Advice for first plains trip

[Damon Scott Hynes]

Fall out of love of storm chasing if you actually worked at a Railroad? OR fall out of love railroading?

I believe I heard CSX is hiring in or around Mid-Atlantic and a few points south. I'm not real sure though.

Fall out of love with railroads, lol. Although having to make money at storm videography would probably do the same thing for my stormchasing :-(

 

[DRMabe]

A lot of people with railroads (train photography, chasing trains, or model railroads) being their main hobby get a gut full of the real thing and the railroad lifestyle within a few months and usually quit. Everybody out here has some type of interest in trains or they wouldn't be doing the job, but its def not for everybody. It's a hard lifestyle, especially on family life. On the road a lot, living in hotels, on call 24/7, working nights/weekends/holidays, etc. But it pays well and the benefits are top of the line. Allows me to provide my family with a decent life and it supports a few hobbies of my own, photography and serious (great plains) storm chasing.

 

[Damon Scott Hynes]

A lot of people with railroads (train photography, chasing trains, or model railroads) being their main hobby get a gut full of the real thing and the railroad lifestyle within a few months and usually quit. Everybody out here has some type of interest in trains or they wouldn't be doing the job, but its def not for everybody. It's a hard lifestyle, especially on family life. On the road a lot, living in hotels, on call 24/7, working nights/weekends/holidays, etc.

If I lived in the southeast or midwest, even given all my caveats I would consider a job with NS, I've been a fan of them since my dad took me chasing along the Wabash in St. Louis. But I live in Omaha, and I can't stand the UP...

 

[DRMabe]

If not for having 9 years with NS and vacation/personal leave days and seniority built up, I would possibly consider a move to either UP or BNSF to live right in the middle of the action out there. The closest Norfolk Southern's system gets to the plains is Kansas City MO, Memphis TN, and Meridian MS. Not sure I'd wanna live in any of those towns though. With a transfer within NS, all I would lose is seniority.

I'd love to get closer though, and still may consider it still if I can get the wife to go along with it. Her family is in FL, so we're down there quite a bit. Opens the potential for Hurricanes too, both here and down there. Problem with those is the potential to completely lose a vehicle to flooding.

 

[michaelmcqueen]

Hey, DRMabe, I'm in kernersville and i'm trying to do a trip in May as well. are you available tomorrow? i'm planning on chasing if we get anything worth while.

 

[DRMabe]

If it shapes up tomorrow I'm all for it. Good to find somebody only 20 minutes from me!

 

[michaelmcqueen]

yeah there's a couple of storm chasing guys in NC. another guy down in high point and then some other guys in the triangle.

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

I'm just seeking some advice as I'm starting the early planning stages of my first plains trip I plan to make in May 2012. Planning to come out around the middle of May, and still til the end of the month. Trying to decide on driving my personal vehicle or flying and renting a car.

First off, I'm in Winston Salem NC, roughly 19 hours-1,115 miles one way from my driveway to Oklahoma City. I don't mind long drives at all, so I'd likely drive 12-14 hours the first day and the next day I would finish. So looking at a day and a half to get there, and a day and a half to get back. 3 days of vacation time just spent traveling. If gas prices are around $3-$3.50, I should spend about $145 each way in gas.

as soon as the spring 2012 semester ends next year the first week of May, you're more than welcome to rendezvous with me in Nashville, and ride out to the Plains with me for 3 weeks of chasing fun. I'm going this year and next year. I always welcome a partner to split the costs and keep the prices down.

 

[Seth Price]

Diet is everything: eat breakfast and drink water. I'm not kidding. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausage, orange juice, etc. If you don't eat a good breakfast, you'll be stuck with fast food or convenience store food when you are hungry. After two or three weeks of that, you'll be 20lbs heavier and really sick of burgers and fries. I have found that by eating a large breakfast, I can go with the flow- if it's a busted day, I can graze, but if it's an active chase day, I can go the whole rest of the day without eating.

Water- stay hydrated at all costs.

On good chase days you will not have time for a nice dinner- on fair weather days, get a salad. Even if you hate vegetables, you will start to crave them after a few weeks on the road.

Vitamin C/Zinc- if you chase with other people, and will be in a vehicle with them for a billion hours a day, and your immune system isn't ready for it, you'll spend the day in the hotel room instead of in the storms.

I also bring an electric skillet. Why? You can cook a million things in one. I have made stirfrys, poached fish, cooked pasta, etc. all from an electric skillet. It takes forever, and some hotels won't allow it- but some towns close up shop at 7PM, and there are zero food options. If you have an electric skillet, this is no concern to you.

 

[Kevin Myatt]

If you don't mind driving the long hours that's the way I'd go from Winston-Salem. I'm in Roanoke Va to your north and am very used the drive west having made it multiple times a year to my parents in Arkansas (father deceased, mother moved out here now) and co-leading the Virginia Tech storm chase group (Seth in the post above has been on several of our trips). I think it's more cost-effective and hassle-free than anything involving an airport and rental cars. And I just like driving and watching America roll by out the windows.

If you must lock yourself to a timeframe, find some things in the region you'd like to see and do on non-chase days. Weather being a crap shoot, it's possible you will hit a constantly active period, and it's possible you will hit a period that stays inactive through your trip. Usually, though, it's something in between, and there are often dead periods in between chase days. Be careful, though, not to stray too far off your path on the non-chase days -- they should be used wisely to move yourself toward the next likely chase target.

 

[DRMabe]

Diet is everything: eat breakfast and drink water. I'm not kidding. Eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausage, orange juice, etc. If you don't eat a good breakfast, you'll be stuck with fast food or convenience store food when you are hungry. After two or three weeks of that, you'll be 20lbs heavier and really sick of burgers and fries. I have found that by eating a large breakfast, I can go with the flow- if it's a busted day, I can graze, but if it's an active chase day, I can go the whole rest of the day without eating.

Water- stay hydrated at all costs.

On good chase days you will not have time for a nice dinner- on fair weather days, get a salad. Even if you hate vegetables, you will start to crave them after a few weeks on the road.

Vitamin C/Zinc- if you chase with other people, and will be in a vehicle with them for a billion hours a day, and your immune system isn't ready for it, you'll spend the day in the hotel room instead of in the storms.

I also bring an electric skillet. Why? You can cook a million things in one. I have made stirfrys, poached fish, cooked pasta, etc. all from an electric skillet. It takes forever, and some hotels won't allow it- but some towns close up shop at 7PM, and there are zero food options. If you have an electric skillet, this is no concern to you.

Good advice! I plan to carry about 4 cases of water with me, as water is about all I drink anyway. As for food, I plan to cut cost there as well. Planning to carry a cooler and keep some sandwiches made in there each morning for the day so I can eat on the go. I plan to eat fast food very little if any......eat enough of that garbage as it is with my job. I know how towns can die at night....I bring a train in many times at 2-3am and the only thing to eat is gas station food....uugghh

 

[DRMabe]

If you don't mind driving the long hours that's the way I'd go from Winston-Salem. I'm in Roanoke Va to your north and am very used the drive west having made it multiple times a year to my parents in Arkansas (father deceased, mother moved out here now) and co-leading the Virginia Tech storm chase group (Seth in the post above has been on several of our trips). I think it's more cost-effective and hassle-free than anything involving an airport and rental cars. And I just like driving and watching America roll by out the windows.

If you must lock yourself to a timeframe, find some things in the region you'd like to see and do on non-chase days. Weather being a crap shoot, it's possible you will hit a constantly active period, and it's possible you will hit a period that stays inactive through your trip. Usually, though, it's something in between, and there are often dead periods in between chase days. Be careful, though, not to stray too far off your path on the non-chase days -- they should be used wisely to move yourself toward the next likely chase target.

Roanoke huh, lol, I'm up there 3 times per week for work. I run freight trains from Linwood NC to Roanoke VA and layover in the hotel out there near the airport every trip.....home away from home. Just got home from there actually. As mentioned in the post above......alot of times when we roll in there it's late and the only thing to eat is Waffle House or Sheetz......burnt out on those places.