But Seriously...

After four days of negative temps, 24 hours of lake effect squalls, every indication the river was high, and the inevitable possibility of a hi way closure...we "went fishin"
After a brief discussion with Norland the night prior we agreed to embark on a futile mission. If for nothing more than good company and a well needed road trip I honestly looked forward to the outing. I guess deep down inside we both new our chances were as good as none but we agreed to a late 6 am departure. I should have known we were in over our heads when I slid 75 feet past my turnoff for Norlands. The roar coming off the lake was deafening as I transferred my gear to the awaiting Tercel and I could only imagine what lay before us. The drive was exactly as the radar had indicated with narrow bands of white out conditions spread out the entire length of the trip. At times we would lose the road entirely only to drive out of it as if someone flicked a switch and turned the snow off. Along the way between panic we joked frequently about how slim our chances were and if we should even bother with the hike back to the Shire. Arriving we opted for an alternate game plan and drove up to the next side road for a look see over the bridge. This proved unsuccessful as conditions deteriorated and we feared we may not be able to drive out of the valley. Doubling back we decided to bite the bullet and make the hike. Gearing up was bitterly cold and for the first time ever we sat in the car warming up prior to the hike in. Once inside the forest we were afforded protection from the ravaging winds and the morning was quite nice. Arriving to the banks we were greeted with Slush. We knew it would be slush but had to see it with our own eyes to actually believe it. Figuring we could punch through it we gave it a go but it really wasn't meant to be. The slush coupled with the -9 temps played havoc on our nerves for all of a half hour before we pulled the plug and made the hike out. As we crested the valley and made our way towards the edge of cover the weather once again became harsh and violent. Gearing down was impossible as our boots and wading attire were frozen. We had to thaw our the gear in the car on our way to the restaurant. A short time down the road we came upon the road closure sign. This forced us to cut inland and parallel our preferred route home. After a relaxing and enjoyable lunch we finished off the ride home uneventfully. The day proved to be quite enjoyable. We shared many laughs and quality conversation. Had a nice hike in the bush and witnessed water that would have been killer minus the slush. I actually felt no disappointment at all today. I guess it's because I had no expectations going in. I knew the roads were going to be nasty. I knew the river was going to be slush. I even wondered about the possibility of road closures. I also knew Norland wondered about all of the above as well but we still agreed to go. Arriving home and settling in I turned on my PC to check my email. In my inbox there was an awaiting message from Wallace. It simply read "Did you crazy MF'ers go out today?" I chuckled to myself as I typed the reply.