The view for much of the 500-mile round trip
On Saturday, I rented a Nissan Rogue SUV to drive my
youngest son to college in Johnstown, Pa. We filled the silver 4-wheel-drive
with clothes and luggage and drove west, leaving at Noon. The forecast said
snow from mid-afternoon to the following morning. Right on time, the snow started about 30
minutes before we arrived in Johnstown.
My plan was to drop my son off, get him settled in the room,
go to Pittsburgh, then return in the morning and check how things were going at
school before I returned to Lancaster.
By 4:30 pm, I was on the road to Pittsburgh in steady but
light snow. I was immediately glad I was in an SUV and not our 2001 Toyota
Prius. When I got to Pittsburgh, I planned to stay in the Liberty area and go
again to the Tree of Life Synagogue, two miles away on top of one of the hills
of Pittsburgh. I drove to the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and stopped near the
Synagogue, walked around and remembered the victims.
Then I drove down Wilkins Avenue from Tree of Life
Synagogue. Google maps told me to turn right on South Negley Street. I followed the map and climbed a short, steep
grade to the crest at Fair Oaks Street.
I started downhill toward Fifth Avenue and was immediately feeling the
brake pedal pulse back as the Nissan slid down the steep, icy grade. I was
slowing, but not enough for me to stop at the red traffic light at the bottom
of the hill. The curbs are low on Negley, so I slid the Nissan to the right so
the right-side tires were rubbing the curb.
I stopped. I went the
last block to Fifth Avenue at about 3mph pumping the brake. On the far side of
the intersection three cars had slid together.
I turned right and went to Liberty.
By now it was close to 9pm. I got
a call from home that my wife was not feeling well. So instead of staying the night, I got back
on the road. I was wearing an Army
workout jacket that was a great fashion choice.
Just as I was turning to the on-ramp for I-376, I saw
flashing lights in my mirror. It turns out this fully automatic car turns on
its own headlights, but not the taillights.
The officer told me I had no taillights. I told him it was a rental. I
spun the turn-signal handle and the lights came on. He still checked my
license.
When he came back, he asked my what kind of motorcycle I
rode. I have a motorcycle endorsement on my license. We talked bikes and Army
for a few minutes, and then I was on my way on a snowy 250-mile drive that
would last until 2:30 a.m.
For the first hundred miles, the snow was steady. The
turnpike was wet, clear and empty. After
the tunnels the temperature was colder and the road got icy. I slowed down, and
then got a lot slower behind a wall of snowplows. After ten miles of 20 mph, I
pulled off at I-81 and started on the route to Harrisburg.
Ten miles after leaving the Turnpike, I was behind another
wall of plows on I-81. So I changed to Route 581. The roads got better on the
east shore and I finally got home at 2:30 a.m.
I was exhausted, but also really happy. Driving can often be dull, but a
night that causes a four-wheel-drive to slide made the drive a real challenge.
I called him at 9:30 a.m. and said I was already home. He
said he was fine and glad to hear Mom was okay.
Instead of driving, I can take the Amtrak Pennsylvanian
train from Lancaster to Johnstown. There are also cheap flights from Lancaster
to Pittsburgh. If there is snow the next time I visit my son, I will take a
train or a plane, no automobiles.
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