October 26. 2022 Back To The Mountain

The plan was to go to Big White to do some work. The plan was to leave Monday afternoon.

The best-laid plans don’t always work as we want them to.

Monday ended up being a garage cleaning day. Thanks to Captain Rob, I got motivated and with his help, I got the garage to the point where we could park a boat and a car inside. Getting ready for winter was the name of the game. 

Soon enough I would be driving to winter. By the time I finished all my chores, it was getting dark and I didn’t want to drive to winter in the dark.

Speaking of winter, do you have your winter tires on? I didn’t… 

Tuesday before we could leave I made a call to the Auto Clinic, “Hi Lazlo, uh, Cal here, you know how every year I call you and need you to put my winter tires on because I’m going to Big White? Ya, well it’s that time of year again.”

I could hear the suppressed laughter in the voice of the owner of The Auto Clinic, “Sure… come on down and we’ll take care of you.”

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes, and thanks!” I answered and ended the call. Time to move.

I turned to my wife, “Sweetie, we need to go drop my truck off to get the winter tires on.”

“That sounds like a good idea, nice they could fit you in last minute – again..,” Krista smiled at me and shook her head. She knew me too well.

“The tires on the truck are probably fine and legal but I don’t want to get stuck,” I said and turned to go. “I’ll meet you there.”

Four hours, $ 600.00, and a new airbag censor later, my tires were mounted and ready to go. We loaded up the truck and made our way to the mountaintops.

As if released from traffic prison, we broke free of the last traffic lights in Kelowna and headed up Highway 33. As soon as we exited the city, we saw the snow-covered mountains looming in front of us. I felt a pulse in my stomach, a thrill inside, that made me look forward to the coming ski season.

Higher, higher we drove, as soon as we reached the final twisty curves before the Big White turn off the snow coated the roadside. The pavement was still wet, the plowed snow carved a line along the edge of the road. We turned up toward our mountain paradise smiling at the white blanket that covered the ditches and the hillsides. 

Big White Road wound upward through a series of switchbacks and the snow got thicker on the edges and stretched across patches of the road. It was like mother nature’s own version of a speed bump. Twenty minutes later we pulled into our destination, there was a foot of snow in the untouched driveway.

I looked over at honey and shrugged, “I guess we will have to put our snow boots on to get to the door.”

“Yup, it’s pretty deep,” Krista giggled, “it’s our first snow day.” 

“There will be many more snow days to come,” I smiled back and opened the door.

Sure enough, we awoke the next morning to a fresh coat of white. There is a crystal beauty in the mountains covered with newly fallen snow. I stood in a foot of snow in front of my friend’s chalet and smiled at the silent glory of Big White.

The early season has its special serenity when the village is still half empty and the anticipation is rising among the people who are there. Winter was coming and a feeling of optimism filled my soul. 

You might as well embrace the oncoming winter season. I feel sorry for people who dread the arrival of snow, Canada is a winter nation after all.

The excitement is added to the fact Big White is free of all restrictions this winter, the Aussies are back in force. This is good.

Snow was on the ground at Big White and the grass was green in Kelowna. I got my work done at home and at the hill.  

I’ll do my best to keep living the dream…