Early Travel Plans Foiled

works on paper - 2024-107 - 10.29.24 - 11 x 8.5 inches - ink and pencil on paper

Early Travel Plans Foiled

I mentioned my travel plans in yesterday’s post but then a winter storm showed up. I headed out for Texas at about 7:30am yesterday morning after a couple of inches of snow had fallen during the night. Heading east on Highway 40 the roads were a little sloppier than I expected but seemed passable.

Before I got an hour out of town I got stuck in a heavy traffic jam that came to a complete stop and we sat there waiting for whatever the obstruction ahead was to be cleared. This was about 9:00-9:30am. I had not imagined that an interstate highway would be closed all day but by 3:00 pm the line of cars and trucks had not moved a single inch. I decided to give up after 5-6 hours and drove across the snowy median and to return home before dark.

I don’t know how far the traffic jam extended in front of where I was but as I drove back to Albuquerque I counted that the traffic jam behind me was 15-20 miles long. From what I understand there was a bad traffic accident or multiple accidents and someone died (RIP). Luckily I made it back home. I assume the storm continued through the night in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Some areas in the high elevations were expected to get up to 4 feet of snow. Maybe it will be a good ski season this year.

This morning I looked at the state traffic map and a number of sections of highway 40 are completely closed till later today. So I am not going to be making it to Houston for the 25 year anniversary at Laura Rathe Fine Art. In fact I am going to wait until the whole state is dry and full of sunshine for a couple of days and shoot for the Fort Worth exhibition on the 16th.

What happened to that 20+ mile line of drivers stuck on the highway? I hate to think about it. They could still be there for all I know. Multiple areas of the highway are closed right now. Not to mention the northern route up to Denver - highway 25. Much of that highway is closed north of Santa Fe. Out here in the Wild West anything can happen.