2 RV's to Davis, CA

... spending the night in

Up at 5:30, 'Black Ice and No Unnecessary Travel' here to Laramie. Then closed completely for the next 60 miles beyond that. Plan now is to delivery by spring :)

We hope if the sun is out today that we can get to Laramie this afternoon. There we will likely have to sit Weds and Thursday nights.

... spending the night in Lake Point, UT

Amazing how fast things can change. From 5:30 to 6:45 the WY road website said roads closed/no travel. With wind warnings coming in that would last until Friday evening. As we were heading down the breakfast, BB looked for last updates and ALL was clear. All the way to UT.

Luckily BB had gotten hungry so we were mostly on schedule. We ended up leaving only 15 minutes later than originally planned.

2 below zero this AM. BB ran her glow-plugs a dozen plus times before starting her RV, I didn't do nearly that many and so far no issues. Windows were well frozen over so we waited until the defrost melted it off. Our first few blocks of driving were heading right into the sun just as it was coming up. Too far to drive blind. The other transporters had all left between the time we ate breakfast and when we left.

Very long day. A good share of the day was driving 5 mph under the posted, and on this road the posted changes based on the road conditions. The lowest the posted was on this leg was 45 mph so we were going 40. At one point some trucks past us where the snow was blowing and BB lost sight of me for a mile or so. That's just from the blowing snow, it didn't snow much at all today. Wind and ice is what slowed us down.

Before we get to Laramie there is a long down grade. A couple of trucks gave me a good scare when the passed me going down hill. The posted was 45, they had to be doing 65+ ... brakes don't do much good on ice on the down grade. Some how they made it to the bottom, still on the highway. Didn't see any trucks in the ditch, but most of my time was spent watching the white lines.

1st stop was the Conoco in Laramie for fuel. The nozzle wouldn't fit in BB's tank again, after I was done she pulled ahead and finished on the pump I had been using. The Conoco was a small station so we pulled next door to a larger station to use the restrooms. BB wanted to make sure the roads / weather hadn't changed before we headed out again. All this took a half hour, twice our usual.

Saved almost $.40 a gallon stopping at the convenience store instead of the truck stop at the next exit.

Laramie to Rawlins was more of the same. Slow, blowing snow, ice ... and now FOG. White knuckle driving all day. Could only use the cruise for a few miles at a time in WY.

2nd stop, restroom break at the Flying J. Semi's backed up out to the freeway to fuel. Luckily non-trucks could still get to the parking lot. And a school bus in transit was getting hooked to a tow truck in the semi-lane but it didn't seem to be the cause. Enough snow that we couldn't park in our usual spot. Parked beside two other RV's in transit.

Then entrance to the Flying J was really rough. It looked like the last snow had been a wet snow, it didn't get plowed and then it froze. I wouldn't have driven a sports car into the parking lot. Even with the high clearance of the RV's I took it really slow as the RV rocked back and forth. When we left the semis were backed up onto the freeway ramp and the tow truck was gone.

Usually the freeway is worse either east or west of Laramie ... today the worst was west of Rawlins. We weren't on the road long and traffic was down to 20 mph, on ice. Even at that speed the wind was still moving us. Very few trucks past us. Interesting that all day some trucks would pass us and we'd loose sight of them. But then we'd get to where we could see for a longer distance and there would be a large group of trucks about a half or a mile ahead of us. Lots of trucks would pass me and then pull in front of me and stay their for miles, half hour, hour before the road would clear enough for them to take off again. We saw a lot of the same trucks over and over again.

One in particular. He must have just gotten a truck with 'driver assist.' We'd pass him, he'd pull out and pass us. Then a few miles later he'd be behind another truck and we'd pass them. He'd pull out and pass us ... many times today.

First vehicle in the ditch was of Rawlins was a Sheriff's pickup. Or maybe it was a truck that just had it's nose in the ditch and the trailer was still on the shoulder. Then a mile or so later was a semi in the center ditch and three cars in the right ditch. This is part of the time we were going 20 mph on ice.

Passed a few trucks today that had their 4-way flashers on. Most truckers use the 4-ways when going slow up a hill, or to let people know that traffic ahead is stopped. Very few use them when driving slow in the snow. Anyway, I think some of those truckers drove the 400 miles across the state today with their 4-ways on and never got over 45 mph. Some people are really scared of ice.

3rd stop. We knew from our last trip that the A&W in Rock Springs was closed so we decided to eat 'fast food' at a Taco Time. It is right next door to the motel we stay at so we knew there was plenty of parking. Easy off, easy on. First time we had been to a Taco Time. This one was not fast. Took us 45 minutes for fast food. Usually we are in and done in 20 minutes waiting for our half hour to be up so we can head out. And I thought that taco's would be faster than a burger. There is a KFC buffet across the street, maybe next time.

3rd stop, part two. Next exit down the freeway is the Shell we stop at. This time both diesel pumps were open but our rewards card doesn't work. Still the cheapest fuel in town. We are not making good fuel mileage. We are driving slow enough but we are bucking a 40+ mph wind, and we can feel it.

Nope the roads don't get any better. Well maybe a little, or we are just getting used to them. One place I noticed 50-100 pronghorn deer just on the other side of the freeway fence. Between the highway fence and the snow fence. Then a few miles down the road I see a lot of birds, a lot more than are usually attracted to a carcass. That is because it wasn't one carcass, it was a dozen or so. That herd of deer must have been in the road and someone hit a dozen of them in one spot.

BB told me later than on this leg of the trip she was 'yelling at me.' This was it, she was no going to drive any further. Hands froze the wheel for the last 350 miles. (But by the time we were done at the next stop, she was ready to keep going)

If we had stopped for the night in Rock Springs we could have still made delivery on Friday. But the high wind warning was going to start before noon and that could shut us down depending on the restrictions. So we could have stopped in Evanston or half way to SLC.

4th stop is the Flying J in Evanston. We check the time and the weather. We can make it to Toole. So all this pain and suffering has only cost us a couple of hours from our original plan.

When we fueled in Rock Springs, I had 10 more miles than I needed to get to our next fuel stop. In Evanston I had 6 more miles. Now that we have made it to SLC, I have 70 more miles. Haven't decided if I trust that or not. No fuel for the next 99 miles.

Finally in UT there was nothing eventful from Evanston to SLC. When we were in Evanston the highway map showed to stay on I-80, but we always take a shortcut and did again today. Glad we did, I-80 was at a standstill right after we got off of it.

5th and final stop. Quality Inn in Tooele / Lake Point. Tonight they have soup plus cookies. We've seen evening food at other locations, usually in the south but this is the first time we have seen it here. Walked next door to the Denny's at Flying J. We both had breakfasts.

IA load board is up to 81 tonight. Lots of work if we were there.

We have really been getting pelted with rocks from the gravel and salt they put on the highway. I now have a good sized chip in my windshield. And my nose cover is coming off, but I'll leave on what stays on. Last trip to Davis we got pelted in NV, this time it was WY. I'm guessing there is a lot of little chips too from all the stuff hitting the windows.

I was behind someone in the left lane when they hit the rumble strips, that really pelted me until I could back off.

We should make it the 500 miles to Reno, we stay at a Best Western there. Just noticed tonight that the 25+ motels we have stayed at this year have all been the Choice brand. Quality, Sleep, Comfort Inn's.