Second weekend in Portland
What a bummer. Saturday morning, I thought I would be able to go up to Mount Hood and Frog Lake to see a sled dog race but the weather did not want to cooperate. When I woke, it was raining but I thought a higher elevation would eliminate the problem. It did, kinda sorta. It turned to snow.
The further up Hwy 26 I went, the worse it got. As I passed through Sandy, Oregon the snow changed from small flakes to big ones with an attitude and within a few miles all lanes were covered with the white stuff and my confidence was waning with each hill and curve the Hyundai Sonata approached. As my mind pondered whether or not to turn back, suddenly I came upon a pair of wrecked trucks. Apparently, the 18 wheeler jack-knifed in the middle of the lane and the cab-over single axle box truck had T-boned it.
30940986.jpg)
Driving past them, I looked for a convenient spot to turn around so I could go back and render aid if possible. By the time I could pull over safely, wait for other vehicles to pass and safely do a U turn, a state trooper had pulled up and a couple of other cars had stopped.
Figuring, I had nothing more to offer than just getting in the way, I drove on past them as I met an ambulance coming up the hill.
Uninspiring as it was, I drove into downtown Portland and cruised a couple of camera shops, admiring seriously over priced camera gear before eventually heading back to Clackamas.
Sunday was much the same. I got as far as Sandy, Oregon before the snow began falling hard as I began to reflect on Saturday's incidents. The LED signs on the side of the road warned me that I needed chains or traction tires to proceed further. Several years ago, while working down in southern Oregon, state police were known for writing tickets to those ignoring the signs as they attempted passes between Klamath Falls and Medford. With this in mind, I stopped for coffee at a 7-11 and chatted up an Indian guy who confirmed how much the police loved writing tickets.
Anyway, I blew the rest of the day off , went back to the hotel, took a nap and took care of a couple of weeks worth of laundry.
Addendum: As fate would have it, Monday arrived with stars out before sunrise and the sun was bright the entire day and as I turned off the interstate to my hotel, Mt Hood was finally visible, 35-40 miles away. I'll never understand.
The further up Hwy 26 I went, the worse it got. As I passed through Sandy, Oregon the snow changed from small flakes to big ones with an attitude and within a few miles all lanes were covered with the white stuff and my confidence was waning with each hill and curve the Hyundai Sonata approached. As my mind pondered whether or not to turn back, suddenly I came upon a pair of wrecked trucks. Apparently, the 18 wheeler jack-knifed in the middle of the lane and the cab-over single axle box truck had T-boned it.
30940986.jpg)
Driving past them, I looked for a convenient spot to turn around so I could go back and render aid if possible. By the time I could pull over safely, wait for other vehicles to pass and safely do a U turn, a state trooper had pulled up and a couple of other cars had stopped.
Figuring, I had nothing more to offer than just getting in the way, I drove on past them as I met an ambulance coming up the hill.
Uninspiring as it was, I drove into downtown Portland and cruised a couple of camera shops, admiring seriously over priced camera gear before eventually heading back to Clackamas.
Sunday was much the same. I got as far as Sandy, Oregon before the snow began falling hard as I began to reflect on Saturday's incidents. The LED signs on the side of the road warned me that I needed chains or traction tires to proceed further. Several years ago, while working down in southern Oregon, state police were known for writing tickets to those ignoring the signs as they attempted passes between Klamath Falls and Medford. With this in mind, I stopped for coffee at a 7-11 and chatted up an Indian guy who confirmed how much the police loved writing tickets.
Anyway, I blew the rest of the day off , went back to the hotel, took a nap and took care of a couple of weeks worth of laundry.
Addendum: As fate would have it, Monday arrived with stars out before sunrise and the sun was bright the entire day and as I turned off the interstate to my hotel, Mt Hood was finally visible, 35-40 miles away. I'll never understand.
Nikon D7000 f/5.6 1/640 sec ISO-200 200mm cropped 100%
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment