Wow, so my most recent trip was by far the best trip I’ve had to date. We left California late at night and were “East Bound and Down” to Pennsylvania. Remember the plastic bottles we brought to California on my last trip? Well, now those same bottles were filled with delicious California Orange Juice. Our mission? Bring the Orange Juice to the good people of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

I was due to drive, and got to tackle Los Angeles. It was after their normal rush hour, but traffic was still horrendous. This was the most congested traffic I’ve had to drive in with a truck and feel I handled it like a pro. It might sound a little childish, but I was pretty damn proud of myself the way I handled all that traffic! I also learned that if you put on your turn signal, let it flash about 4 times, then ride the white line, people will eventually start to scatter for you! My new phrase is, “it’s good to be king!”

After getting out of the congested areas, it was time to tackle the Rocky Mountains. The temperature started dropping quickly and it was raining, so naturally I was worried about the roads icing up. There was also chatter about a recent truck that turned over the day before (remember those winds I was talking about in my last post?). There was no word on the drivers condition, but I guess it was a pretty bad wreck and I was on the same road it happened on. Just a reminder of the dangers we face out here. It’s definitely scary to think about, and honestly I don’t like to think about it much, but we need those reminders every now and then.

Anyway, it was dark, cold and gloomy, but the rain stopped. I was part of a little convoy of trucks chugging up the mountain. My trainer really doesn’t like driving the mountains, just because of all the downshifting and braking that needs to be done on hills. But I actually like it. Gives me something to do. I sort of make a game out of it. The only thing I was disappointed about was that I couldn’t take in the sights since it was so dark out. But that would soon change.

It was about 5:30 am at this point and I was close to the top of the mountain. In a matter of seconds, the conditions went from overcast to moderate snow. It wasn’t horrible, but it was enough for the plows to come out. I didn’t have any problems with the tires spinning or anything, so I continued on. I just kept following the line of trucks ahead of me.

At this point, I was pretty tired, the snow was bothersome, it was dark and gloomy, and I couldn’t take in any of the great scenery that was around me. But just as I reached the top of mountain, I was greeted with the most wonderful surprise I’ve had yet. The snow suddenly stopped just as fast as it started, and the sun was just starting to peak up over the horizon. I can not describe to you the sight that I saw, and no picture would ever be able to reveal the beauty that was revealed to me. I looked into my drivers side mirror simply out of reflex, and saw the snow capped mountain that I just conquered. It took me by complete surprise and I got the chills instantly. I just drove over that!?!? Then through my windshield, from an elevation of who knows what, as far as I could see was the beautiful east side of the Rockies, lit up in colors I didn’t know existed. The few remaining clouds that were left gleamed in orange, purple, yellow, red and other colors I can’t even describe. The foothills reflected the sunlight in ways that were just incredible. It was a sight I’ll never forget, and a sight that can probably never be repeated. I was in the right place at the right time under the perfect conditions. Totally unreal. This is what truck driving is all about. This is why I wanted to get out West. Thank you mother nature! continue to page 2 –>

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