Skeptical Skepticism

My journey to attend the AFC Wild Card game in Denver has so far been… well… interesting.

When I checked the CDOT cameras of I-70 before I left, I saw the snow. I also saw the storm on the weather map I checked, but neither seemed worse than anything I’d driven through before. So, my determination to get to Denver won out, and I got in my (2WD) truck and went to get extra sand bags, adding 6 to the 6 I had previously put in the bed. Then I hit the road, traveling east from Grand Junction. The snow started just past DeBeque Canyon, and though visibility was low, the roads weren’t too bad…yet.

All was well until just past Rifle, CO. There the roads had deteriorated pretty quickly in just a few miles. While traveling at 40-45 mph, in a 75 mph zone, I moved to pass an eighteen-wheeler and found a nice patch of ice instead. I lost control and spun counterclockwise about 1/3 of a turn and was projected backwards and sideways, while still spinning, down the embankment between the east and west-bound lanes. While half-screaming “OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK” I braced myself for a rollover. But, somehow…I have absolutely no idea how…my truck never left the ground and came to a rest…upright. After sitting there for a couple of minutes collecting myself, I spun the truck around, and headed up towards the west-bound lane, as the embankment back up to the east-bound was way too steep. I went back to the exit for Rifle, stopped at a gas station to check for damage and clean the mud from the median off my windows. Then — and here’s where the determination crosses that line into stupidity — I turned and headed back towards Denver.

25 miles later I made it to Glenwood Springs. Over two hours since I’d left home…a drive that I can usually do in barely over an hour in good conditions. I didn’t stop at 7-11 for my usual Slurpee, just kept moving. I was content with it taking me 6-7 hours to get to Denver, I would drive as slow as need be to be safe. Traveling at 30-35 mph, this time in a 50 mph zone right outside of town, just beyond the first tunnel, I lost control on one of the curves. Already starting to spin counterclockwise, I immediately shifted into neutral and turned into the slide, slamming into the concrete barrier at the left of the lanes. Being that the alternative was hitting the car next to me, and possibly causing a pileup of who knows how many cars… I’ll take the hit. I came to a stop parallel to the barrier, waited for traffic to clear behind me, and gunned it for the exit ramp about 50 yards ahead.

When I got up the ramp, I pulled off to see the damage. I stepped out of the truck into 7-8 inches of fresh snow, accompanied by golf ball sized snowflakes falling faster than I’ve ever seen. Looking at my truck, amazingly none of the lights were busted, and all still functioned, though the side one was hanging loose. The quarter panel has some good damage, and the front panel under the lights. The bumper took the worst of it. The chrome half of the bumper had been shoved back and in and was now about a quarter-inch from my tire. There happened to be a man plowing the entrance to some resort at that exit. After repeated attempts with a hammer, and crow bar to bend the bumper back with human power, it became clear that more was needed. He retrieved a chain, placed the hook under the bent bumper and attached the other end to his truck. After a few violent jerks, the thing was drivable again. Very very thankful for that man. By this time I had decided that was enough for now, turned around and drove back home. My truck is just not capable of handling that storm.

My adventure, however, is not over! Call it continued stupidity, or a second round of determination…I came home and purchased a Greyhound ticket for 2:40 am from Grand Junction to Denver for a scheduled (ha!) arrival of 8:00 am. It’s all out if my control now, but I would be kicking myself for a long time if I didn’t take this one last chance to make it for game time.

At 2:40 pm tomorrow, I will be sitting in the upper deck of Mile High, dammit. GO BRONCOS!