Travails of a First-Timer in Snow

Story and Photos by Francisco Lozano

The flurries falling on my head made me feel like dancing in the snow. I looked up to feel them on my face, and the sight struck me as surreal.

I was as excited as a kid, because at forty-six years old, I was experiencing my first snowfall. This was in late autumn of 2013, out by Alder Creek in Garden Valley, where winter’s show was being preceded by fall colors. I had stopped the car because two elk were in the middle of the road.

It wasn’t long after this experience that the challenges of driving in winter conditions led to trouble.