Commute

[magid]

I caved this morning: I walked down Charles St. rather than Storrow Dr., both because I could walk in the street (yeah, even though I'd be walking with traffic) and it would be warmer (both sunnier and less windy). The sidewalks are dicey this morning, ranging from already scraped down to surface, to bits of ice and still melting, to chunks of ice that are tricky to navigate (and what looks like snow on the edges mostly isn't, being frozen as well). The streets are clear, so walking on the edge of the street is quicker. My average stride length was much shorter than usual, my leg muscles tightening up whenever I was on ice, no matter how much I tried to stay relaxed (I have a theory about walking on ice, that given proper balance, some speed would be fine, and perhaps easier than picking my way so carefully, rather like ice skaing and skiing, but I have yet to convince my body to try it out.), so definitely a slow slog. Perhaps it's time for some Yaktrax or something similar. (Note to self: EMS carries them.)

Yesterday's shoveling meant that this morning there was a block of ice instead of sidewalk or ice atop snow. *sigh* (Plus, if $CondoNeighbor shovels another time, that's good, but doing it only half an hour after I finished? Not maximally useful.) I haven't even looked at my car. I'm not planning to use it until the weekend, so there's a chance it'll melt (I parked it in a sunny spot), and I definitely don't want to be spinning my wheels as so many others have while trying to escape their parking space.

edit, 1330: I checked around online; they run about $20. I went downstairs to City Sports, and they had them marked $18. Score! I got the Pro kind, since they were the same price as the regular, size small (This is about the only thing in which I can wear a small!). Brought them up to the register, tried to use my work pass to get a discount (for employees in the building), and didn't get it because they're on sale, for $13.50 or so. W00t! I win!

I put them on in the store, and headed out. First impressions: they're great on snow and ice; I can feel them dig in enough that I feel secure from slipping. The downside is that they're really not so good on bare pavement, so the noontime walk was a mixed bag. I wish I'd had them this morning, though.

Comments

[cnoocy]

YakTrax are awesome.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Yes!

(See edit to post.)

[coorr.livejournal.com]

I spent hours yesterday trying to clear out some parking and walking space... I didnt even get to my front walk. The snow blower was mostly useless and shoveling even more so. I did manage to clean 2 spots out and got my car into it. It was after that (around 4 in the afternoon) that the plows finally came to my street and built up a small (now frozen) wall to help keep cars from getting in and out.

Anyway, the spots are now complete ice sheets, as are my walkways. Im not sure what its going to be like tonight when I get home but I probably would have been better off skipping the snow removal entirely.

Be careful on your walk home... those icy roads can be quite dangerous even on foot. YakTrax are a good idea, I got some for library_sexy's dad a while back and he loves them.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that living on a hill would make things better for clearing/draining, but it sounds like not.

It was frustrating to see all the work I'd done be for naught, too. And I commiserate on the plowed-in cars. I haven't yet had to deal with it this year, but I've had some impressively iced in cars in winters past.

I just got Yaktrax (see edit to post), and they're great for this (as long as people haven't gotten down to bare pavement. How ironic.). I'll be careful still, though. You too; that hill can't be great in this.

[coorr.livejournal.com]

The hill and the main road over it, isnt so bad. I made it up that no problem even early yesterday afternoon. When I took the turn at my house to get to my parking spot I got stuck. The side road was unplowed and even that little tiny incline was enough to get me stuck.

I got in well enough though.

The draining thing usually isn't an issue but the ice dams that had formed made it a problem. Every storm has its own specific challenge.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm just a nervous nelly about your hill in winter weather. I'm not surprised that the little side street is a total pain and unplowed and all; it's so narrow and just bendy enough that I could imagine a plow having difficulties.

*nod* about the ice dams. I had to keep clearing the more solid slush from blocking the drain.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Yay, YakTrax! Except too often around here, there'll be lots of alternating patches of clear pavement and age-old ice, making it a choice between being skid-protected, or being able to walk normally on dry pavement.

[magid.livejournal.com]

I'm noticing that downtown, too. I suspect I'll be wearing them to work tomorrow, but after that it'll likely not be worth wearing them. (I so wish I'd had them this morning, when everything was covered.)

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I tried to use my yaktrax last night but everything was so deep and grabby that they fell off and that made things take even more time.

The streets near here are not clear either where people walk or where the cars go. I feel like cars don't have the ability to stop, so I don't want to be near them.

It's exhausting to get around at all, and I feel trapped and angry at the weather, and at the unreliability of the T.

We're getting another ice storm next week, looks like, too :P

[magid.livejournal.com]

Last night I don't know whether I would've tried them, since when I was coming home, it was all melty and water and slush. It took ages to find ways around the great lakes at every intersection, but yaktrax wouldn't've helped with that. This morning, though, definitely.

The streets around here are pretty much down to pavement, except in the parking spots. Except for Charles St. I only walked in the street facing traffic, and got out of the way when there were vehicles. I was late enough that they weren't constant.

I wasn't impressed with the T this evening (I've never seen the inbound platform so crowded at Arlingtong during the afternoon rush hour before), but had nothing truly annoying happen, since I don't use the buses much.

Another ice storm next week? No, thank you, I don't want seconds!
I guess I really have to hope for some nice melty days over the weekend, then.