When I woke up, the power was still not working - grrr. I spent some time texting with neighbors and checking the Liberty Energy website and social media. Unfortunately, it looked like there would be some serious delays in restoring power... Deciding not to let things get me down, I went to Mass at Sacred Heart in Lebanon (0800). After that, crossed the Connecticut River into Vermont. With all the miserable weather yesterday, I wasn’t sure there would be anywhere left to ski this morning. However, I tried to keep a positive outlook as I drove north on I-91, hoping I’d find a little snow that wasn’t washed away. I noticed that it was almost gone between Norwich and Thetford but I got lucky when I checked in Fairlee: the golf course at the Lake Money Resort looked relatively unscathed. Eagerly, I geared up and tested the snow (0930). There was a 1 mm thick crust but the snow underneath was ok! Spent one hour breaking trail and the next hour skiing in pretty nice conditions (4 miles overall). Didn’t see anyone else but dog walkers on the nearby side streets. Sun even came out so, overall, a great morning outdoors! Afterwards (1130), I drove home (via I-91). I arrived just after noon to find that the power was still out. With an unknown restoration time, I started getting worried about pipes bursting. I was also getting tired of all the unknowns. With the neighbors already talking about a major floor rip/replace happening over my head for the next week, this was the last straw. In frustration (but more to find anything I could to change the environment), I had a conversation with Eileen about me heading over to Potsdam for the week. She said that sounded good so I packed my stuff and spent a few hours covering all of my valuables with tarps and plastic (to prevent water damage). Before departing, I left my key with the neighbors in case some kind of catastrophe occurred. Departed Hanover (1430) and got on I-89. As I crossed the Connecticut River (again), I saw lots of flashing signs with warnings about "snow squalls". However, my weather map had not showed any nasty weather for the next 24 hours so I wasn't worried. It started snowing soon after that... Only about 10 miles into Vermont, I started to encounter cars in ditches on both sides of the Interstate. Next, I saw what looked like a multi-car pileup. However, it turned out to be just some cars that were having trouble getting traction. Fortunately, I was able to pass them and soon (only about five miles later) found an area with no snow falling. The sun was actually out and I could see most of the mountains to the west. I also passed some plows that were making the road much safer. Got past Montpelier before I saw any more weather but even that was brief so I continued on to Burlington without incident. I was definitely driving below the speed limit, though... Since the sun remained visible and there were no clouds, I thought the worst was over. I stopped for a break (and to make an online hotel reservation) near Essex Junction and then drove all the way to Swanton on I-89. From there, I took VT-78 to reach US-2. Along the way, I made several calls to my kids but had to leave voicemails for all. I continued to the northeast as it got darker. Had to deal with slow traffic until Rouse's Point but it wasn't weather related. Once in New York, I got on US-11 and drove west. I was enjoying the drive until I stopped for another break in Ellenburg. After that, I switched to NY-190 (Star Road) and entered an area with lots of wind turbines. It made sense that it was usually windy there but this night was worse than I'd ever seen during previous transits. I found myself being buffeted around a lot and watched (with alarm) the snow that was falling was being spread across the road, obscuring the lines. Carefully, I made my way through this area and eventually got back to US-11, just to the east of Malone. Things calmed down and I thought (again) I was OK. However, after I got on NY-11B, I started to see even more wintry weather. As a result, it was slow going for the last 30 minutes of my drive. Felt quite a feeling of relief as I arrived in Potsdam just after 1900 (whew). I checked into my hotel (Scottish Inn) on the west side of town - the snow there had been drifting since it got dark and the parking spots had 6-8 inches that I had to clear to be able to walk around near the car. By 1930, though, I was warm and snug in my room. I took a shower (my first in over 48 hours) and then relaxed for the rest of the evening (watching NFL playoffs, reading, doing puzzles, practicing on Duolingo). Before going to bed, I texted with Eileen, making plans for the next few days. Fell asleep by 2300 - what a day!
