What a whiteout on Wolf Creek Pass taught me

I remember bumper stickers folks had on their cars when I was a child that said “This car climbed Mount Washington.” I need one that says “This car was on Wolf Creek Pass when it closed.”

On a recent Wednesday, I thought we could get to the National Character & Leadership Symposium at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs if we headed out early during a lull in the storm. Students thought we could, too. We met up in Durango and headed out at 9 a.m., with roads clear and visibility good all the way to Pagosa Springs. Then, we headed up Wolf Creek Pass. It was the one pass we would need to get over on the drive.

The pass was open. Visibility was fine, until it wasn’t fine. We didn’t make it over the pass. Instead, it was a day of being in the now. We…