination. Saturday the sun was shining and the air had a bite, but the roads were clear and our Sunday trip home was looking routine.
It's amazing what a little wind can do on the wide open fields of the Red River Valley...
Now I said the house is tucked in the trees but beyond the trees are wide open, snow covered fields. When I woke up Sunday morning, the yard was clear and the wind was only visible in the constant waving of the tree tops. I was planning to slip on my snow shoes (a purchase made just the day before) and take a walk through the trees along the river.
My husband, who had ventured to Fargo to pick up Grandma for Sunday dinner, saw a whole different picture of Sunday morning. His experience was howling winds and blowing snow, which ended with the road from the highway to the house being blown over by a large drift and becoming impassable to our 4-wheel-drive vehicle upon their return.
My father-in-law was called to pick up my husband and Grandma in his larger 4-wheel-drive pick-up and he too got stuck. Both vehicles (once unstuck) were driven into the nearest neighbor's farm yard, on the other side of the "Great Snow Drift," about three-quarters of a mile from the house.
Once safely in the neighbor's yard Grandma decided she was going to go back to Fargo, realizing if and when she did make it to the house she was not going to get back home until the plow came through. When the guys made it back to the neighbor's yard after the second trip to Fargo, they called the house. The third and final 4-wheel-drive vehicle was dispatched and driven as far as possible down the road (without getting stuck) as the guys walked to meet it.
Now the challenge remained of getting to our vehicle, before the "Great Snow Drift" grew larger, so we could get to the highway and make our way home. My husband and I both had to work on Monday and, often in North Dakota, you're only snowed in if you have an eight foot drift covering your door. (But even then there is probably a window you can crawl through.) So we decided to bundle up and again take the last vehicle this side of the "Great Snow Drift" as far down the road as we could.
Our bags were then transferred to my husband, and our son and the remaining bags were placed on a sled pulled by my father-in-law, and we made our way to our vehicle on foot the last quarter mile. Thank goodness I picked up those snow shoes. The wind was whipping, the snow was flying and we climbed across the "Great Snow Drift" hunched over against the elements. We made it to the neighbor's yard and our vehicle just as it was beginning to feel like icicles were forming on the end of my nose. The picture to the left is my father-in-law walking back across the "Great Snow Drift" to his vehicle.
Although the blowing snow and low visibility continued on the Interstate until Jamestown, the roads were clear and we made it home to Bismarck without any (more) trouble.
It's not too often a winter journey home starts on foot, at least these days. But luckily we had the modern conveniences of cell phones and multiple vehicles, and some of the tried and true staples of North Dakota winters, good neighbors, warm gear, a strong shovel and a good sled, to make the event pretty bearable.
I'm guessing there are many stories that have been told of fighting the elements on foot for a lot longer than a quarter-mile with a lot less, and I'm sure some have been shared in the pages of ND Horizons magazine.
ND Horizons 40th anniversary issue is on newsstands now with stories of how our state and the publication have changed over the last four decades. And if you'd like much more serene winter pictures than those found in this post, the 2011 ND Horizons calendar is also available showcasing beautiful scenery from across the state in all seasons.
Although much has changed in North Dakota over the past 40 years, it appears the winters will always bring about experiences and stories that will be told over and over for many years to follow. And, from now on, I'm going to be sure my winter experiences and stories always include my snow shoes.
My family roots are in North Dakota, but I grew up in Seattle. So this "you're not really snowed in until you have 8 feet of snow in front of your door" thing is sort of amazing to me. :-)
I was in the Fargo area over New Year's and got caught up in all the blizzard interstate closures. So what's a girl to do but blog about it? This may be of interest to some:
http://carolynschott.com/dakotas/no-way-out/
Posted by: Carolyn S | January 31, 2011 at 08:45 PM