What if some terrorists decide that Colorado Springs is a target and they set off a dirty bomb or other WMD? After all, we do have Cheyenne Mountain, Pikes Peak, The Air Force Academy, and other symbolic places. But, they don’t often appear in movies.

Then, I could imagine a lot of panic, mass evacuations, traffic jams, people scrambling to get as far away from the Springs as possible. We have a limited number of roads leaving this area. Not sure that I would worry about leaving right away unless the winds weren’t favorable. Then it becomes the snowstorm scenario of being trapped in the house for a week, probably without power or communications.

I did just remember that we have 50 gallons of water in the water heater to use, if needed.

Unless there is a complete breakdown across the state and/or country, we should be able to manage a week or two before venturing out. By then, the traffic should be manageable.

We try to keep the truck topped off with its two tanks of diesel. I think we have about a 400 mile range, with the horse trailer, before we need to fill up again. I wonder if we should plan to tow one of the cars behind the trailer. Nah. That may be excessive.

If we need to evacuate right away, I expect we would head north, towards Denver. My preference would be to head in to the mountains, since I figure that anything drifting in the wind would not be going uphill.

Rather than Denver, I will head up Mt Herman Road and make for Woodland Park. The Rampart Range Rd shouldn’t be too congested since it is a rutted dirt track. The truck can make it, but the horses might not. (Providing it isn’t winter.)

Winter adds a bit of complexity to the problem.

I think for an evacuation scenario, I need to acquire some land somewhere that we can retreat to. A mountain lot would be good, but inaccessible in the winter. A place out east, on the plains, may be more useful, year-round.

Load up the truck with food and water for people, dogs and horses, load up the camping supplies, and take off.

I wonder if I should keep a stash of 50 or so cartons of cigarettes on hand for trading supplies.

It’s Mad Max time…