On The Road
Easy enough to get ready for a road trip, just check the oil (fine, clean and full) and bug washing fluid for the windshield and ready to go. Fridays the Snug Cafe is open at 5:00 am so plenty of time for some real coffee and landing in Horseshoe Bay for an 8:00 start. Took the hint of co-workers at the BBC about how steep the Lilloet road would be and decided to take it on the return trip if so inclined, and did. Going against the commuters heading into Vancouver made the extrication from the Lower Mainland on Hwy 1 easy enough and by 10:00 was in Hope having a full sized breakfast at Rolly’s Restaurant. The Lordco Auto Parts store was open and easy enough to find, so picked up a package of 10amp auto fuses and popped a fresh one in. Sure enough the gas gauge (and others) started working again, but only for a few minutes so carried on with just the odometer for a gauge, there’s about 400km available per tank, easy enough to keep track.
Driving up the Fraser Canyon road is always a lot of fun, full of interesting twists and turns as it follows the river winding its way to the ocean and still the traffic was light with hardly a vacation camper or trailer to be seen slowing things down. Catching the draft of an empty trucker with his CB on high balling it up the hills made short work of it and in no time was at Cache Creek slurping down some ice creamy goodness at the Dairy Queen. Not bothering to waste a fuse, topped up the tank before heading north to 100 Mile House and making a stop at the Dairy Queen there too. A Tim Hortons is right beside the DQ, one of these days will have to try them out.
Just another top up the tank at Williams Lake, and then the left turn to head west towards the ocean and the Chilcotin Plateau. With the road paved all the way to Bella Coola crossing the Fraser River one more time is no big deal, and there is plenty of time to enjoy looking at the mountain goats clinging to the sides of the canyon. Everything is green this time of year, and there is a lot of everything to be green with any open space being taken up by wild hay before it turns yellow.
A stop off at Bull Canyon is almost mandatory for me, the place generates a lot of energy and after a long drive the rushing waters of the Chilcotin river soothe the road nerves and I end up taking the longer way to Willow Springs Ranch along the gravel and memory road, on each bend remembering childhood drives and guessing how many more turns in the river road it was to Grandma’s place. One last turn and a familiar meadow in view, Nives was just coming out of the barn with a milking bottle in her hand and from the road I could see she wasn’t sure whose car it was going through the gate. Leave the engine running, close the gate and up the short hill to be greeted by a huge smile and wonderment at my unexpected visit, and a big hug getting out of the car one more time.
She’s doing all right (and Lorraine too) all things considered, and reminded me that Lorraine (emailed her I was coming) probably had supper at the ready and another hug before jumping in the car for the last short leg to Redstone. As predicted my timing was great, and within a half hour of saying hello we sat down to a hearty home made chile con carne. Twilight lasts a long, long time that far north and was surprised when looking at the clock and we had been talking for hours and the little hand was past 11 heading towards midnight. The little log cabin in back was empty, started a fire in the box to take the chill out of the air and asleep in no time. Not the only early riser in the family, waking at the usual 5 o’clock hour and walking outside Stephen had the coffee ready and it was Memorial Service Day for Walt.