Lots of Driving… In Snow!

February 6th, 2007 in Uncategorized

Well yesterday I complained that I have been driving too much during my daily commute but I wasn’t really talking about how long it takes…

In the past, when I was driving back and forth to Eden Prairie daily, it was taking me a little under an hour (55 minutes or so) to make the 12 mile drive. My current commute to White Bear Lake (while being 2.5x as long) only takes about 30 minutes.

Any normal person would say “wait a minute!” but wouldn’t realize that I don’t leave my house until 8:30 now and drive against the flow of traffic instead of with it. Being outside of rush-hour range and going against the grain makes my trip so much easier. That and the simple fact that I don’t have to take 169 anymore…

Anyway today, because of the snow, I gave myself another 30 minutes from my usual start time (1.5 hours total — I usually get to work about 30 minutes early because I have to drop Kim off at the Transit Station anyway) and ended up at work right on time.

That’s right, 1.5 hours to travel 33 miles. Lame.

After dropping Kim off at the Transit Station in Apple Valley I found myself deadlocked in snarling traffic on Cedar. We were completely dead at 42. I decided the best route at this point would be 42 to 52 and then over to 494/694…

Well, I was right about most of that but not all of it. As I watched someone go over the embankment on 52 (30 or 40 feet) and someone else behind me (who was a fucking douchebag speeder, WTF?!) lose control and almost hit me and the two trucks behind him, I wondered to myself if I had made the right choice.

I eventually made it to 494 just before Aaron told me that 694 was at a standstill at 94. I had to make a choice so I pulled out a quick map and looked at alternate routes…

Should I take 94 at 494 and go to 35E and then over to 36? Should I take Century Ave all the way up? Should I stay on 494/694 and wait it out?

My answer came to me quickly as I saw that traffic was at a standstill on 494 in Woodbury. I was two miles from 94 and it wasn’t going to make it there anytime soon. I quickly exited and chose Century Ave all the way in to work.

It took me about 45 minutes to pull that stunt off but I did do it, making it to work at 9:33. Woot.

This doesn’t even come close to last year’s record commute home from Eden Prairie which clocked in at over two hours and fifteen minutes. Yup, two and a quarter hours for 12 miles!

See all the snowy pictures from today here (mobile).