2012-13 Basketball Rankings - Vol. II

These are my Top 50 rankings, through games played on December 18th:

Rank	Last	Team	Record	RPI	Conference
1	1	Duke	(9-0, 0-0)	1	ACC
2	4	Michigan	(11-0, 0-0)	3	B1G
3	5	Arizona	(9-0, 0-0)	8	PAC-12
4	3	Florida	(7-1, 0-0)	6	SEC
5	6	Ohio St.	(9-1, 0-0)	36	B1G
6	11	Illinois	(12-0, 0-0)	5	B1G
7	7	Louisville	(9-1, 0-0)	13	Big East
8	8	Syracuse	(10-0, 0-0)	11	Big East
9	9	New Mexico	(11-0, 0-0)	9	Mountain West
10	13	Cincinnati	(10-0, 0-0)	32	Big East
11	14	Minnesota	(11-1, 0-0)	15	B1G
12	10	Gonzaga	(10-1, 0-0)	16	West Coast
13	16	Kansas	(9-1, 0-0)	7	Big 12
14	39	Butler	(8-2, 0-0)	4	Atlantic 10
15	2	Indiana	(9-1, 0-0)	19	B1G
16	15	Georgetown	(9-1, 0-0)	30	Big East
17	17	Missouri	(9-1, 0-0)	75	SEC
18	19	Wyoming	(11-0, 0-0)	40	Mountain West
19	18	San Diego St.	(9-1, 0-0)	82	Mountain West
20	20	Oregon	(9-1, 0-0)	33	PAC-12
21	22	Pitt	(10-1, 0-0)	50	Big East
22	23	Michigan St.	(10-2, 0-0)	39	B1G
23	29	Creighton	(10-1, 0-0)	22	Missouri Valley
24	24	UNLV	(9-1, 0-0)	18	Mountain West
25	30	Notre Dame	(10-1, 0-0)	61	Big East
26	25	Oklahoma St.	(8-1, 0-0)	29	Big 12
27	12	Wichita St.	(9-1, 0-0)	20	Missouri Valley
28	34	VCU	(8-3, 0-0)	24	Atlantic 10
29	26	North Carolina	(8-2, 0-0)	47	ACC
30	31	NC State	(8-2, 0-0)	10	ACC
31	32	Baylor	(7-3, 0-0)	63	Big 12
32	33	Kentucky	(7-3, 0-0)	59	SEC
33	35	Maryland	(9-1, 0-0)	55	ACC
34	36	Connecticut	(8-2, 0-0)	23	Big East
35	N/A	Miami	(7-1, 0-0)	12	ACC
36	N/A	Tennessee	(6-3, 0-0)	73	SEC
37	42	Bucknell	(10-1, 0-0)	28	Patriot
38	40	Northwestern	(8-3, 0-0)	72	B1G
39	N/A	Iowa	(9-2, 0-0)	58	B1G
40	38	Colorado	(8-2, 0-0)	2	PAC-12
41	N/A	Murray State	(8-1, 0-0)	17	Ohio Valley
42	27	Boise St.	(7-2, 0-0)	31	Mountain West
43	N/A	UCLA	(8-3, 0-0)	100	PAC-12
44	N/A	Virginia	(8-2, 0-0)	130	ACC
45	N/A	Marquette	(7-2, 0-0)	91	Big East
46	49	Eastern Kentucky	(9-1, 0-0)	87	Ohio Valley
47	44	Kansas St.	(8-2, 0-0)	143	Big 12
48	N/A	Bradley	(7-2, 0-0)	119	Missouri Valley
49	48	Temple	(8-1, 0-0)	49	Atlantic 10
50	43	George Mason	(6-4, 0-0)	81	Colonial

Dropped Out: #21 Virginia Tech, #28 Alabama, #37 IL-Chicago, #41 Xavier, #45 Colorado St., #46 Charlotte, #47 Arizona St., #50 Mississippi

Christmas Vacation - From Cold to Cohd

For those of you that aren't laughing at the title of this blog post, it's self-deprecation because I typically do not pronounce the 'l' in cold. I guess it's my Eastern Shore of Maryland dialect. I find dialects interesting, and the results of this University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee survey are interesting to me. Anyway, back to the point of this post.

When reading the local 'Zone Forecast Product' from NWS-Wakefield, I am really amused by the temperature forecast for my entire stay back home (where it's currently 62°F by the way):

DORCHESTER-  
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CAMBRIDGE  110 PM EST TUE DEC 18 2012  
   
THIS AFTERNOON  
PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 60S. WEST WINDS  
AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.    
TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING  
THEN BECOMING MOSTLY  
CLEAR. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO  
30 MPH IN THE EVENING.    
WEDNESDAY  
MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. WEST WINDS 10 TO  
15 MPH.    
WEDNESDAY NIGHT  
MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 30S. NORTHWEST  
WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH...BECOMING NORTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT.    
THURSDAY  
PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S. SOUTHEAST WINDS  
10 TO 15 MPH.    
THURSDAY NIGHT...CLOUDY. SHOWERS LIKELY  
MAINLY IN THE EVENING.  
LOWS IN THE LOWER 40S. CHANCE OF RAIN 60 PERCENT.    
FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT  
PARTLY CLOUDY AND BREEZY. HIGHS IN THE  
UPPER 40S. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S.    
SATURDAY  
MOSTLY SUNNY AND BREEZY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S.    
SATURDAY NIGHT  
CLEAR. LOWS AROUND 30.    
SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY  
MOSTLY CLEAR. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S. LOWS  
AROUND 30. 

First let's compare the past 7 days here in Grand Forks:

12/11--> High: 9, Low: -2
12/12--> High: 18, Low: 5
12/13--> High: 19, Low:4
12/14--> High: 28, Low: 9 (HEAT WAVE!!!)
12/15--> High: 23, Low: 9
12/16--> High: 23, Low 17
12/17--> High: 19, Low: 16

So that LOW temperature around 30 at the end of my stay back home will be warmer than any HIGH I have experienced over the past week! In fact, it has been 12 days since it has reached 30°F here (39°F on 12/6). If you take coldest high temperature in that forecast (highs in the upper 40s), that will still be the warmest weather I have experienced in the past 27 days (46°F on 11/21). Then for a real good laugh, see that Thursday forecast, with highs in the mid 50s? Well it's been 62 days since I have felt that kind of warmth (55°F on 10/17)!

I think I should pack a pair of shorts and head to the beach on Thursday!

Good Riddance van Persie

About a year ago, my second full season as an Arsenal fan, I bought a Robin van Persie jersey. He was far and away the best player on the team and led the Premier League in goals scored, with an incredible 30 goals scored in 38 league games played. Then the Dutchman from Rotterdam "zijn ziel verkocht" and committed the traitorous move of signing with rival Manchester United. My best Arsenal friend was so fed up he offered it up as kindling at a co-worker's campfire. In short order, the flames that engulfed that RVP jersey were "hoog van de toren blazen"!

On the other hand, I could not do that. Not that I didn't want too, but it just felt like burning money. Some time later, I was delighted to hear that Arsenal announced Jack Wilshere would be the new #10. I knew what I wanted to do, but have just now completed the task. Enjoy a visual diary of 'Operation: Arsenal Kit Transformation':

The Lube - Fargo

I recently visited the new Quaker Steak & Lube in Fargo. I am familiar with The Lube as I went there a few times when I lived in western Pennsylvania, with my last visit in December 2008. In my opinion, The Lube has the best wings I have ever had. I became a fan of the restaurant because the hometown of a good friend of mine is in Sharon, PA - home of the original Quaker Steak & Lube which opened in 1974. It was originally a "cook your own steak" restaurant with an automotive theme - with the idea of preserving the culture of old gas stations and high-powered muscle cars following the 1973 oil crisis. Along the way, they started selling chicken wings and have since developed over 20 different wing sauces/dusts to their menu - winning many awards along the way. Probably the most popular, and my favorite as well, is the 'Louisiana Lickers' sauce. If memory serves me correct, I have also had the Original BBQ, Arizona Ranch, Cajun, Buckeye BBQ, and Supercharged (formerly Suicide).  On my first visit to the Fargo location, I ordered Louisiana Lickers and Buckeye BBQ and an order of fries.

What a fantastic meal! Everything tasted as good as I remembered from four years ago. As is typical, the restaurant was all decked out with its usual decor. In the room I dined in was a Tony Stewart Home Depot NASCAR - upside down! Other rooms featured a brand new Harley Davidson and a 1974 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. There were also plenty of televisions everywhere so you wouldn't miss any of whatever game is on. With it being newly opened, the wait staff was still new as well - but I found our waitress to be extremely friendly, timely, and eager to make sure everything about my dining experience went well. My only minor complaint is that I went on a night I was expecting all-you-can-eat boneless wings for $12 or $13, but they are not doing that promotion until January. Otherwise everything was nearly perfect for my meal. As a side note, my girlfriend ordered a mixed drink called the "Crusin’ Coco Berry Colada" which came with an actual rose in the drink! Quite a decorative touch and it was fortunate for me that rose came with the drink, as it played a very important role later in the evening.

Overall, even without my prior bias, I would highly recommend anyone in the Red River Valley who likes wings, burgers and fries, or steak to visit 'The Lube'. There is truth in advertising when they say 'Best Wings USA'.

Overall Meal Rating: 9.5/10

 One more thought - any restaurant that a.) has a roll of paper towels on the table instead of napkins, and/or b.) gives you a wet nap after your meal (as was the case the The Lube's 'wet wag') - is a damn fine restaurant.

Coldest December Day of My Life

With a midnight high temperature of 8°F and an 11:59pm low temperature of -11°F, the average temperature for Sunday, 12/09/2012 was -1.5°F, which was 15°F below normal. This was the coldest December day of my life, breaking the previous coldest average temperature of 4°F set last December 5th. The temperature fell to zero sometime around 4:30am, continued dropping to -4°F at 8am, then rose slightly to an afternoon high of 1°F at 3pm before falling through evening to -11°F. Wind chills were fairly steady in the -20°F to -25°F range throughout the day. 

In my first winter here in Grand Forks last year, there were only five days colder than today. I suspect this winter won't be like last winter though and it will be much closer to normal, which means much colder. Then again, the meteorologist in me wants to experience all that my surroundings have to offer weather-wise. So I say bring it. Call up the 'Hounds of Winter' Grand Forks and let me experience a true Dakota winter. If that comes to fruition and come February I regret asking for this, I will look back on this day and remember there is usually a silver lining to these very cold days.

At least it was a sunny day, and that is worth being thankful for.

Winter Is Here

I enjoyed that high of 39 on Thursday the 6th - even more so because it was sunny for the third time in four days, which is a rarity here lately. Today we have had about a 1/2" of snow, with the majority falling this morning. Tonight into early morning, we will get brushed by a storm system that will primarily affect far southern North Dakota, northeastern South Dakota, and central Minnesota. We should probably get 1-2" of snow out of this, maybe 3" if we're lucky (we never are - why did I entertain that thought?). Then on Sunday, I am not sure we'll get any warmer than 5ºF with wind chills of -15ºF to -20ºF. Not quite a 'Hounds of Winter' air mass, but getting close. From then on, it looks like a pretty typical North Dakota December (highs 15º-20ºF, lows +/- 5ºF of zero) until the pattern changes. There is an outside chance we reach the freezing mark on Wednesday, but with a snow pack in place and the absence of a significant pattern change by mid-week, I'd put the chances somewhere between highly unlikely and nearly impossible. Ahhh....and so begins the next 4 months of my life.

2012-13 NCAA Basketball Rankings - Vol. I

November 2012 Climate Data

Notes:

• Temperature data from the airport (GFK) and precipitation from the University.
• ##^R denotes record high
• ##_R denotes record low

Grand Forks, ND (GFK)

Day	High	Low	Dep.	Precip.	Snow
1	34	27	7	0.00"	0.0"
2	33	29	10	0.20"	2.3"
3	35	30	-1	0.23"	2.0"
4	33	30	-12	0.00"	0.0"
5	41	28	-13	0.10"	Trace
6	44	35	-10	0.01"	0.0"
7	45	30	-3	Trace	0.0"
8	43	30	-3	Trace	0.0"
9	34	28	-9	0.01"	0.0"
10	33	27	-9	0.17"	0.3"
11	27	16	-12	0.03"	0.4"
12	22	13	-7	0.01"	0.3"
13	27	12	+3	0.00"	0.0"
14	33	12	-2	0.00"	0.0"
15	34	17	+5	0.00"	0.0"
16	38	20	+11	0.00"	0.0"
17	39	25	+8	Trace	0.0"
18	45	22	+4	Trace	0.0"
19	43	25	0	0.00"	0.0"
20	41	22	+5	0.00"	0.0"
21	46	29	+4	0.00"	0.0"
22	32	12	+1	0.05"	0.8"
23	17	9	+8	Trace	0.1"
24	29	1	+1	Trace	Trace
25	28	2	-3	0.01"	0.3"
26	25	0	-5	0.00"	0.0"
27	26	16	-10	Trace	Trace
28	33	14	-9	0.00"	0.0"
29	19	10	+4	0.00"	0.0"
30	34	19	+2	Trace	0.0"
Nov 2012	33.8°	19.7°	+0.7°	0.82"	6.5"

Average High: 33.8°F [Departure from Normal: -1.3°F]
Average Low: 19.7°F [Departure from Normal: +2.7°F]
Mean Temperature: 26.8°F [Departure From Normal: +0.7°F]
Total Precipitation: 0.82" [Departure from Normal: -0.08"; 91% of normal]
Total Snowfall: 6.5" [Departure from Normal: +0.4"; 107% of normal]
Seasonal Snowfall: 10.0" [Departure from Normal: -32.8"; 23% of normal]

October 2012 Climate Data

Notes:

• Temperature data from the airport (GFK) and precipitation from the University.
• ##^R denotes record high
• ##_R denotes record low

Grand Forks, ND (GFK)

Day	High	Low	Dep.	Precip.	Snow
1	71	43	7	0.00"	0.0"
2	80	39	10	0.00"	0.0"
3	54	41	-1	0.12"	0.0"
4	40	33	-12	0.57"	3.5"
5	38R	32	-13	0.05"	Trace
6	47	28	-10	0.00"	0.0"
7	56	31	-3	0.00"	0.0"
8	51	36	-3	0.02"	0.0"
9	42	31	-9	0.01"	Trace
10	45	28	-9	0.05"	0.0"
11	45	22	-12	0.00"	0.0"
12	52	24	-7	0.00"	0.0"
13	59	36	+3	0.00"	0.0"
14	53	31	-2	0.00"	0.0"
15	64	33	+5	0.00"	0.0"
16	69	39	+11	0.00"	0.0"
17	55	47	+8	0.82"	0.0"
18	50	41	+4	0.34"	0.0"
19	44	40	0	0.09"	0.0"
20	51	40	+5	0.00"	0.0"
21	51	38	+4	0.09"	0.0"
22	46	36	+1	0.04"	0.0"
23	51	44	+8	0.22"	0.0"
24	46	33	+1	0.00"	0.0"
25	40	32	-3	0.00"	0.0"
26	38	27	-5	Trace	0.0"
27	33	22	-10	0.00"	0.0"
28	38	17	-9	Trace	Trace
29	50	32	+4	Trace	Trace
30	45	31	+2	Trace	0.00"
31	49	34	+6	Trace	Trace
Oct 2012	50.1°	33.6°	-1.3°	2.42"	3.5"

Average High: 50.1°F [Departure from Normal: -4.2°F]
Average Low: 33.6°F [Departure from Normal: +1.7°F]
Mean Temperature: 41.8°F [Departure From Normal: +1.3°F]
Total Precipitation: 2.42" [Departure from Normal: +0.50"; 126% of normal]
Total Snowfall: 3.5" [Departure from Normal: +2.50"; 350% of normal]
Seasonal Snowfall: 3.5" [Departure from Normal: -39.3"; 8% of normal]

December Rain

Well it's about time I get back into blogging since it's December again. I see my last post was from my trip, in which I lamented over the amount of rain I had to drive through. Ironically, it's currently raining outside - in Grand Forks...in December...at 9am. The 7am temperature was 43°F which is the warmest it has been here since the day before Thanksgiving (11/21). Who knows when there was December rain in Grand Forks. A quick look over the past five years doesn't show any liquid precipitation.

Without a doubt the most prevalent and depressing weather condition since I returned from my trip is the amount of cloudy days we have had. Currently on a streak of 6 straight cloudy days, though that is not as bad as the miserable 15 consecutive cloudy days I experienced from the day I returned from my Western Adventure on 10/30, to 11/13. Based on daily climate data, since October 15th (50 days ago) we have had at least 60% cloud cover during 44 of the past 50 days. Incredibly 32 of those days have had either 90-100% cloud cover. So essentially, it has been overcast for 64% of the past 50 days, and mostly cloudy for an astounding 88% of the past 50 days. It has worn on me and made me think that this long absence of sunshine must be worse than any point last winter. Sure enough it is. The cloudiest 50-day stretch between October-April was from February 14th to April 3rd. During that period, 38/50 days featured at least 60% cloud cover, but only 15/50 days were 90-100% cloud cover.

I joke at work that it has gotten to the point where we should never be allowed to forecast anything other than overcast skies unless it is -20°F or the calendar flips to April. It has become predictable and comical seeing a few scenarios repeat. Southerly winds erode cloud cover over Fargo, and clearing advances northward, only to fall short of reaching Grand Forks because the effective surface warm front stops at the southern edge of the snow pack. A favorite (morbid sarcasm) of mine is after a weather system passes east of us, then watching the satellite through the day, thinking the clear skies that have developed in Devil's Lake during morning will surely reach Grand Forks by mid-afternoon - only to see moisture stubbornly remain over the red River Valley long enough for overcast skies to continue through the day. Probably the most common source of cloudiness has been as a result of northwest flow. Every 36 hours or so a weak disturbance moves through - too weak to amount to much more than very light precipitation - but enough moisture to reinforce cloud cover before clouds from the previous disturbance depart the area. Add to that there has been snow pack throughout northeast North Dakota for weeks now (only since Thanksgiving here, but off to the northwest there has been snow pack since early November I believe), and you have a nice recipe for plenty of moisture advecting into Grand Forks. It looks like on Wednesday we could see some rare sunshine as low-level winds become southerly, and with the snow pack pretty much gone now, we may clear out.

I'm not sure how this winter will turn out regarding temperature and snowfall - the law of averages since it has to be colder and snowier than last year - but one thing seems certain, it is definitely off to a much cloudier start.

My Western Adventure - Pt. 2

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

BRIGHAM CITY, UT (4:00am, Tuesday, 10/23) - I crossed into Utah around 8pm last night, then made it here to my current location by 10pm. I had been on the road since 6:30am and was quite tired. However not as tired as driving in rain. I drove in enough rain (often moderate to heavy) across SW Wyoming, SE Idaho, and NE Utah to make me sick of it. It's still raining, but that's fine with me since it's good sleeping weather. I have also driven through hail, snow, snow pellets, and a brief period of sleet. I left Old Faithful at 12:30pm yesterday in light rain. By the time I reached the continental divide at ~8300 feet, it was already snowing and beginning to cover the road with a dusting. I estimate that I drove about 50 miles in snow, with 30-40 miles featuring snow on the road. Thankfully, I am a good driver in the snow - I have to be with a 4-cylinder car and no snow tires. Once I dropped below about 6000 feet in elevation about 20 miles south of the south entrance to Yellowstone, snow changed to rain and that was pretty much the story for the rest of the way. As I left Jackson, WY, a thunderstorm moved in (38 degrees) bringing heavy rain and hail (pea size). Hail begain to cover the road and that wasnt much fun to drive on. Overall, I would say of the 14 hours on the road yesterday, it was precipitating in some form for about 10 hours, with the longest dry spell occurring while I was at Yellowstone (thankfully) from about 9am-12pm. Looks like I will see plenty more rain today as I venture down to Salt Lake City to visit my friends. Once I get a chance, I will post again, describing the many great experiences yesterday, as well as post some more pictures on facebook.

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My Western Adventure

Over the course of the upcoming week, I will be going on a road trip to visit friends in Salt Lake City. Along the way there and back, I will be visiting various landmarks and tourist sites in ND/SD/MT/WY/UT. When possible, I will update this with daily entries along the way and hopefully post some pictures as well. This is my first road trip in the mountain time zone and I am looking forward to chronicling this adventure.

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FINAL PREPARATIONS

GRAND FORKS, ND (7:30am, Friday, 10/19) - Tomorrow I leave for a week long road trip and I still have not finalized my itinerary or packed. The latter is more of a byproduct of doing laundry still, while the former is irritating the crap out of me. I love road trips and I love planning for them - usually weeks in advance - so this is a strange feeling before a road trip. I know where I want to go, and I know when I need to be in Salt Lake City (Tuesday through Thursday), but the order in which I want to see landmarks prior to and after SLC - and thus the direction I travel going and coming - has been continuously revised. Another big factor is the weather forecast. Latest indications on the GFS and ECMWF indicate a deepening trough over the west next week with multiple waves ejecting toward the Rockies and Northern Plains. Of note is the increasing likelihood of snow and colder temperatures by the time I need to make my return trek. This means I need to get to one of my destinations (Yellowstone) as quick as possible, and probably take a more southern route through the mountains on the way back. So I'm currently leaning toward driving as far west as I can tomorrow, in order to get to Yellowstone as soon as possible. My original plan was a short drive on Day 1, then camp where Teddy Roosevelt used to live in the North Dakota Badlands, just north of Medora, ND. I still want to do that, but I may try on the way back and hope the GFS is wrong about colder air arriving. I have looked into several different routes, but rather than spoil my plans (for those of you that don't know), I'll close for now as I have some more work to do.

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

FARGO, ND (8:30am, Saturday, 10/20) - Today will provide the best weather of my trip with dry weather and above normal temperatures from here to as far west as I can drive. It should be good camping weather tonight, and although I really want to camp at Theodore Roosevelt Nat'l Park in western North Dakota, I also want to drive further along than that. So I've decided to drive southwest toward my final destination of Wolf Camp in Keystone, SD - right on the doorsteps of Mt. Rushmore. Along the way, I will make stops in Pierre to see the state capitol, then drive through the Ft. Pierre National Grassland en route to Badlands Nat'l Park. This will clearly be the highlight of my day and plan to really enjoy the views. After my drive through there I will stop for some free water at the tourist trap Wall Drug Store. My final sight to see prior to camping this evening will be at Dinosaur Park in Rapid City. That's all for now, time to hit the road.

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JOURNEY TO THE UNKNOWN

KEYSTONE, SD (9:30aam, Sunday 10/21) - Yesterday afternoon/evening I drove the scenic loop through Badlands National Park. That was without a doubt one of the most picturesque landscapes I have ever seen. I was amazed by what I saw throughout the 40 mile loop and took extra time than planned to take it all in. I could have easily spent an entire day there walking along the trails and taking even more pictures than the 100 or so I took. Without a doubt, the Badlands rank in my Top 3 for most beautiful sights I have seen. After completing the loop I ended in Wall, SD - home of the tourist trap Wall Drug. Unfortunately my 6:30pm arrival was a half hour after they close - which seemed strange to me for a Saturday. So no free water or bumper sticker for me. I then progressed to Rapid City for dinner and an evening view of Dinosaur Park in the higher elevations of the city. From there I reached my final destination in Keystone, SD - just 1/4 mile shy of Mt. Rushmore. Regretfully the campground closed their gates at 9pm and once again I was a half hour late due to the extra time spent in the Badlands. So hopefully I will be able to camp tonight - wherever that may be.

I am about to make the short drive to Mt. Rushmore - then from there take a scenic drive through the region. There are several on-lane tunnels and "pig-tail" loops that are fairly unique to this region, which I am excited to see. Depending on time, I will loop around and see the Crazy Horse Memorial before venturing west-northwest toward Devils Tower in Wyoming ,and Little Big Horn and Pompeys Pillar in Montana. That will place me near Billings this evening, and depending on how I feel - I will either stay there or continue driving toward Livingston or Gardiner. So hence, the title - I know what I want to see today, but where I end up will depend on time and tiredness. Should be a fairly cloudy day today with some rain showers becoming possible by the time I reach Billings. Comfortable temperatures though, with highs in the 50s.

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KEEP ON TRUCKIN'

GREYCLIFF, MT (11:00pm, Sunday, 10/21) - I am sitting at a rest area in Greycliff, MT which is a little more than halfway between Billings and Livingston. After dinner at Fuddrucker's (WIN!) in Billings, I headed over to the Comfort Inn to use the WiFi they generously provide for guests of their parking lot. ;-) After a brief analysis of model data for Yellowstone tomorrow, it seems snowy conditions should hold off until afternoon. So I made the decision to go for it. My goal is to get as close as possible to Yellowstone tonight, then drive through the North Entrance near Gardiner, MT at the crack of dawn. I figure I've got 4-6 hours to get in and out of Yellowstone and the Tetons before conditions deteriorate. I feel confident I can achieve this. Ahhh...this trip becomes even more adventurous! I love it!

Today's excitement was mainly during the first half of the day. My first stop was just up the road from my living quarters last night, at Mount Rushmore. It looks even more incredible in person, though it is even taller (~500 feet) than I expected. I also had breakfast at Mt. Rushmore, courtesy of the Carver's Cafe. There I purchased the Monumental Special - featuring 2 scrambled eggs, 2 sausage links, home fries, and a biscuit w/ gravy. I found the meal satisfying in both taste and portion size. On the way out I stopped in the Gift Shop and bought souveniers for myself and others. The highlight of my purchase was a Teddy Roosevelt bobble head - which will be an splendid addition to the den in the near future. After leaving there, I took the scenic route along Iron Mountain Road towards Custer, SD. My oh my, that was the best scenic route I have ever been on and I consider it a "must" when visiting Mt. Rushmore. That road was awesome! It featured "pig-tail loops", many scenic overlooks of Mt. Rushmore, one lane natural tunnels, and to further reduce it's footprint on nature - there were a couple of times where the road split in half around a bunch of trees. And the best of all, I saw 3 buffalo roam nearby - success!