Winter Drive: Westbound over the Rogers Pass 1989.
After unloading at Skookumchuck Pulp, I was unable to get a load of zinc from Trail so I came back empty. The snow was flying and it was not going to let up anytime soon, just how I have always liked it.
Earlier this same day, I had an unfortunate meeting with a moose.
It was 5am, and I was travelling southbound on Highway 93, north of Canal Flats. It was snowing heavy and the plow had not been through for a while, when there was blur and a bang as I watched a great big moose, bigger than a horse, go bouncing off the left front of the truck. The crash was hard enough to open my drivers door, and smash the bumper into the front tire. After coming to a quick stop, I had to use the snipe bar to bend the bumper back so I could carry on. I was left with a bunch of fur stuck of the bent up front end, but the moose was long gone. Hope he recovered, but I know he had a sore rear end.
Later that day, after unloading, I headed north on 93, instead of south when I go to Trail, and the snow continued with compact snow for the next while. It let up a bit through Radium Hot Springs, where the mountain sheep were grazing alongside the highway. The snow was light and the wind was blowing so I got to watch the snow drift across the road as I made my way to Golden. This part of the drive is calmer than when
travelling on Highway one and there are many small towns along the way such as Edgewater, Spillmacheen and Parson. Sure is lonely during the winter, not near as quiet during the summer I would assume.
In Golden I stopped at the Husky, and since there was no rush, I grabbed a shower after fueling and felt great as I headed west out of Golden to go over the Rogers pass in a snowstorm.
Gotta love my job. crossing the Columbia river at Donald, Highway One starts to climb, and in 1989, the traffic was much lighter than it is today and the drive was great all the way to the summit. Sure is nice running up these long hills when you're empty, makes the job so much easier when you don't have an extra 50,000 lbs to deal with on every hill, up or down. Notice on the picture in front of the Petrocan, the drivers side front is all bent in...Sorry Moose...
