At about 1:30 last Friday we started our trip back home to the Kootenays. My sister Jo-Ann and her husband Jon host an epic Christmas party every year and we like to go to it whenever we can. Our trip started in rain and it stayed in rain until we started up the Hope-Princeton. The large electronic signs over the highway said that transport trucks should chain up. We didn’t see a single truck that followed that instruction. As the road was bare I guess they didn’t think they needed to. However, the bare road soon became snow-covered as the rain turned to snow at the higher elevation. It was a thick, fluffy snow that accumulated quickly. It was also getting dark. We were coming up to the first hairpin concern before Manning Park when we noticed that the traffic had stopped. There were three cars idling behind a jack-knifed rig. They couldn’t safely go by because the corner was so sharp they couldn’t see if any cars were coming. As we pulled up, a couple of girls in the first car got out and ran past the truck. They then waved their friend through. She stopped in front of the truck with her four-way flashers on and then they waved the rest of the traffic through. As we were waiting for our turn another big truck pulled up behind us. It had to stop because we weren’t moving yet. Of course, it didn’t have chains on either, so it got stuck. We inched by and then continued on our way. The first vehicle that passed us going west was another big truck. We flashed our lights to let him know that he should slow down. We hoped he didn’t get stuck on the corner too.
The rest of the trip on the Hope-Princeton was uneventful. It was very dark and very snowy. We drove quite slowly most of the way because it was hard to tell where we were. We’ve driven that road a thousand times and so we know where the narrow parts and sharp corners are. However, when the snow is swirling in the darkness, all of the landmarks and most of the signs were obscured. It was a relief to start down into Princeton. Our first indication that we were getting close was the smell of wood smoke. I guess the storm was keeping it all in the valley. It was a comforting smell and it helped to lift our spirits as we continued on.
The roads were barer the further on we went. Osoyoos was quiet. We were able to see that the fountain down by the resort area had partially frozen and the result was like a new age sculpture. We laughed at the signs on the motels that said “No Vacancy” even though the parking lots were empty. I guess saying there’s no room is better than saying “sorry, we don’t want to do all the work of checking you in and cleaning your room when only two or three of you come by all week”. We expected snow on the Anarchist Summit but it was pretty bare.
Along that road there are bronze statues of animals. I think they were put there by the developer who has lots for sale in the area. There’s a falcon, a moose, several deer, a cougar, some eagles; ten statues in all. Dale thought the sasquatch statue was dressed like Santa Claus but it was hard to see it in the dark. We made a mental note to check it in the daylight on our return trip.
We stopped in Rock Creek for a quick run to the public bathroom at the gas station there. As we came out and headed back to our vehicle, the lights went off. They close at 8:00 so we had just made it. Thank goodness! It was far too cold to have to pee outside! We continued on our way. Just outside Grand Forks we had a little scare. We saw a deer on the right side of the road and slowed down, just in case it wanted to cross back over the road. What we didn’t see, until the last minute, was his buddy on the left side of the road. He came across just in front of us. Luckily we had slowed and so Dale was easily able to avoid it.
We got into Trail around 10:30 and headed straight to our deluxe room in a local motel. I had a good laugh when I opened the door. We had asked for a room with a king-sized bed and we got one. The door grazed the edge of the bed as I opened it. But it was a clean room with a bathtub in the bathroom, although the bathroom sink was in the kitchenette area, that was a little strange. Dale brought in our bags, I had a bath and then we went to bed.
In the morning we wanted to have breakfast with Dale’s dad and stepmom before we headed to Fruitvale. However, we learned that there really wasn’t any place to have a nice breakfast in Trail, so we headed up to Rossland. We had a delicious breakfast in Clansey’s Café and spent a lovely couple of hours chatting. Then it was off to Fruitvale to visit with my mom before the party.
Our time there was wonderful. I had a great chat with Mom while Dale was visiting with our niece Jessica. Jo-Ann was busy in the kitchen with the last minute preparations for the party and Jon was puttering with little jobs. Soon everyone arrived. Amidst hugs and laughter we caught up with old friends. After dinner we had the gift exchange. The only rule of the gift exchange is what you bring has to be something you already have, you can’t go out and buy it. Needless to say, there were a few real stinkers wrapped in festive paper or hidden in a fancy gift bag, some of which had been seen at the party before. I got the rats, a gag gift that has to come back every year. As I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to come back next year I gave them to someone who was sure. However, I refused to exchange them for her gift, a spin the bottle game. Lucky her! She got two presents!
We left around 11:00. We had forgotten to remove the “Do Not Disturb” sign from our motel room door so our bed wasn’t made and we didn’t have new towels. We made the best of it and were soon tucked up in bed. The morning came early and we left around 7:30. It was snowing lightly and the roads were quite slippery. We did get some sun however, and in the daytime we could really appreciate the wintery beauty of the drive. BC is a very beautiful and varied province. We drove through mountain passes, river valleys and desert areas. We saw evergreen trees and sage brush covered in snow. We remembered to stop at the sasquatch statue and it was dressed like Santa. Someone has a great sense of humour. We’ve also seen that statue with a case of beer in its hand! The moose statue had Christmas tree ornaments and garland hanging from its antlers and we think one of the birds had a red scarf around its neck. The snow turned to rain as we got closer to Hope. All the dirty snow that had accumulated on our vehicle was washed away.
Several people at the party commented that it was nice that we had driven all that way for the party. It was a whirlwind, but it was worth it. It feels great to catch up with family and friends. Most of the people at the party have lived in Fruitvale, often in the same house, for years and years. We’ve moved so much that every time we go back we have to fill people in on the changes. They laugh and call us city folk but we don’t mind, because we are. We love the city and all it offers. To paraphrase an old saying and mash it together with another one, you can go back home again, you just can’t live there after you’ve seen the (de) lights of the city.