This was the road as I traveled west on highway 421 away from Winston Salem towards Wilkesboro.
Yes, I was a bit worried…I don’t like traveling with this stuff going on, but I needed to get up to the cabin and the only way to go was to keep going.
I was met in Wilkesboro by the Hubster and his brother Bruce, driving the pick up truck, with the dog along for the ride.
It seems that the turn off up to Buck Mountain was impassable and maintenance folks were busy sanding ----Dave & Bruce came to meet me so one of THEM could drive the van with me, and the other could drive the pick up and perhaps ALL of us would soon make it up to the warmth and comfort of our cabin.
UP the hill? Are you KIDDING?
The road off the highway is completely snow packed!
The snow is still coming down at a good pace and shows no sign of stopping. By the time we reached the hill UP the mountain, we could see there was no going up ---the sanding was still going on, and other cars had pulled off the road either to wait it out, or someone else came down to pick them up and carrying them back home…..leaving the cars that couldn’t make it up the hill parked for the night.
Still sanding!
We tried going up in the van….and that was a NO GO, and we slid back down and had to park off to the side.
A plan was hatched……run back to Wilkesboro ((about a 15 minute drive)) for chains for the pickup –we could leave Shamu parked at the bottom of the hill, just off load all of my stuff into the back of the pick up and we would be fine…
And back to town we went.
The Blue Ridge mountains are so beautiful in the snow!
At this point it is also only about 19 degrees, darkness is starting to fall and the wind is blowing icy crystals every which way.
Chains were purchased!
((And restrooms were available, thank GOODNESS!))
Chains were attached!
And Sadie watched on!
The ride up the mountain was hair raising. We slipped, we slid, we spun and I held my breath and white knuckled Sadie until we reached the road that leads to the cabin, and warmth and safety!
There is a pot of potato soup on the stove.
There is cornbread in the oven.
I am going NOWHERE!!
Shamu may stay parked at the bottom of the mountain until the roads thaw, whenever that may be.
It may snow all night!
But I’m here. And I’ve got quilts to attend to ----
As soon as dinner is complete, leaving us all with warm full bellies and a relaxing evening ahead!
Much love from a snow covered Buck Mountain,
So glad you have arrived safely! Driving in snow is no fun and can be downright scary. Enjoy your evening in a warm toasty cabin surrounded by quilts. What could be better!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you let us know you made it okay! I've been concerned about your weather since a Georgia friend reported that her grandson was going to have to spend the night at his school because it wasn't safe to send the children home on buses. Stay warm and enjoy the rest of your time at Quiltvilla!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are safe
ReplyDeleteHow gorgeous and how cosy! We might get snow every other winter here in Christchurch NZ, but it's nothing like what you guys experience ... yup I'm a winter girl, can't be doing with summers that are too hot :) I love your posts and photos from the cabin, thank you for sharing ...
ReplyDeleteRose, NZ
rose.nutira@paradise.net.nz
Glad you are safe and warm. Family, good food, warmth, and quilts- all you need. Hunker down and sleep in.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great adventure Enjoy your snow days !!
ReplyDeleteThankfully you are warm and safe! Now enjoy the cozyness of being snowbound. I too am loving the extra time at home because of the weather. Family, sewing, watching the snow and birds, hot soup and cold apples. It's all good. Cherry Boom
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you are there and safe! This winter has been hard but we quilters know what to do!
ReplyDeletesounds like you have a plan of INDOORS for a couple days--wish I was there..I never go out if I dont have to and I would be cntent to sit on porch, hot cocoa in hand, wrapped up and just looking and breathing--LOVE THAT *snow-falling* smell...enjoy!!!
ReplyDeleteThere is not too many things that can keep a girl from her quilting , right Bonnie :-) Enjoy it
ReplyDeleteSo glad you finally reached the cabin safely and can enjoy some family time. Thanks for keeping us in the loop as you know we all would be worried. Bet the guys will have a crazy time on the four wheelers. Hope you'll find time to post during the coming days.
ReplyDeleteI certainly glad I wasn't along for that ride! Must have been terrifying! Soup and cornbread are great comfort foods. Have fun and stay warm inside.
ReplyDeleteWow. Glad the guys met you!!! Better safe than sorry ! Shamu will be happy to have some chains too! Stay warm and safe!
ReplyDeleteThat is the worse thing about country life, traveling back roads in bad weather. Then again, how often to you get snow there? This is another crazy storm. Headed my way tomorrow - and they can't even say of sure exactly what it is going to do - and that the sun should be shining by noon time! Glad everyone arrived safely, and hope you enjoy your stay.
ReplyDeleteSounds like good soup & quilting weather! Glad you all arrived safely. You'll need those tire chains for many years--just remember to take them with you for coming UP to the cabin! LOL I enjoyed Quiltcam last night, too! You will be wonderful on The Quilt Show--just wear what you would to the dining room on a cruise ship--dressy casual.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are safe. My dream is to be snowbound in a csbin with quilts to make. Lucky you. Stay put and enjoy.
ReplyDeleteit does look beautiful in the snow - glad you had help getting there though - driving in this stuff is not fun!
ReplyDeleteYou got the snow before we did here in Va. Beach. 12 inches predicted for us between tonight and tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWe are snowed in with our 4 year old grand daughter :) it is going to be an interesting couple of days but we will get some sewing done at some point. My sewing room is over a detached garage but we have plenty of heat and if we keep power we will have light to work. She is a great little helper. Stay warm and dry and be sure to share the beauty of the snowy mountains. I love seeing them.
Glad you arrived safely. Love the pictures. Beautiful
ReplyDeletesnuggle up and enjoy - it doesn't get better than a cozy cabin in the mountains during a snow storm!
ReplyDeleteI got white knuckles just reading this post. I used to live in the Catskills and did rounds for Hospice. Many times I held my breath as I slide towards the guard rails. I loved it up ther except for driving on the snow and ice.
ReplyDeleteLove for me to you
Aileen in FL
So glad you are all safely at the cabin. Driving like that is one of the reasons I now live in SW Florida and northern Illinois during the winter. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteI was holding my breath reading about your adventure up and down....and up again! Whew!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I bet they have hatched a plan for 4 wheeling in the snow tomorrow. I think your plan, staying tucked up warm with plenty of stitching is the best one!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you all arrived safely! What an ordeal!!!!! After sliding sideways on a snowy freeway, I don't drive in snow if I can possibly avoid it. Smart to leave Shamu to sit until the snow is off the roads. Hope you don't have to miss your girl time because of it! Your snowboarders will be in heaven!!! Stay warm and stitch on!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you chose O'Reilly Auto Parts for your chains. My husband works in their corporate office. Glad you made it safely.
ReplyDeleteEast Tennessee is just about like your trip! It has been snowing since abut 10 Am today. Roads are a hazard, and schools etc closed.
ReplyDeleteYou see we live in THE MOUNTAINS....rural snowed in ice packed mountains. We understand your situation.
Isn't it wonderful to be warm toasty and snug with family?
Sadie looked a tad worried, and maybe cold, there ... poor scamp!
Snuggle up tight and dream of wonderful days ahead ...
JulieinTN
Glad you make it up the mountain safely! A friend's hubby is stuck at Birmingham in a traffic jam, trying to get home to N Alabama. Lots of kids in that area having to spend the night at school also!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it safely. Snow is beautiful for a day....Temp here in Northern Wi 15 degrees below 0. Wind chill -25 brrr.
ReplyDeleteOur temperature here (south australia) is 45 C - school is back today and the kids aren't allowed outside. Inside play all day.
ReplyDeleteCan't imagine the cold like that - I think our coldest would be about 10 C max for the day, -5 for the night. Probably a summer's day for you guys over there in the northern hemisphere.
Suzie
So glad that you made it home and are warm and safe. Enjoy your time at the cabin with all that light and family fun. And maybe a little quilting. ;)
ReplyDeleteI bet there was a run on those chains...glad you worked it out and have quilty stuff to keep you company and nice warm soup too!
ReplyDeleteGlad DH thought to help you out! May the snow pass quickly. Hope the boys make it up fine on Thursday!
ReplyDeleteCan I just say , you are among the luckiest people on earth. I'd love to be snowbound without the need to make up an excuse to do just what I want to for days: be with my loved ones and sew!
ReplyDeleteCozy cabin has a whole new meaning today I'll bet!
ReplyDeleteI've been really curious to know when exactly you had the time to put together your Celtic Solstice quilt? Scratching my head wondering. It's a biggy (I know as I'm also doing a king size) and between what you do on quilt cam, and what you do in hotel rooms, I'm stumped as to when you had time to put together this quilt. Do tell!! You do sleep right Miss Bonnie??
I'm loving my quilt and am glad that I finally have all the blocks done. Now to make a quilt top.
Enjoy your time at the cabin. I can almost smell the goodness in that kitchen!
Enjoy the quiet of the snow-covered mountains!
ReplyDeleteThank God you are safe!!! I think it would be worse going down the hill than up but I have only seen very little snow and only driven in it once. Be safe and keep track of Sadie. She is a cutie!!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you made it up to the cabin. Here in Horsham Australia we are experience days of extreme heat meaning that the days are over 40 degrees Celsius which is 104 degrees Fahrenheit. We live about 45 minutes away from a national park called the Grampians it has been ravished by bushfire in the last week about 30 homes have been lost as well as livestock and fencing. They say that it is contained but with more days at 40+ temperatures we hope that it is contained. Keep safe.
ReplyDeleteScary stuff, but so glad to hear you all arrived safe and well. Enjoy your long, long weekend :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it safe and sound. I don't mind being snowed I as long as I'm warm and with loved ones. Enjoy your time and quilting.
ReplyDeleteWhat a story!! The quilter in me wondered about your leaving your quilt stuff in Shamu. Glad it fit in the truck and that all of you made it safely to the cabin.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure after seeing all the AL stuff and snow everywhere...and cold...that there is global warming???? Polar bears can breathe a sigh of relief.
Glad you made it to the cabin safely. Winter has been hard all parts of the country this year. Stay safe and warm and keep on quilting.
ReplyDeleteHunker down Bonnie! What a glorious adventure! Enjoy your sewing with the snow outside! Remember how warm it was in Mobile, Al this past weekend!
ReplyDeleteBy northern standards, the photo doesn't look like too much snow. However, I know from experience that those first inches are the most treacherous. Glad you made it safe and sound. Stay put and sew!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it safely to your cabin. Here in GA, Atlanta, as usual is a mess. They knew it was coming but still didn't do much. Even some schools waited too long to close. Many kids had to sleep in the school overnight. And many cars were stuck on the highway for hours and hours.
ReplyDeleteI'm from the north, this little bit of snow would have been sanded and there wouldn't have been any problems. Down here, they are clueless
I am so glad the hubster was able to come and get you. It is so beautiful with the snow, though. We just have freezing temps and the threat of ice(terrifying with our overpasses). Hope you have a few fun filled days with your family.
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of the area.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy for those of us in the North to disparage the amount of snow that you have. (what, only 6 inches? ;->) But adding mountains and hills into the mix really changes the equation, doesn't it? Then figure in the fact that most states south of the Mason-Dixon just don't have a need for snow plows and trucks to spread salt and sand very often. It doesn't make sense to spend precious tax dollars on them when they could sit in storage for years before they are needed. I'm glad you made it to the cabin safely - it'll be a story you can tell your grandkids!
ReplyDelete