Out of the Gate

As many of you know, we made it. The trip was uneventful – and seems so long ago. We departed for the peaks on Monday, August 7, 2006, and had arrived by the end of that week.

I vaguely remember the fog that overtook me throughout the first month of our transition. We were without permanent residence, but had access to satellite television. That, combined with the fact that I spent most of my time with an adolescent, not quite one-year-old Labrador Retriever, turned me into a bit of a head case – even more so than normal.

All of that ended when I finally made the decision to aggressively pursue the local job market. “Local”, when applicable to my skills and experience, meant that I would more than likely have to commute to Jackson, Wyoming in order to make a living and to meet what I like to call “The Marriage Overhead”. Sooner or later, I got lucky. My first day of work was on September 20, 2006.

Not quite a month into my employment here in Wyoming, I find the commute far less daunting than I originally feared. I perform the daily climb up the pass in my Nissan Xterra – a not completely harrowing 2,000 feet from Idaho’s Teton Valley floor up to the uncommonly stunning view at the crest of Teton Pass. What goes up must come down, folks. I put ‘er into second gear and crawl safely down the other side, first through the tiny burg of Wilson, Wyoming, and then to my final destination.

At the same time, please understand that currently, there is no snow on Teton Pass. Once that occurs, according to my new co-workers, I am inevitably screwed. Oh yes, tales abound here regarding the tragic end to many lives in relation to the twists and turns of Teton Pass. One of my colleagues was sure to note, “Well, at least they have a guardrail now.” Like that would stop a vehicle from plummeting to the earth with snow under its tires and a hairpin curve to negotiate.

I have been advised to purchase snow tires at the appropriate time. This, I assume, will be when the snow has been falling long and hard enough to force the snowplows into action. Unusually enough, plowing stops at 9PM in the evening and doesn’t start again until 5AM the following morning. This timing is obviously indicative of the danger that Teton Pass harbors, even for the snowplow set.

It is also vastly different from Minnesota’s plan of attack when it comes to plowing: they go all night long to ensure that the roads are safe the next morning. Additionally, chemical salt comes into play. Not here, dear friends, not ever. The usefulness of salt is replaced with the need for the appropriate tires, or else you are chaining up every morning.

And while on the subject of traffic related issues, let me point out that no matter where you go in this beautiful country of ours, there remains to be a coalition of drivers that prioritize speed over safety. Certainly, each of you is aware of this. You may even BE one of THOSE DRIVERS. And while the Minneapolis Coalition of Careless Drivers (MCCD) may dodge, parry and turn through multiple lanes of overcrowded traffic, all the while ensuring that they maintain an unsafe distance from the bumper of the driver in front of them, the Teton Valley Coalition of Reckless Enthusiasts (TVCRE) performs this inanity on a two lane highway. That’s right. I am not driving on an interstate any longer. As a matter of fact, one has to travel at least an hour and twenty minutes to hit any thoroughfare that uses on and off ramps. This is strictly rural, this traffic conduit.

Rest assured, not every driver using Highway 33 through Idaho’s Teton Valley feels the need to shock and awe with their speed and carelessness. But beyond those that do, it is incumbent on the defensive driver to watch out for farming equipment on the road, mule deer (often packs of them), moose, and sometimes – much to my delight – a cattle drive.

In my own opinion, any impedance on the road is yet another opportunity to soak in the scenery. Cattle drives, especially, slow your vehicle to a crawl. This is a blessing in disguise. This is a deep breath moment that propels you down the road with a smile on your face and a song in your heart. New to this beautiful part of the country, I can only hope that those that have lived here for a lifetime still take the time to notice; cattle drive or not.