Before the snow and wind began to let up, we all decided to head up to a popular brewery in Fairplay called The Southpark Brewery. Unfortunately, none of us were exactly dressed to endure wet, heavy snow being driven sideways by a 40 mile-per-hour unblocked wind, even if it was just to the cars parked on the driveway below. But, the desire to go to the brewery for quick drinks and snacks was stronger than the desire to stay warm. 

"So... uh, we're gonna let the storm pass before we leave, right?" I asked, timidly. I was no longer the brave one, especially because that squall was a particularly nasty one. 

"I'm not!" Junior practically shouted as he pulled his cowboy boots on, "We might get a little frostbite, but it's worth it for some craft whiskey."

"You sure 'bout that?" Junior's girlfriend, Liz, pondered, "I'm with Maya. I'm not sure this is the best time to leave..."

"Well, we're goin'!" Troy piped up as he pulled on a hoodie, "You drivin', Quinn? Or should I?"

"You drive." She replied as she pulled one of Troy's hoodies over hers. 

"Fine. I'll just use Wade as a windbreak." I said as I glanced over at my uncle Wade, who had since changed into jeans and boots. 

My aunt Jess came walking down the stairs in her warmest jacket, "What're y'all doin'?"

"We're headed out to Southpark Brewery." Stacy answered. 

"Really?" Jess asked, "In this weather?"

"Yup!" 

"Well then..." Jess mumbled, "This is gonna be interesting..."

I turned my attention to a west-facing window, which was pretty much completely white thanks to the howling snow. Every now and then, the snow would subside, only to kick up again with another blast. To get to the cars, we'd have to walk (or, more accurately, run) against that vicious cold. A vicious cold we were far from dressed for. But, according to Junior, even if we got frostbite, the whiskey would be worth it. Right? 

Right before Wes opened the door, there was a flash of light, followed by a roll of thunder. 

"Jim Cantore would be ecstatic." Uncle Wade smiled. 

"That was thunder?!" my younger cousin, Kael, scrunched his face into a scared expression. 

"Yup. That was thunder alright." Wes nodded as he rested an arm across his son's shoulders and ventured out into the thundering cold with him. 

"Maybe going outside is a really bad idea right now..." I silently thought to myself as my family made their way outside. Meanwhile, I stood stiff by the front door until Dale nudged me in the back. 

"C'mon, we're going!" he urged, "Ready or not, we're going!"

I slipped on a KN95 mask and pulled my hoodie strings as tight as possible for extra protection from the cold, as I stepped outside right behind my uncle Wade. I figured if I stayed directly behind him, then I'd stay out of most of the snow and wind. Even better, Dale and Stacy were right behind me, keeping the wind off my back. Dale had one hand firmly on my shoulder, and his other in his pocket, with Stacy's arm locked around his. For the full 45 seconds we were outside, we were cackling like hyenas. It wasn't just freezing cold. It was fucking freezing cold outside.

That wind-driven snow was horrendous, and it was impossible for any of us to move fast on the porch, as it was encased in a thin sheet of ice. Considering the fact that I was wearing cowboy boots, I figured the safest (and fastest) way to get off the porch was to grab Wade's arm and have him pull me along to the stairs. Once there, Dale grabbed a fistfull of my hoodie to keep me from shattering my tailbone on the way down (the railing was also coated in ice). By the time we'd made it to the car, I couldn't see a damn thing through my glasses or feel my fingers. Dale, realizing that I was struggling to open the car door, pulled it open for me then shoved me inside. 

Seated in Junior's 2WD, sandwiched between Wade and Dale, I pulled my glassed off and questioned, once again, if it was a good idea to drive twenty minutes in this wintery derecho.

"Maybe we really ought to wait this shit out. It's fucking intense." I remarked, using my sleeve to defrost my glasses.  

"Eh. We've driven in worse." Junior shrugged as he stuck the keys in the ignition, "But, this weather is pretty damn rough. Wish I'd remembered my winter gear."

"We ought to go to Breck or Silverthorne or somewhere, and get some nice, warm coats and gloves." My uncle Wade suggested, rubbing his frozen hands together. 

"Agreed." I nodded. 

"Just not tonight!" Dale added. 

"We could if we'd just taken my Xterra..."

"Oh, you and your Xterra!" Junior mocked, "We don't need no fuckin' Xterra! We got this 'ere front-wheel drive Equinox."

"Yeah. With bald tires and the clearance of a Supra..." I rolled my eyes. 

"A budget-boosted Supra, thank ya very much!" Junior grinned. 

We took to the rocky, icy road slow and steadily. Our visibility was low, and the fierce western winds rocked the car with every gust. I nervously rubbed my seatbelt and clenched my jaw, especially whenever the snow came down heavier and the wind blew harder. Even Junior's girlfriend was feeling the anxiety, and kept giving him shit each time we hit a rock or pit in the road. Junior largely ignored her and stared straight ahead with a focused scowl, keeping one hand on the wheel, and the other hand clasped around hers. 

Meanwhile, I stayed stiff and silent (as I often do when I am particularly anxious), praying to God that the squall would soon let up and we wouldn't get into too much trouble. I conjured up as many worst-case scenarios in my mind as I could, coming up with possible solutions to such potential disasters. But, the "what-ifs" stopped when I realized where and with whom I was.

It wasn't like I was with my mom's side of the family, most of whom are shorter weaker than I am, and who would've relied on me (of all people) to get us to safety. I was surrounded by tall, stout, hardcore Minnesota rednecks, who have spent their lives farming, trucking, hunting, firefighting, and engineering, and have cheated death as many times as I have. With them, there wasn't much for me to worry about. If we got stuck, we'd get us unstuck in no time. I wasn't going to die starved and frozen solid on their watch. 

At least, I hoped I wouldn't. 

I began to relax a little more as the bands of snow became lighter and the winds gradually died down. Shortly after the flakes stopped falling, we reached asphalt. Less than ten minutes later, the Southpark Brewery was in sight. Once again, we'd made it back to civilization in one piece!

"Whatcha gonna drink, Maya?" Junior broke the silence. 

"I don't know. I'll see what's on the menu." I shrugged, "Not sure I wanna drink right now, though. I might wait till we're back at the cabin, just to be on the safe and sober side."

"Good idea." Uncle Wade nodded, "But, if you do get drunk at the brewery, we'll make sure you're ok. Just be careful. You seem like a lightweight."

"Yeah. You're pretty scrawny. We won't have a hard time carrying you to the car if you get shitfaced." Dale joked. 

"Kinda surprised ya didn't blow away earlier." Uncle Wade chuckled, "That wind was somethin'!" 

"Ha, ha, ha." I rolled my eyes, "Very funny..."