Las Vegas Weekly

August 28, 2008 · 11:48 AM

Radio Woes

By T.R. Witcher

A few days ago, as we were surfing the web on the interstates of Nevada and Utah, John and I were congratulating ourselves on the telecom miracle of the early 21st century. But several hundred miles of spotty service and a busted video camera have humbled us, and yesterday we played a frustrating round of hide and seek with radio reception through much of the Colorado high country.

We left Aspen along Highway 82, a beautiful drive through the aspen groves to Independence Pass, 12,000 feet or so above sea level. We were hoping to catch the Democratic Convention speeches. For awhile Harry Reid beguiled us with the role oil has played in everything from the invasion of Pearl Harbor to the Nazi invasion of Russia. Then we lost him.

The view atop the windy pass was astounding; the colors slightly desaturated but sharp. On the downside of the pass, we heard a bit of Bill Clinton’s speech, but reception was spotty at best. Not until we returned to Interstate 70, about an hour later, did we have quality reception. We were able to hear the opening of Joe Biden’s speech, but he, too, was lost as we entered the Eisenhower Tunnel; on the other side of the tunnel, there was nothing.

Share This