White knuckle driving

So in honor of the new year I decided to take a road trip to Port Angeles last week.

And had an encounter with my old nemesis: S-N-O-W.

I'm a white knuckle driver at best. As I drove out Highway 112 it was clear that the snow from Christmas not only hadn't melted much but hadn't really been plowed either, other than two very narrow and slightly-slick driving lanes.

I ditched the Prius in a turnout about 1/4 mile from my turn, loaded up my backpack, my laptop and the dog, and started hiking. Getting settled took a lot longer than usual, and the temps dropped to the mid-20's overnight, but it was a lovely, quiet afternoon and evening, interrupted only by the rattle of sleet against the trailer windows.

Next morning, I woke to snow with a fresh crust of ice. Kind of like a frosted snow cone! It was great fun watching the dog skate around on top of the snow, not sure why his feet were acting independently of each other. Not so fun to finally hike back down to the highway and realize it was a solid sheet of ice. Even the 4WD's that usually zip by like they're in a road rally were creeping along.

I settled in to wait for the sun.