Dear Reader, what would you do? Right now, a snowstorm is passing through where we’re staying and heading east. It will dump four to six inches of snow in the lowlands, probably much more on the mountain passes. Between now and 2 p.m. on Saturday we need to travel east to Great Falls, Montana, where a memorial service will be held for my father. We must cross three mountain passes en route to Great Falls. Right now all passes are open, but the storm just began. Click here for a webcam shot of Lookout Pass’ current road conditions. It looks navigatible as I write, but I anticipate that road conditions will worsen over the next 24 hours. It’s possible but not likely that one or more of the passes will be closed or very treacherous (the descent on Lookout Pass can be unnerving when driving in snow). We planned to leave tomorrow morning, but that will be immediately following the storm. The weather is supposed to improve by Saturday.
What would you do? Would you spend 13 hours on a Greyhound bus? Would you buy a plane ticket? Ticket prices start at $741 per ticket. We’re planning to rent a compact car? What will I do? Oh, probably upgrade to a heavier vehicle and press on if the passes aren’t closed. No matter what, it won’t be a fun experience driving during wintertime in Idaho and Montana.
Also keep in mind that going down the Montana side of Lookout pass is nowhere near as treacherous as the Idaho side. Going down the Idaho side always bugs me, whether it is icy in the middle of winter or bare and dry in the middle of summer.
You also might be better off taking the slightly longer way through Helena, to avoid Rogers Pass and MT 200, but you still have to go over the Continental Divide someplace, and going through Helena that would be McDonald Pass.