After dropping Warren off at his home I began my own return trip home at 4:00 p.m. I had hoped to make it as far as Indio, California but yet another round of heavy rain, heavy traffic, and heavy darkness prompted me to pull off of California Highway 60 East in the town of Beaumont, California. A mere 85 miles to start the return trip, but it’s a start.

Incidentally, the last four or five days have brought near record rainfall for California, and heavy snow (measured in feet, not inches) in the higher elevations of Arizona. The first round on Sunday/Monday prompted me to bypass the Grand Canyon due to road conditions. Then, checking the road conditions and weather forecast this afternoon, I decided to exercise caution and to not attempt navigating the icy roads to see the Grand Canyon. Nearly five feet of snow has fallen there in recent days, and the roads are said to be treacherous. While it’s a bit disappointing not to be able to visit the Grand Canyon on this trip, I feel it is the wiser choice. As such, I am taking a more southerly route for the next few days. I hope to make it as far as Tucson on Friday.

--Larry Spears [Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010]