My Red Truck
I was sitting here thinking about how i used to drove my red toyota tacoma through the teton mountain pass in Wyoming just west out of Jackson Hole over to Victor Idaho. A cross street with a blinking red and yello light. I never really went into Victor much. The ranch I lived on was between Victor and the pass so I'd never really needed to go in. There was a gas station and a quickie mart I used on occasion. I wonder what the guy working the counter thought when he saw me. He'd probably known every person that went into that store during the day. Of course they had the daily traffic in the winter going up to Targhee for skiing. So I'm sure he'd get some tourists swinging in, but whoever worked there never knew me from anybody else, at least that's what I could imagine.
The drive up and downt he pass was a winding switchback. When driving toward Idaho the mountain would rise up on the right of the road and on the left it fell down the steeps. There was always a little snow up at the top. 10,000 ft. The climb was approximitely 4,000 ft. Most people lived at just under 6,000 ft.
I'd have time to think on the ride up. think of song lyrics and never write them down. Most of the time I'd think about my frustrations with working and what I was doing. I never knew what I was doing. That was the problem. In a way that's how I have always felt. The road up through the pass was a path I could follow it was guidance I needed, time to think. It was a routine. It allowed my mind to rest some. I was gided through the mountain 30-40 minutes each day. 30 if I floored it and felt good about not skidding off the edge.
The weather always took your mind off problems and stress. When storms moved in they were real. You had to pay attention to what was going on. Many time the ride over the pass was just in blizzard conditions. I'd throw the tacoma into 4 wheel drive formt he get go and just press up through the pass. seeing my headlights framing the falling snow. It was hypnotizing. I'd flip through radio stations and see what was playing, if it was contry or jam bands it was pretty tolerable. I'd have my cd player in the car. In large snowstorms you'd just drive and not ahv a clue about what was playing. The snow outside dampened the noise inside, the hum of the truck in your mind the wiper blades scraping back and forth, you hoped the snow wouldn't pile up to much to clog the wipers. Are there good wipers out there?
The drive up and downt he pass was a winding switchback. When driving toward Idaho the mountain would rise up on the right of the road and on the left it fell down the steeps. There was always a little snow up at the top. 10,000 ft. The climb was approximitely 4,000 ft. Most people lived at just under 6,000 ft.
I'd have time to think on the ride up. think of song lyrics and never write them down. Most of the time I'd think about my frustrations with working and what I was doing. I never knew what I was doing. That was the problem. In a way that's how I have always felt. The road up through the pass was a path I could follow it was guidance I needed, time to think. It was a routine. It allowed my mind to rest some. I was gided through the mountain 30-40 minutes each day. 30 if I floored it and felt good about not skidding off the edge.
The weather always took your mind off problems and stress. When storms moved in they were real. You had to pay attention to what was going on. Many time the ride over the pass was just in blizzard conditions. I'd throw the tacoma into 4 wheel drive formt he get go and just press up through the pass. seeing my headlights framing the falling snow. It was hypnotizing. I'd flip through radio stations and see what was playing, if it was contry or jam bands it was pretty tolerable. I'd have my cd player in the car. In large snowstorms you'd just drive and not ahv a clue about what was playing. The snow outside dampened the noise inside, the hum of the truck in your mind the wiper blades scraping back and forth, you hoped the snow wouldn't pile up to much to clog the wipers. Are there good wipers out there?
posted by paul at 1:39 AM
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