# Icy Roads, But Made it Home



## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

Our group of three hunted pheasants on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning after Thanksgiving. We escaped North Dakota just in time on Sunday afternoon. If we had stayed in Bismarck to hunt on Monday morning, I don't know that we would have been able to get home tonight.

We were breezing along just fine on Sunday. We waved to Dick Monson as we went by his place near Valley City. But, just as we left VC, we started to get a spit or two of rain. By the time we got to Tower City about 1:30 on Sunday afternoon, I noticed that the cars in the west bound lane seemed to be going slower than we were. I had already taken the Avalanche out of cruise control and reduced my speed.

Then we started to see the brake lights ahead and soon thereafter, cars in the ditches. It was that way all the way to Casselton. There were several ambulances and fire trucks on the way.

We made it into Fargo where we got gas. Just after getting there, the red Jeep Cherokee with the young woman driver who had plowed into the median, pulled into the gas pumps right next to us.

She got a little lecture from me about tail-gaiting in those icy conditions. I told her that I had predicted that she would be in the ditch very soon. It turned out that I was right. I saw her blast into the median about a half a mile ahead of us. She innocently said, "It happened just after I took my four wheel drive *off*."

What can you say??? She's damned lucky she didn't wind up in the ambulance or cause somebody else some real harm.

Oooowhee! These hunting trips are always an adventure.

By the way, we got our limits of wary ringnecks on Friday and Saturday and three more on Sunday morning before we had to leave. It was a good time even if we had a treacherous ride home.


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

Glad you got home safe Perry and had a great trip. Hopefully we can hook up next time you're in town.


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

I know what you're saying. It took me 10 hours from Eveleth MN to VC.

I drove 25-30 mph from Park Rapids to Valley City. Never once crested 40 after Highway 34. We all stopped and lined up like penquins to slide our way down the hills on that little two-lane death trap. Not fun.

I cracked my knuckles about 30 times yesterday from gripping the steering wheel so hard the night before. Listened to 3 football games on the radio, Vikes, Bucs and Saints...long day. The worst was by far Fargo to VC, really bad at night too.

Glad we're all safely home, except my bro, who has been stuck in Rogers and Fergus Falls the past two nights, slowly making it back to Fargo/Mhd.

There are very few days I miss Florida, Sunday was one of them


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## Perry Thorvig (Mar 6, 2002)

I'm surprised they even kept the freeway open from Fargo to Valley City on Sunday night. I really feel for anyone who was out there in the dark. It was bad enough when it was light out.


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