The surprise winter storm that has crippled the Portland metropolitan area rages on. Here's a photo of conditions a few hours ago here in Northeast Portland. You can see the suffering that the weather is causing:
The snow was extremely wet -- perfect for certain types of violent activity. If you venture outside, you might get hit with a snowball by a neighborhood kid. You might even laugh. Don't let it happen! Remain indoors and stay riveted to bojack.org for all the latest news.
Comments (7)
Report from Pill Hill:
After snarled public streets for more than four hours, Tri-Met rerouted their buses to Terwilliger. This, of course, confirms the ideal location for the state's major medical center, including the federally recognized 'trauma center'....
Staff and visitors attempting to flee the scene by using the aerial tram *rimshot* were rewarded with being virtually trapped at SoWhat because they COULD NOT go by streetcar. For some reason, the much vaunted streetcar was not running...for some time during the snow accumulation. Buses were neither frequent, nor regular, either.
Does anybody know what happened to the transit mall rail? There are no switches to freeze, as it's single track all the way down. I can't wait to find out.
It's a good thing that you can't catch a taxi on the Transit Mall, because that would take food out of the mouths of barely functional TriMet. They need every penny.
I don't think the Portland Streetcar had a very good afternoon, either. Oh well, walking is usually faster anyways. That's no exaggeration.
Strangely enough, my politically un-sexy diesel bus made it up the hill just fine, even without chains. Oh yeah, and it can turn to avoid obstacles or change routes.
The street car was stopped by nothing more than clogged streets. I walked from NW 21st and Savier to the Rose Garden at 5pm last night and passed three street cars and two #77 busses all stuck in the traffic thanks to people who tried to drive their RWD SUV up the ramp from the Pearl to the Broadway Bridge.
Honestly it was an epic traffic jam in every direction. Once I hit Rose Quarter, I hopped a MAX and made it to Gateway with no issues.
MachineShedFred, the Prius uses tires that are built more for efficiency than ultimate traction. In my mind, that makes them dangerous on the roads given the batteries they carry on-board (and the seeming lack of skill many drivers seem to have behind the wheel)
Speaking of tires, there was a law proposed in the state legislature banning the sale of tires that do not meet OEM specs for efficiency. The SEMA PAC helped put the kaibash on that pretty quickly.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (7)
Report from Pill Hill:
After snarled public streets for more than four hours, Tri-Met rerouted their buses to Terwilliger. This, of course, confirms the ideal location for the state's major medical center, including the federally recognized 'trauma center'....
Staff and visitors attempting to flee the scene by using the aerial tram *rimshot* were rewarded with being virtually trapped at SoWhat because they COULD NOT go by streetcar. For some reason, the much vaunted streetcar was not running...for some time during the snow accumulation. Buses were neither frequent, nor regular, either.
Posted by godfry | December 29, 2009 9:57 PM
Word is that the expensive new transit mall was an epic fail when it snowed. Another triumph for Sam the Tram.
Posted by Jack Bog | December 29, 2009 10:02 PM
The local media will forever call it:
"Snowgasm 2009 -- The Final Reckoning"
Where were you?
Posted by Downtown Denizen | December 29, 2009 10:46 PM
Does anybody know what happened to the transit mall rail? There are no switches to freeze, as it's single track all the way down. I can't wait to find out.
It's a good thing that you can't catch a taxi on the Transit Mall, because that would take food out of the mouths of barely functional TriMet. They need every penny.
I don't think the Portland Streetcar had a very good afternoon, either. Oh well, walking is usually faster anyways. That's no exaggeration.
Strangely enough, my politically un-sexy diesel bus made it up the hill just fine, even without chains. Oh yeah, and it can turn to avoid obstacles or change routes.
Posted by Downtown Denizen | December 29, 2009 10:58 PM
The street car was stopped by nothing more than clogged streets. I walked from NW 21st and Savier to the Rose Garden at 5pm last night and passed three street cars and two #77 busses all stuck in the traffic thanks to people who tried to drive their RWD SUV up the ramp from the Pearl to the Broadway Bridge.
Honestly it was an epic traffic jam in every direction. Once I hit Rose Quarter, I hopped a MAX and made it to Gateway with no issues.
Posted by Stefan | December 30, 2009 7:51 AM
I personally got a couple yuks out of watching a Prius attempt to climb the hill in front of my house 5 times last night before giving up.
Guess electric motors aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Posted by MachineShedFred | December 30, 2009 7:53 AM
MachineShedFred, the Prius uses tires that are built more for efficiency than ultimate traction. In my mind, that makes them dangerous on the roads given the batteries they carry on-board (and the seeming lack of skill many drivers seem to have behind the wheel)
Speaking of tires, there was a law proposed in the state legislature banning the sale of tires that do not meet OEM specs for efficiency. The SEMA PAC helped put the kaibash on that pretty quickly.
Posted by Stefan | December 30, 2009 12:33 PM