Between the Posts

A winter storm had blown in and Dave Barber and I were on our way back to the base after being downtown. Somehow I managed to miss the turn for the main gate and we ended up on I-80, which runs in front of the base.

There is an overpass that is situated in front of the main gate and I knew that there was also an exit jus’ beyond the overpass. The exit circles back to the main gate and we’d be on base in no time.

The vehicle I was driving was a ratty old 1971 Datsun B-210. I had purchased it a few months before as way of getting around Cheyenne and not having to depend on others for transportation.

As I drove up onto the overpass, I could see the snow blowing sideways partially blocking my view of the road. However, what roadway I could see had started to freeze over with a thick layer of ice.

The wind slammed into the car and due to the icy conditions, we found ourselves sliding out of control. In an instant we were heading backwards and to the right as we slid along the overpass.

Since I had no control and couldn’t see where we were going, I released the steering-wheel and let gravity do its thing. In seconds our wild ride was over with and we found ourselves stuck in a snow drift off the side of the road.

It was struggle to get out of the car, since the doors were jammed by the snow. But we had help as a Wyoming State Trooper had been right behind us when we started to slide out of control.

But before he started digging Dave and me out, he was standing in front of my Datsun, arms raised over his head like a referee during football game. That’s when I realized my car had passed between the upright posts of the city limit sign without touching them.

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