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Hello all! We are planning to have another meet here in MN on Saturday the 22nd starting at 11:00. We have picked a different venue for our meet this time and we think it will prove to be a good one. :)

We will be meeting at the Sundance Golf course in Maple grove. You can view the website for this location below:

Sundance Golf and Bowl (http://www.sundancegolfbowl.com/)

The actual location can be seen by clicking the link below:

Sundance Golf and Bowl location (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=15240+113th+Avenue+North,+Dayton,+MN+55369&layer=&sll=45.161343,-93.376193&sspn=0.01392,0.043001&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=45.162129,-93.473139&spn=0.027839,0.086002&om=1&iwloc=addr)

We will have a special guest there -- our very own Delta Flyer!! He'll be driving his famous Insight and will be giving a presentation about his newest toy -- the Lone Star MIMA. ;)

Xcel is also planning to join us, as well as that mpg sorceress of the north who has been just TEARING up the snow around here -- Laurie with her HCHI equipped with a manual transmission!

We'll also have at least one Prius driver at the meet so anyone who is interested in joining us will have the opportunity to see 3 fascinating examples of hybrid engineering.

The meet will consist of discussion of vehicles, driving techniques, current and future FE technologies, and driver training on request. Food will be available at the bar and grill on location, so you'll be able to munch while taking in all the great camaraderie and drawing on the considerable array of expertise that you'll find in attendance!

We welcome any and all participants regardless of your experience level!

that mpg sorceress of the north who has been just TEARING up the snow around here -- Laurie with her HCHI equipped with a manual transmission!

ROFL.....i actually did laugh when i read it. and it's probably a way too deep private joke, but......you could have capitalized my last name, however then you would have had to use a double preposition.........

i am really looking forward to the opportunity to drive an insight.....sean and i have actually been looking at some that are for sale, however, at the moment it's probably more of a pipe dream than reality for either of us.

Hi Sean:

___I will be there :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hmmm... I'll have to see if I can swing this one.

come on. everybody from out of town can stay at sean's house.........ducking and running LOLOL

come on. everybody from out of town can stay at sean's house.........ducking and running LOLOL

Ha!

I would love to put everyone up but unfortunately 2 is my limit -- Wayne and Chuck have dibs on the two berths available.

Sorry!!!

Sorry fellas, its a no go for me. Doing a Christmas the day before, of, and after! Busy time of year. Someone do a good write up though. :)

I completely understand, Daox. Maybe some other (warmer!!!) time?

Enjoy your Christmas festivities and I'll make sure that there is a write up. :)

Hmm, Sean, that is really tempting. :D I am headed back to MN on the 22nd. If I can drag myself out of bed and get on the road before 5 (even taking I-94 which I won't do, google maps says it's an even 300 miles - for me that means 6 hours or better ;)) you might see me there. Or you could meet on the other side of the cities and shave off 30 miles for those of us coming from the east? :D

Jerad it would be great to have you see my stomping grounds! I'm afraid we've got the location already reserved but I did look quite a bit off east of there without finding anything really helpful. I suppose Woodbury might have had a nice location but that's an hour from where I am and quite a bit further for Laurie as well...

Let me know if you are going to try it and I'll give you a wake up call. ;)

I'd love to be there, but one of my sisters is getting married, and I get to give away the bride...

I'd love to be there, but one of my sisters is getting married, and I get to give away the bride...

Priorities are important. I'd ask you to relay my congratulations, but that would be just weird since she doesn't know me. ;)

I hope the day is as wonderful as mine was!

I'm in. See you there.
Keith

I would love to come up. Unfortunately though, I have a Christmas dinner for my mom's side of the family that day. That, coupled with the 10-12 hour trip would be a killer.:eek:

I wish there was hybrid car meets near my area... I'd drive there but it would be an all day/multiple day affair. I guess I can continue to goto subaru meets and convert people to FE conscience types ;)

I'm in. See you there.
Keith

keith, that's awesome to hear. i look forward to meeting you.

Hi Keith:

___What Laurie said!

___Blake, how close are you and Basjoos to one another? Dan Kroushl currently resides in NC as well!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I besjoos said he lives in SC near Charlotte, which is about a 3.5-4 hour drive from me. Dan on the other hand lives only ~30 minutes from me.

Keith, it will be great to meet you! Are you bringing your semi?? :eek:

I understand, Larry. We'll have other meets up here -- enjoy your Christmas Dinner and we can catch up some other time. :)

The NW corner of Minneapolis is probably as close as any get-together is ever going to get to me. I'll try to make it down there if I have the time. Anybody have any recommendations for affordable accommodation in the area? The less I spend on fuel and accommodation, the more I can spend on some last-minute gifts :D

Hi Sefton:

___Is their anyone else from the Winnipeg area that may be able to come down with you so as to split the costs? Given the US$ being worth what it is, you can always convince the wife to come down for a little Mall of America Christmas shopping and maybe some groceries for home on your way back? That alone should help take some of the bite out of any fuel and lodging expense.

___The trip was a 10 + hour ride from just North of Chicago for me with an hour plus stop in the LaCrosse area my last time up but I am not sure how far it is for you to come down? I will be looking forward to finally meeting you if you do make it so “just do it” ;)

___Another addition. I have seen Randy Mays Emissions write-up he will be presenting at the MiHG meet this coming weekend and I will ask him if I can use some of his material for the MN meet as well.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

It'll probably be a 7-8 hour drive for me. I'm still a single student so no wife to come down with me yet, and most of my buddies are heading off to see other friends or relatives. I may be able to convince my mom though, she just purchased a new Highlander Hybrid last week and wants to learn more about it.

Sefton you are absolutely welcome if you can make it!!

I haven't really looked at accommodations in the area because I live here but...

Try this link: http://deals.hotels.com/hotels-minnesota/hotels-coon-rapids/

Or perhaps: Hotwire.com (http://www.hotwire.com/hotel/results.jsp?searchTokenId=4269433569&lid=hotel/searching.jsp:search:loc:0:search)

I'd offer to put you up but the house is already all booked up!

Thanks Sean, I will look into those hotels.

I'm looking at www.weather.com (http://www.weather.com) and next weekend in Minneapolis has the high of 30F, low of 10F - drizzle. :eek: I hope staying on I35 and the main highways will keep me on non-slippery roads. Wondering if I should wear two or three layers? Leaning towards three.

I'm looking at www.weather.com (http://www.weather.com) and next weekend in Minneapolis has the high of 30F, low of 10F - drizzle. :eek: I hope staying on I35 and the main highways will keep me on non-slippery roads. Wondering if I should wear two or three layers? Leaning towards three.

chuck, try this one, it looks better. how they heck do they think it can drizzle in 10 degrees???

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?map.x=186&map.y=140&site=MPX

That's looks better.

Just don't want my car skating. :eek:

10F sounds nice compared to the last few night here. Was -30 last week. It's looking like the weekend is a "go" for me. See you on Saturday.

Hi Sefton:

___Great and I cannot wait to meet you!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Likewise! This is looking to be an excellent meet. :D

yes, what they said!!! i am going down friday night and then i can get there on time saturday :)

Chuck and Wayne are now both safely at my house.

See everyone there!! :D

How did it go? Where is a post about the meeting.

Come on,,, give it up! :)

jeff, i think everyone is still trying to get home. there have been storm warnings from minneapolis east and south. i am still in mpls, i had planned to go home tonight, but 100 miles is just not feasible in the snow and wind.

we had a good turnout, and great discussion, but i am going to wait for wayne to get home and start the report.

i will say that i didn't try a drive in chuck's insight, since the wind was very strong and the roads icy. i didn't think i could give it a fair test, plus i didn't want to put it in a ditch.

Since Wayne has to drive past here I wish him all the luck in the world. It is pretty much blizzard conditions with 40mph winds blowing the foot of snow around. Hopefully the one above is his co-pilot.

Wayne

Since I had to drive in those types of conditions last week, I understand what Wayne's going through. I will definitely be asking the Great Navigator to guide him and to get him safely home. Safe journey Wayne.

I have an update -- I just got home after going to Church, then a family Christmas lunch, then shopping. I'm bushed!!

Wayne is still en-route and I spoke with him a few minutes ago. He's midway between Madison and Milwaukee at the moment. Unfortunately, he had a close encounter with a snowmobile trailer and crunched his hood and the fascia of his Accord. :( The car is still in good driving condition -- the lights are intact and the radiator seems fine -- but this is going to be an expensive repair from the sounds of it. :( :(

Chuck called Wayne several hours ago and at that time he was about 100mi north of Ames IA. It was icy there but at least he was out of the snow storm and planned to continue down on his way to Kansas City for a stop overnight. He won't be posting anytime soon because he left his laptop at my house. On the front doorstep getting covered in snow!!! :eek: I'm currently thawing it out by my furnace in the basement but I don't know if he has other computers at home or not.

Wayne should post this evening sometime.

boy, we sure picked a heck of a weekend! minnesota shows its fangs. i am waiting to see what it looks like in the morning......or afternoon, before i head out.

i hope everyone will check in when they get home. my daughter and her family were here at my mom's for our christmas get together, and i asked her to email me when she got home. they drive a ford edge and live about 30 miles north. her response when she got home was: home safe and sound. i'm sure the color will return to my knuckles eventually...

Hang in there, Laurie! What comes down eventually gets cleared by the plows...

I'll be sure to write here as I get updates.

Jerad, did you get back to your folks okay?

Mike, are you still in the area or have you started heading back to Canada yet?

Hey Sean, I left Sunday morning and got back a couple hours ago. The first 50 or so miles were slippery with a number of cars in the ditch but the traction improved after that. The rest of the drive wasn't bad, just a little slow and hard to see at times. A couple pictures of the highways today:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/drive2.jpg
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/drive1.jpg

Later when it was dark, I noticed that the ice crystals in the air were reflecting light from the moon to create a halo which I thought was kind of cool. I tried to grab a picture, the halo is just barely visible at the edges in this shot.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/moon.jpg

Wow! Impressive pictures, Mike! I'm glad you got home okay.

Wayne called me at 11:21PM last night to let me know he got home safely -- and he was going back out to shop more!? Wayne, you are one crazy dude, you know that? ;)

I've not heard from Chuck yet.

I just finished a cup of coffee with Chuck.
He is in good shape, and shoud be in Dallas in about 4 hours.
The roads here are clear now so no problems with that, and going south should be even better.
He said he had a desktop at home so he will post when he gets there.

Randall

Great news, Randall! I'm glad he is well and nearly home.

Keith posted on the Daily Grind so everyone seems to be doing well.

Laurie, chip in when you get back home from your mother's house, okay?

Hi All:

___What does a 20 + car pileup, a cel phone, Eric Powers, black ice, a trip back from MN during a blizzard and an Accord have to do with one another?

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Accord_Crash_Pic_2.JPGhttp://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Accord_Crash_Pic_1.jpg

___That was a very expensive Group Meet :ccry:

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Oh, Wayne. I'm so sorry. :ccry: I probably should have pushed you to stay until today. :(

Hi Sean:

___This was not your fault at all. If I had not picked up that cel to call Eric telling him to call his brother and tell him to stay in the Twin Cities because of what I was seeing at that very moment up ahead, I would have missed the whole thing … Just another reason why Microsoft’s SYNC and voice activated and controlled Bluetooth enabled cel’s are such a good idea :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Oh man that stinks :(

Laurie:

You didn't miss much INHO. I drove Chucks Insight on my standard country test loop playing with his mod and only did 82 mpg. Remember 65 to 70 mpg in my Civic was a give me. Granted I have some seat time in Insight. But nothing prolific. And I was playing with MIMA. Without playing with the mod. 92 mpg would have been in my sights. I was playing with the mod and out of my groove because of it. I can see how it in some ways can and will make Chucks daily grind better. DFW traffic is like so-cal traffic. 80 mph to a dead stop and back again. It is insane!!! I got rear ended in my Civic the last time I was down there not far from where Chuck lives in fact.

Wayne I am soooo sorry about Accord. :( For those that don't know. Waynes Accord was like new less the miles on the OD. I mean pristine! The leather even looked brand new. As Im sure it still does. Buddy it now time for you to put a carbon fiber hood on it. Drop it 3/4" and get a TL rear sway. Sport fas'ing will take on a new meaning. :) Maybe even a front strut tower brace. :)

I know I don't have to have a hybrid to go north and hang out with a few folks I would very much like to meet. But rest assured if CR-Z comes about in a setup I like. I will go north!

Hi Sean,
I made it back OK and without casualties (ouch Wayne! :(). I kept it to 45-50 on the way home and didn't run into anyone who cared what I was doing. I was foolish enough to drive yesterday when the blowing kicked in to see a friend who lives in the area though. :rolleyes: My SG-reported average speed for the round trip was 36 if that is any indication of what conditions were like on roads marked 55 and 65. Suffice it to say I didn't have many people passing me. Not the brightest thing I've ever done, but I escaped from that unscathed too. And I actually had a good deal of 32-40mph P&G, but with the 30-mph crosswind and snow on the roads I don't have an outrageous number to show for it. ;) My new tank is actually hanging just above 50. :( Having to park outside dosen't help either - yesterday I saw a starting coolant temp of 13F.

OK, enough winter MPG complaining ;) - it was really nice to put faces to some names I've seen posting around here. If you coincidentally time the MN meetings when I am driving back to see family I will be at those. :D

awwww, wayne... that really sucks. :(:( i am so sorry. had the weather guessers been a little closer to the truth, we would have all been in better shape. there was certainly no inkling of how bad it would get, even the day before.....&(*#&$($@(*)_($@#

i got home a little while ago, after leaving the mpls area about noon. strangely enough, the farther north i got, the better the travel. the first twenty miles were crowded, of course, and i still found some ice in spots, but past elk river (reference for sean) it was better. except of course this one stretch into st. cloud (the city where i work), where the road is uphill for a long time and ROUGH. with my tires sitting close to 60 i about had my brains shaken loose.

closer to home my regular 4 lane was clean, and so was our tar road. i didn't expect that. i think the worst of it was going the way you guys were going to the east.

i kept it around 50-55 all the way home, there was a wind coming in off the driver's side corner. i had to stop once to try and open up the window washer on the drivers side.

57.1 for the 105 miles home from my mother's place

on edit: hey, jeff, we weren't all hybrid driver's.......jerad (or was it mike, i am sorry you guys, i keep mixing you up in my mind) came from winnipeg in his diesel VW, and keith, the semi driver, came in his highlander. it was quite a nice mix.

I'm very glad to hear that you got homein good shape, Laurie!!

That was Mike (SeftonM) who came down from Manitoba -- sweet ride, Mike!!

By the way, your car felt really smooth at 60psi compared to mine over that stretch. :eek: ;)

First of all, very sorry the highway Grinch struck Wayne, at least 100 vehicles I witnessed on I35 from MN to Randall's home in Blackwell, OK and hundreds more all over the US heartland. :(


http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Accord_Crash_Pic_2.JPGhttp://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Accord_Crash_Pic_1.jpg



_______________________________________


Houston, we have a problem....never mind {blush}

Early this morning I narrowly adverted some serious problems due to my carelessness. The MIMA board to the right of the accelerator pedal was exposed - normally not a problem at all, however I made the mistake of sleeping in the driver's seat at around 0F on I35 about 50 miles west of Kansas City, KS. Got the infamous "Check Engine" light, then ScanGage had a code. Fortunately, I remembered P1667 means bad electrical connection, and was just awake to realize my right foot dislodged something on the MIMA board. It's a good idea to have a flashllight at 3am. ;) Found the relay on the floor, plugged it in, but that did not resolve the problem. About fifteen minutes later, being warmed up in the Rest Area Men's room, found the unplugged relay, plugged it in, and everything was as if this never happened. :)

Yes, I'm putting the console back on over the MIMA board. ;)


_______________________________________


Plenty of pictures of the winter storm down I35 from Minnapolis....worst of it was over in northern Iowa, where I passed by a six-car wreck, complete with fire trucks and ambulances. :eek: Roads were clear approaching Missouri, but there was a ditched vehicle every five miles. :(

Essentially, everybody had to hypermile at about 40mph the first 100 or so miles south of Minnapolis, although nobody wanted to ridge ride. ;) Those that chose to go above 50mph were on the side - 2-3 of them upside down. :eek:

At times, the wind would blow snow from the corn fields along I35 and give 2-3 seconds of whiteout - I've never experienced it before and was terrified. To state the obvious, it was dangerous even for the most careful driver, as the elements and other drivers could strike at any time.

I just finished a cup of coffee with Chuck.
He is in good shape, and shoud be in Dallas in about 4 hours.
The roads here are clear now so no problems with that, and going south should be even better.
He said he had a desktop at home so he will post when he gets there.

RandallLocal guys having coffee at another table that apparently have not seen an Insight before - even Randall's

That's some kind of Honda.... :D


__________________________


Sean, please give my notebook time to dry before you "cold boot" :D

jeff, i think everyone is still trying to get home. there have been storm warnings from minneapolis east and south. i am still in mpls, i had planned to go home tonight, but 100 miles is just not feasible in the snow and wind.

we had a good turnout, and great discussion, but i am going to wait for wayne to get home and start the report.

i will say that i didn't try a drive in chuck's insight, since the wind was very strong and the roads icy. i didn't think i could give it a fair test, plus i didn't want to put it in a ditch.I will relucantly agree that driving a MIMA Insight on iced over roads is kind of like Tiger Woods showing what he can do only doing sand traps. :( The following day it was all too obvious why Laurie left early.

I was returing with Mike as Laurie was leaving....wish there was more time and better weather...the meeting went very well - more later.

_____________________________

Laurie:

You didn't miss much INHO. I drove Chucks Insight on my standard country test loop playing with his mod and only did 82 mpg....

Jeff,

My recollection is you were doing 100mpg on my Insight this October before you finished at 92 - it was not 82mpg over seven something miles. :)

Sean, please give my notebook time to dry before you "cold boot" :D

You got it, buddy!

I'm relieved to hear you got home safe and sound.

Sorry to hear about the Accord Wayne, but I'm glad you weren't badly injured.

No worries about you mixing Jerad and myself up Laurie. It's probably easy to do as he and I may look a little alike.

Sean, my tires were only around 35psi so that's probably why it felt so smooth. Somehow, the maximum pressure in them is only 40psi :confused:

S
No worries about you mixing Jerad and myself up Laurie. It's probably easy to do as he and I may look a little alike.
:

mike, i was going to mention that...it was pretty remarkable how similar you looked. i thought it was only one of those things that artists noticed.

i enjoyed meeting both of you. you are the future of what we are trying to accomplish. i, on the other hand, being a grandmother, can truly say i drive like a granny LOL.......glad everyone is safe. :)

One picture of the meeting


http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/group_outdoors_MN_07.JPG (http://javascript<b></b>:;)
Left to right: Mike Sefton, Jerad (locutus), Sean (Right Lane Cruiser), Laurie, Wayne, Mike

Sean, my tires were only around 35psi so that's probably why it felt so smooth. Somehow, the maximum pressure in them is only 40psi :confused:

Mike, I was actually referring to Laurie's car. She was talking about a segment of hwy 10 between where we met and St. Cloud that is almost like a washboard! It is rough in her car but her suspension is quite a bit softer than mine. Mine gets hard to take after about 20mi of that stuff at normal highway speeds -- we both run our tires at 60psi.

Max psi on my tires is also 44psi -- be sure to read the info about tire pressures in the articles found on the CleanMPG main page as it will open your eyes to the true safety margins on a structurely sound (no sidewall damage) tire.

One picture of the meeting


http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/group_outdoors_MN_07.JPG (http://javascript<b></b>:;)
Left to right: Mike Sefton, Jerad (locutus), Sean (Right Lane Cruiser), Laurie, Wayne, Mike

LOL, we look like frozen snow bunnies. too bad you can't photograph winds and temp. dang, it was cold!!!

The pictures on the way out of MN may illustrate the flurries.

Max psi on my tires is also 44psi -- be sure to read the info about tire pressures in the articles found on the CleanMPG main page as it will open your eyes to the true safety margins on a structurely sound (no sidewall damage) tire.
Thanks, I'll check it out. This group has been teaching me a lot in the last few days. Thank you to everyone who's helped.

....too bad you can't photograph winds and temp. dang, it was cold!!!This was the next day....believe this was a road connecting to I35 about 10 miles south of MN.

Storm video (http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5519&nocache=1) (1.4MB)

5MB Video: on I35 about midway between Minnapolis and the Iowa state line. Weather conditions compelled hypermiling at about 40mph if not slower...those that did not could be seen in the median or side at least once every five miles as illustrated in video. :(

Video (http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/5520/cat/500/ppuser/9)

chuck, you are much braver than i, and i LIVE in this crap. throw in shooting video while you are driving? whew.....brave or crazy LOL.

hey guys, when i was driving home, i saw someone towing one of those little 3 wheel cars that we had in a video on here a while back. the one that looked kind of like half a car, and the driver about filled up the entire vehicle. i would do a search for it, but i can't remember what it was called.

Laurie, on the other hand, some videos are blurry or aimed wrong as driving takes priority for obvious reasons. ;)

In some recent pictures you may see the "2nd deck" above my dash with my ScanGage, a pair of temperature probes, and NAV. I can see over it very easily, but it blocks some camera shots. Ironically, my NAV unit is one of those stick-on-the-winshield units - illegal in Minnesota, so this customization keeps me in good with the Minnesota State Patrol. :)

Still speaking about NAV, I'll confess it was responsible for my last wreck a year ago this month. On the way to a pre race party for the Dallas White Rock Marathon, I was adjusting the NAV....I35E in west Dallas has 5 lanes at this point and has a Y split between I35/downtown and Hwy 183/Irving. I was attempting to move from the 183 lane to downtown I35 lanes....only problem was past the horizon someone was going at 85mph+ and bumped my left side real good and never stopped. :( As this is similar to what Wayne had happen to him, I felt prompted to tell the rest of the story.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/55mpg_sign.JPG

This picture was yesterday on Hwy 11 in Blackwell Oklahoma - Randall's (highwater) hometown about 15 miles south of Kansas on I35. Heard reports of whiteout down in OK - very fortunately the storm ended about 25 miles into Iowa - can't imagine driving at night in such.

Wayne, I sized the picture above for a future news article....sure someone will think of something. ;)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/55mpg_sign.JPG

This picture was yesterday on Hwy 11 in Blackwell Oklahoma - Randall's (highwater) hometown about 15 miles south of Kansas on I35. Heard reports of whiteout down in OK - very fortunately the storm ended about 25 miles into Iowa - can't imagine driving at night in such.

Wayne, I sized the picture above for a future news article....sure someone will think of something. ;)

actually, chuck, i think that's how most people view speed limit signs.....clutter by the side of the road. they certainly don't READ them.

Yesterday at the Texas Rest Area two miles south of the Red River, I chatted with someone that took I55 out of Chicago Sunday during the storm...it lasted until he hit Springfield.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/upside_down.JPG

South of Minnapolis on I35, Dec 23, 2007.

Very likely going over 40mph...did not make it home in time for Christmas. :(

Not an uncommon sight that day.

Lets hope that even though we don't have snow here in NC, that I don't see any of those... since I was at work yesterday and again today :(

Those are some awe inspiring photos, Chuck!! I'm sure glad your Insight avoided ending up resting on its roof!!! :eek:

I'll bet you don't forget this trip anytime soon. ;)

Hi Chuck:

___There were maybe 75 – 100 cars and SUV’s in the ditches and medians with another 15 – 20 SUV’s on their roofs between the MN border and Milwaukee. I wish I had a camera :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne, WOW!:eek: It sounds like my little ordeal last week was almost nothing compared to what you and everyone else went through. I may have have missed it but, what were the details/circumstances of your little accident with the Accord? I'm glad everyone made it home safely without injuries.

Those are some awe inspiring photos, Chuck!! I'm sure glad your Insight avoided ending up resting on its roof!!! :eek:

I'll bet you don't forget this trip anytime soon. ;)Sean,

It's definitely not like Dallas weather....I have some meeting pictures of a more postive nature.

Now for a professional photographer...
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/ArtAndPhoto-Fronts/COVER/071223/g-071223-cvr-snow-2p.h2.jpg
The exodus on I94 out of Minnepolis...if someone could take a picture of me in the traffic on I35, this would fit perfectly....most of the way it became just two lanes, but the smart people were on the rightmost lane where the least ice was. Occasionally, people would gently pass by (i.e. 5mph faster) the rightmost lane with the emergency blinkers on. Occasionally, crosswinds of around 20-30mph would blow, giving 2-3 seconds of whiteout - probably causing quite a few of those collisions - just like the 80-car pileup in Amarillo, Texas (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22379520) (where I would be enroute on bus to a ski trip a week from now...)

Hi Chuck:

___There were maybe 75 – 100 cars and SUV’s in the ditches and medians with another 15 – 20 SUV’s on their roofs between the MN border and Milwaukee. I wish I had a camera :(

___Good Luck

___WayneWayne,

I feel guilty not talking about the meeting (got pictures), so if you split this thread to keep the traffic mayhem apart from the get together, I whole heartedly understand.

Obviously, this was riveting, esp. since I've never experienced this. I feel for everyone that had the misfortune of being in a collision in temperatures as low as 11F that Sunday during the day.

By the time I made it to Des Moines, it was too dark for the pictures to make sense, but one of them was an inverted F250....not a single car on off the freeway rolled over, but I noticed several trucks and SUVs that did...not exactly the best time to bring this up, but I saw with my own eyes that riding higher is less safe, not more safe.

Sorry about the crash Wayne. I'll take snow packed roads over icy conditions any day.
Keith

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/whiteout_in_Minnapolis.JPG
About 11am Dec 23, 2007 in Coon Rapids - greater Minnapolis. About 12F.

That light ahead is just down the road from my house -- I know it well.

Chuck, where did you guys end up eating breakfast? It doesn't look like you got to Denny's judging by the direction your picture was taken from...

That light ahead is just down the road from my house -- I know it well.

Chuck, where did you guys end up eating breakfast? It doesn't look like you got to Denny's judging by the direction your picture was taken from...Wayne was leading and pulled in at McDonalds to get something quick because he had a better idea than I of the severity of the weather. The temperature reading was 11F at the time.....brrrrr!

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/wintersucks.jpg

This was how my Insight looked Saturday morning at about 24F

Obviously some photoshoping was done...it's a parody of an anti-hybrid site known to some of you.

BTW, my estimated FE to the meet was probably about 41mpg. :D

chuck, yer gonna have to stop posting those snow pix. sean and i are starting to feel guilty :o

On the way up to MN, Iowa radio had bunches of campaign ads for the caucus tommorrow....loved this huge sign a farmer put up:

PIGS DON'T VOTE! :D

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/MN_offroad.JPG

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/medium/Mn_collision.JPG
Seconds after the collision...

Hi Chuck:

___I wish we had seen some of those pics two nights ago ;) That poor little blue thing looks like my Accord did :ccry: She is in surgery as we speak however :)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Wayne,

I'm hoping they just give your Accord a new front end.


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The main thing I'm saving (wreck pictures) is the big collision in Iowa on exit 208 at I35....the script to embedd videos - is there one for wide pictures? Reason I ask is I'd like to merge my pictures in one panoramic view (believe me, the view of Pikes Peak is better).