Corning to Ellensburg

5- Dying is something we all must do

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. ~William Penn

The snow was quite peaceful as we made our way up through Oregon, laying there making the land we drove quite beautiful. You couldn’t ask for more as you drove through trees of white as they glistened, holding the snow that had fallen only a little earlier. Quite an amazing sight to see the first snow of the season. Only so many people get to see such a sight when many people live in dry baron lands. Bridget adds.. yes I agree Aaron was truly a sight to behold..

My achem.. our first stop was at a Vista Point looking out at Mt Shasta, not that I really noticed the Mount sitting there in all its glory. I was more occupied in seeing my first snow in over 10 years. I had to change my shoes. While I took pictures, I was pelted with snow balls which of course hit me. You were an easy target.. what can I say! Not a very friendly start to my snow vacation but you live and learn, I should have been the first to have thrown the snow but of course, living in Australia, it isn’t the first thing to come to mind. I wouldn’t like to know what would happen to me if I went outside and threw a clump of dirt at someone while they took pictures with an expensive camera. The sound of a snow plow grounding the ice down to nothing noted the time we left the vista point to continue our journey north.

As the journey got further and further north, the roads became icier and icier. Seeing white ice roads is a joy at first until you realize what can happen to the joy of driving on ice roads. Passing cars in ditches as they have run off the road always puts worry into a mind. If they go off, so can I. Several cars and a trailer of worry sitting in a roadside gutter. The journey goes on, slowly. painfully slow I might add!!! will you please release your death grip you have on that handle??

Along this journey came a truck stop where we got to purchase a coffee just so we could use the toilets. Oh yeah, I needed to relieve myself. As we stopped, the snow came down. Perfect for driving. Believing it would be safer to put on snow chains, we took our coffees and our sense of belief that it would be easy to put snow chains on and put our coffees down and set to work. When you have no idea and never have seen snow chains, it really isn’t that easy to put snow chains on. The instructions weren’t really that helpful on the bag too. After seeing how one snow chain went on with a little help from a truckie, we set to work on installing the other one.
Taking our journey down the road with a clang clang clang, we pulled up on the side of the road to readjust the snow chain when slosh, I got covered in icy water from a passing truck. Deep Breaths. ok I have to add here.. your face!!! you should have seen your face.. the disbelief in your eyes...that water mixed with snow could be so bone chilling cold!!! Further along we travel with a clang clang clang. Pulling into a rest stop again, we adjust the snow chains again with a little more success. Back on the road again, the roads start to clear up, so into a side road we go to remove the chains.

When the roads clear up and you have been driving slowly, it can lead to a false perception that the traction on the car will be good. Barreling down the roads that have been ice for that last 50 miles is always a good idea. Barreling.. LOL!! Can you only imagine what happens when you hit ice at speed??? Yes that’s right, you go right, towards the gutter pointing at the trees that are on the side of the road, then you go left, pointing at the on-coming truck and the 5 other cars behind the truck, then you go right again this time pointing in the intended direction the car and road is meant for. I am sure the truck driver pulled up at the same truck stop and asked about a black SUV on a suicide mission. And I am sure he didn't have to pay for a coffee to use the restrooms either.. to change his shorts!! That night we made it to Ellensburg, as it was already dark, we didn’t want to push our luck going over Rogers pass without much Vision. Actually it was Blewet Pass.. and seeing that name.. I think we were wise to hang it up.. especially after our truck decided to go skating at 50 mph..hey.. we made it.. didn't we??? and weren't YOU driving..
(Excerpt from My Trip To Canada)