14 Feb 21 Hurricane in Utah
Sunday 14 Feb 21.
It was a cold night last night. Thank goodness Pete didn't want out in the middle of the night. The wind calmed down a bit during the night but there were drift of snow when I looked outside. I slept until 8:30 and edited the last couple of blog entries. I finally got up and let the dogs out. It was a very cold morning. When I got back in the RT I checked and the outside temperature was 20. It was 46 inside.
I made some Kona coffee in the AreoPress coffee maker that Zack got me for Christmas. I really like it. The coffee is great and the maker is super easy to clean. I have a coffee mug/press that I have used for years but the coffee isn't that good and it is a pain to clean. Grounds typically get everywhere. The AreoPress is basically a single cup drip coffee maker with an additional plunger that can be used to make Expresso. There is a filter cage that locks to the bottom of the cynical reservoir. It came with several round paper filters that are about 2 inch in diameter. I typically just let the first cup of hot water simply drip through. For the second cup the coffee grounds have expanded and the water barely flows through so I use the plunger to force it through. The second cup is not as good as the first but not bad at all.
To clean up I just unlock the filter cage and tap the used filter and coffee grounds into the trash. To clean the water reservoir I just push the plunger all the way through and wipe off the rubber seal of the plunger.
After coffee I fed the dogs and then updated my budget online. I was totally amazed at how good the internet connection was. I assume it was because I was next to the highway. Being near the 7700 summit might have helped as well.
There was actually a severe winter weather alert for the area that ended at 11 so I decided I would stay put until noon to assure the roads would be good.
I had oats with blackberries, 2 slices of toast and a banana for breakfast. I ran the furnace most of the morning and ate my breakfast with my feet right at the vent. Reminded me of standing in front of the stand alone radiant furnaces as Sinclair Baptist Church where my family attended in my childhood.
I finally got on the road around 12:30. The sun was out but it was still only 29° when I checked right before pulling out. The roads were mostly clear. There was some snow drifts right as I got to the summit.
I drove towards St George Utah and that took me through Zion National Park. There is a tunnel on the east entrance and vehicles over 11 feet require an escort to get through. I was pretty sure the RT with the kayak on top was less than that but not absolutely sure. I stopped and parked at a pull out and got out my 12 foot tape measure. It appears to be right at 10 feet so I got back on the road. There is a $35 entrance fee to get in the park, even if you are just driving through. So glad I had the Senior Pass that Zack bought me. I drove on to the Visitor's Center getting through the tunnel without any trouble.
Once at the Visitor's Center I parked in the back lot and made a couple ham and cheese sandwiches. I walked the dogs around the campground that was closed and filled up my freshwater jug at a freeze proof hydrant that was next to the restrooms. It was about 30 minutes until sunset so I got back on the road and headed to St George. On the way there was a Wal-Mart in Hurricane so I thought I might as well camp there since it was getting dark. Unfortunately there was a sign stating no camping or overnight parking so I drove north of the Walmart and found a dirt road and parked there for the night.
I have an old workmate that retired and moved to Hurricane so I contacted him to see if he would like to get coffee in the morning. He declined due to some family issues he was going through.