Nearly two weeks of snow and ice in Walla Walla and across the Northwest were more inconvenient than fun for those on the roads. For many Whitman drivers, the weather was even dangerous, both for interstate and local driving.

Sophomore Obreanna McReynolds, vice president of education for Whitman’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, attended a Theta district leadership conference in San Mateo, Calif. McReynolds and seven other Whitman Theta officers left on Thursday, Jan. 24, driving to Portland to catch their plane. Returning to Portland on Sunday, Jan. 27, they faced over 240 miles of icy roads.

“We had to buy chains for the cars, and none of us had ever put them on before,” said McReynolds.

“We got on the road at about 7 or 8 p.m., and it was dark, icy, and snowy. All the cars were traveling at about 20 miles per hour.”

The two cars made it to Hood River, Ore., about 60 miles east of Portland, before one got in a car wreck.

“The car spun out and swerved to the left,” said McReynolds. “We hit a minivan going in the opposite direction head-on. Luckily, both the cars were going so slow that no one was hurt and the car wasn’t too damaged.”

The Thetas spent the night at a hotel in Hood River before driving back to Walla Walla Monday morning.

Senior Sarah Golden had a similar experience returning from a debate tournament at Western Washington University the same weekend. Golden drove her own car back from Bellingham with three teammates, leaving around 1 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28.

“It should have been a six-hour drive,” said Golden in an e-mail. “Instead, it was an epic 12-hour car ride.”

Golden drove a Toyota Corolla without winter tires or chains.

“At one point, there was a 75-mile stretch of interstate lined with cars that had skidded off the road,” said Golden. “At times, we were traveling at 10 mph.”

The rest of the debate team, which left Bellingham at 10 p.m. that night, made it as far as Kirkland, Wash., one hour away, before stopping for the night.

City streets were dangerous as well in the icy weather. Sophomore Miyoko Patricelli was driving four friends on 9th Street. on Saturday, Jan. 26, when her Chevrolet Aveo hit a patch of ice.

“I could feel that the car was on ice before it went off course, but I had no control over the steering,” said Patricelli. “It was terrifying.”

The car hit the curb and rolled along the side of the street.

“I managed to guide into a corner parking lot, then turned into a side street,” said Patricelli. “I drove the rest of the way back to Whitman very slowly.”

Patricelli’s front wheel was damaged beyond repair by the accident. The replacement fee was estimated to be around $300.

“The streets in my hometown don’t usually ice over in winter,” said Patricelli. “It’s really lucky that no one was hurt.”