We had high hopes of meeting up with family and friends in Deadwood at the Corbett's Extravaganza cabin. On the road for over a month, I was looking forward to seeing my sister and celebrating Oktoberfest in the Black Hills with merry making and wife carrying contests. Instead, the snow blew in. Overnight, the damp forest became a winter wonderland with 3-4
feet of snow accumulating all at once. We lost electricity. We lost access to water. There was no internet or phone service available. Our voyage and consistent momentum forward to which I had gotten so accustomed came to a halt.
I admit, my initial romantic visions of a snow in were temporarily overcome by panic and frustration in the delay. Few are aware that Ben is a bit of a renaissance man and an Eagle Scout. As I wallowed in the initial disappointment of postponing the reunion festivities, Ben was in his element building up the fire, melting snow to drink, and creating hamburger fat candles. Fortunately, the depth of the Corbett liquor cabinet was outstanding and the stillness outside made us cozy in for the long haul. I finished several books, snowshoed, and spent days staring into the fire. I was prepared to spend the next few weeks waiting for the snow to melt, but to my surprise a bulldozer had been called to clear a path. We waited two more days and then made our escape, shovel in hand. Only later did we learn of the collapsed roofs and lost cattle. Our week in Extravaganza cabin marked the change of seasons and would be remembered by Ben as the highlight of our trip.
