6. Drive around with snow on top of your vehicle. I learned this the hard way. My first winter in the Eastern Sierra was….a wild one. The snow removal service for the apartment I was living in would just show up and residents had to move their cars at a moment’s notice. In my haste, I would just drive down the street with a couple of feet of snow on top of my car. A guy on the street told me that I could get ticketed for it. I asked around–it’s true, people. No amount of arguing online or claiming ignorance will change this. Not to mention, if the snow/ice heats up and slides forward, it will cover your windshield so you can’t see. Unfortunately, an RV passing me on the highway had a load of ice on top that slid and cracked my windshield. Here’s a photo of that year; I had to dig out my car and I tried using a Swiffer to clear the snow off the top of it.

I ended up buying a Snow Brum and loving it. (It’s weirdly satisfying to remove snow with it. :D) Unfortunately, I broke it while trying to use it as an ice scraper–it’s not meant for that. (This is an Amazon Affiliate link, so I do earn a small commission for any sales made via this link. If you appreciate any of the info I posted, help a woman out!) Snow Brum https://amzn.to/3CG7qBP

7. Do things under any sort of roof or overhang. There are signs up on buildings all over town that show something along the lines of “CAUTION ROOF SHEDS” or “WATCH FOR FALLING ICE/SNOW”, but sometimes when we’re shoveling or doing something, it’s easy to forget. People have been buried when these slides occur. Some have even died. Please exercise caution and be aware of what’s above you.

8. Tunnel in the snow. A few years ago, some kids were tunneling in the snow when one of the town plows came by and accidentally buried them. Tunnels can collapse on their own. It’s self explanatory, but easy to forget when you’re excited about the snow.

9. Be a pedestrian in town after a storm. I know–this one is an inconvenience, sometimes it’s just safer to walk than drive or you might not have a vehicle. One of my favorite things to do after a snowstorm (or even during for that matter) was go on a run. Even with a headlamp and Tracer strobing, I had to be extremely cautious. Just because they see you, doesn’t mean they can stop.

Here’s a photo of me running in the snow on a sunny day and another photo of me wearing the Noxgear Tracer.

10. Drink excessively. When you’re at higher altitude, alcohol hits different. From my experience, smaller amounts seem to affect me faster. There’s some debate about how this works–I’m not a doctor and you might be a better Google researcher than I am. ;D Being up here is already dehydrating, so you can imagine what the hangover will be like. Usually bars and breweries have water stations set up to help with this, although that takes some awareness on your part. Just remember, if you go t jail, it’s a long ride to Bridgeport or Independence. Don’t drink and drive! Eastern Sierra Transit https://www.estransit.com/ Mammoth Taxi https://www.mammoth-taxi.com/