Something snowy




While the rest of Canada was dreaming of a white Christmas
that never arrived, the weather in the southern interior of BC
was apologizing for last year.

I love driving in the snow.  Take that look off your face, I'm serious!  Having done my fair share of winters of driving back and forth between Calgary and BC - a seven and a half hour drive made tolerable only by sugar/caffeine induced hyper-awareness and top of the lungs sing-a-long - it is a simple fact that snowy roads are the most fun and interesting!  What would normally be a dangerous snorefest of driving becomes an adrenaline pumping theme park equivalent that moment the tires begin to spin and the back end fish-tails out.  Instantaneously you are fully aware and present as you call upon all of your honed video game driving skills to not go out of control.  A careful course correction performed masterfully gives the thrill that you are indeed that awesome and you are completely in control of the roads; the roads are not controlling you.  You observe the empty roads, free and clear of other traffic and smirk at the expense of all the cowardly souls that would rather not be out on snowy highways, revelling at the freedom their absence brings - a freedom to go as fast or as slow as your common sense or lead foot desires.  In that moment driving ironically becomes a most relaxing activity even while demanding your full attention and skill.  Winter driving is an example of oxymoron at its best. 

My favourite stretch of road between Calgary and BC is the imposing mountain pass locals fondly refer to as the Salmo-Creston, incidentally placed right between the towns of Salmo and Creston, BC. A intimidating enough challenge in the summer with its blind corners and incredibly steep grade that can easily push a vehicle well past the 100km/ph speed limit just by coasting, in the winter the pass becomes a veritable roller-coaster, full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and surprises around every corner. 

One winter in particular stands out in my memory on the Salmo-Creston pass, when on the way to BC there was black ice so thick on the down-side of the mountain that I was being pulled off the road going 20km/ph.  Imagine for a moment, driving at the lowest possible speed limit and pressing the brakes only to find your vehicle drifting to the huge cliff of boulders that line the side of the road and finding yourself grateful that at least you aren't drifting in the other direction towards the 50 storey plunge.  That was fun. 

That same year on the way back to Calgary I got stuck on the same slope by an avalanche.  That's right, an avalanche.  The traffic was lined up along the side of the mountain waiting patiently for the plows to clear a tunnel through the pile of the snow.  Meanwhile we were also crossing our fingers that no more avalanches were in the forecast while we were stalled in our merry line-up, like bowling pins waiting to be knocked down.  If my luck couldn't be worse, I also made the un-brilliant decision to turn off my car while leaving my headlights on.  Later on, after the snow was cleared, I tried the ignition only to find a dead battery, and me stalled on the side of the mountain, holding up traffic in an avalanche zone.  I ended up having to petition random strangers in the line of cars for a pair of jumper cables and a boost.  That was a little embarrassing.  Still, it was a learning adventure!

So by now you probably really think I'm crazy, especially if I claim that the Salmo-Creston is among my favourite stretches of road ever, especially in the winter.  However, to put my affection for winter driving into perspective, my brother put it best this past week when he stated "Other places get snow and they say 'Oh no! Close the roads!'.  People in the Kootenays get snow and they say 'Wheeee! Look what I can do!"  Well put, brother.  Well put.


So much snow!

We've got snow!



Why having so much snow is awesome!