Then after another day of skiing it was time to break Van Glorious out of her snowy tomb.  Note the chains on the rear tire: that's a big thing in the West.  They actually require them when it's really snowy, and at roadside people known as "snow monkeys" will install them for $25.  Don't laugh:  when it's blizzarding and windy, and you've spent the last six months in mild San Francisco, the service would be a bargain at twice the price.   When she wears her chains, Van Glorious is fearless.

After getting all the snow off as many critical parts as possible, Van Glorious was ready for the "3 hour" drive home.  Look at that beast.

Of course, lacking a defrost, the windshield had what could be called a Christmassy look to it.

Sometimes it got a little ridiculous.

This cop, who was directing traffic, even poked his head inside the van and laughed about it.

But eventually we made it home.  Lacking any sort of traditional heat, on the drive we each controlled our own personal thermostat by taking a glove off when we got a little too hot, etc.    We peeled the layers off ourselves and the layers of snow peeled off our roof until Van Glorious got back into San Francisco a WryBreadBox again.