Tour of California, I’m Off To Virginia City

There have been signs up on the highway for days about delays because of a bike race today. Since today is the day I’m leaving Tahoe and heading over to Virginia City, and since the highway is what I turn directly onto from the cabin, and since the delays are scheduled to start around the time I’m supposed to leave, I’ve been freaking out about getting out of here in time to avoid the race.

I had no idea this “bike race” was the Tour Of California!

Kim would have been so so so so excited. Last year, we were in Nevada City the eve before the race started, the whole town was jumping with excitement and electricity. We were on our way home the day it began, and we stopped several places along the way to catch bits of the race. I just assumed it would start in Nevada City again this year. But here? Wow. We would have stayed to watch for sure.

But there’s a little problem…

It’s supposed to taper off by late morning. I sure hope so. I have to drive over a huge mountain, and I don’t have chains or snow tires!

Last year, on the day we left Tahoe, Kim set off on a quick mountain bike ride in the morning. It was sunny when he left. Thirty minutes later, there were snow flurries, and it quickly morphed into a full-blown freak snowstorm. I laughed my ass off when he showed back up at the door a while later, bike covered with ice. “How was your ride?” I have tons of video I shot from the car as we were driving through the storm, trying [unsuccessfully] to outrun it to Virginia City. We had to turn around halfway up Mt. Rose Highway and take the long way ’round because the highway was closed right in front of us. No, I mean we were behind the truck that put up the “Snow Chains Required” sign. Argh!

Because we were moving the entire time, not much snow accumulated on the car during the drive. But when we reached Virginia City and went inside to check into the inn, we came back out 15 minutes later to find the car covered with three inches of snow.

The snow that accumulated on my car within 15 minutes of arriving in Virginia City in 2010.

An hour after getting there, the sun was shining, snow was melting, and it was beautiful. Figures.

I’ve been envisioning the same thing happening this year, and now I’m starting to panic just a bit. I’ve lived in snow, but never driven in it before.

I have a bunch of photos and video that I’ve been trying to get up since Friday, but the wi-fi here keeps crapping out. It’s so frustrating to have a video uploading for 5 hours and then the connection conks when it’s 95% loaded. Oh my god, noooooo! And this is probably the best connection I’ll have up here.