2023: Our first big snow storm of the year

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  I’m no stranger to snow and how it has to be dealt with. Growing up in Wisconsin, it was just part of life. There were winters when, once the snow was in place, it was there for the duration. In other winters, there would be a January thaw. This created big ponds of melted snow, unable to drain into the frozen ground. We certainly had six months of it, though. No breaks in the weather, so to speak. 

This was in an era when nobody had given any thought to going outside in December in big baggy shorts, flip-flops and a hockey jersey. The first time I saw a youth climb out of his car in minus 20-degree temps with shorts on, I was sure that it was a sign of the impending apocalypse. I’m used to it now. It’s a sign of someone who has never put his car in the ditch and had to walk back to town. We didn’t have cell phones then. We have them now, but they don’t work in places where you would need them the most.

Slip sliding away (or possibly into the ditch)

I almost put my truck in a place where a tow truck would be needed the other night. Turning off Westoak onto Mcfarland with 3 inches of snow on the road and only one set of tracks ahead of me, disaster almost struck. Going 2 miles per hour as I made the turn, in 4-wheel drive, the truck balked at turning the corner. Hitting the brakes was a last resort. It stopped the truck just before the front end went into the ditch. I backed up, got pointed in the right direction and proceeded home without further incident.

The next morning I was surprised to see how much white fluffiness was out my window. Shoveling the front steps dispelled the notion that the snow had a “fluffy” quality. I would not be exaggerating to say that there was close to a foot of snow on the deck. Reports from town say that, down by the tracks, a mile and a half away, as the crow flies, there was 5 inches.

I’ve only been through a handful of snow events in the 3 winters I’ve spent in Oakridge. There seems to be a consensus to just do nothing- it’ll go away on its own in a few days. I would be interested to know what the criteria are for the snowplows to go out and push snow around. Probably more than “to track a cat” and less than “I can’t tell where the road is.”

Keep your eyes open for the crazies on the road

I have noticed on my trips to Willamette Pass to ski and play my guitar, that it’s a challenge to keep that portion of Highway 58 in good shape. The road always seems to be pretty good until I come out the other side of the tunnel. After the snow started to accumulate, every trip up or down included seeing at least one vehicle, nose into the snowbank, on its side or even upside down. All these mishaps were caused by people driving too fast on slippery roads. This is great for the tow truck business and auto body shops. I’m certain that EMTs and area hospitals would rather have other things to spend their time on. Why people drive like maniacs to save a few minutes coming down the hill, I’ll never know.

I have rambled on long enough. I’m going to put my cross country skis on and take a loop around the golf course. On the track that I laid down yesterday. I have to enjoy it while I can. It will be gone soon.