Our Trip to Reno

Friday 2/8: We headed to Reno to support our team in what most would call a “meaningless” friendly. Despite the weather advisory and the DOT urging people not to drive over the Sierras, we decided to go anyway. It was a 5 to 7-hour drive for those who were lucky enough to take the day off and 8-10 hours for those who headed over Friday evening. Everyone set out through ice, snow, and poor visibility with a whole lot of enthusiasm. “I would do anything, whatever it takes, always representing the Quakes” is not just a song – it’s a lifestyle.

Saturday 2/9: Game day. 45-50 of us and about 10 other equally dedicated Quakes fans turned up in section 107. At 0-1 we kept singing. At 0-2 we didn’t stop singing. At 0-3 we sang even louder. The score was 0-3 at the final whistle vs a lower league team. It certainly wasn’t the proudest moment for our team, but we kept singing on our way out of the stadium. The club needs to be represented with pride no matter what. It was one of those days where when it rains, it pours – or, in our case when it snows, it storms.

The fun started after the game. All roads leading back home were closed. The first ones attempting to leave got stranded in small, remote towns in the middle of the Sierras. The “Chainsaw Massacre” movie comes to mind, just with a whole lot more snow. Stuck with no hotels or motels it was engine running, heat on, and prayers for the gas to last and for the roads to reopen soon. Compared to freezing to death in the snow, the back seats seemed like a warm king-sized bed and that beef jerky tasted better than a steak in a fancy French restaurant. The rest turned around and decided to stay in Reno. Those relatively lucky ones got to work booking another night of rooms and patiently waited for the storm to pass and the roads to reopen. Finally…

Sunday, 2/10: Some roads open. The chains went back on with everyone cruising home at a brisk 25mph with poor visibility driving conditions. The conditions did create one positive: No risk of getting speeding tickets. However, there is also a negative: plenty of risk to slide off the road. Around 10-12 hours and a few close calls later, we all finally made it home. Regrets? Nah… We are SJU this is what we do.

How was your weekend?