It has been an epic winter here on the Bruce Peninsula. We've had frigid temperatures and so much snow, it is unbelievable! Highway 6 was closed for 8 straight days in February, Wiarton to Tobermory, one day from Tobermory to Port Dover! That's a first in my weather-lore library!
Friday's commute to work was interesting...since I live on a "back road" the mild to freezing temperatures created the perfect ribbon of ice rink all the way to the nearest corner. I was driving carefully, but the first bend in the road proved too much for the thrust-weight of the car and with absolutely no traction on the glare ice, the car continued in the straight line I had established prior to entering the bend.
The car glided towards the snow bank, kissing it gently--not dramatically!--before stopping completely. The hit and angle wasn't too hard an impact because the air bags never deployed...thank goodness. I got out to assess the situation. I calculated the time it would take to walk to the neighbour's house or back home and thought in the same length of time I could probably do a fair bit of shoveling towards freedom and getting to work on time (I had left almost 30 minutes early just for this bit of wintry drama). Also the road was so slick I knew that a hike on the icy stretch could prove painful if I took a fall.
I worked the trusty aluminum shovel (always kept in the trunk) and thought of my dad who had been stuck (mud, snow, creek beds...) with so many different vehicles (ski-doos, tractors, skidders, trucks, ATVs...) so many times in his life that getting un-stuck had become a bit of an art.
Sidebar: One time I got father's pickup truck stuck in the snowbank and it seems to me he calmly and carefully lifted maybe three shovel-fulls of snow and said, "There. Try it." Doubtful and swearing, I got in, pulled the truck into gear and drove out...just as he had predicted ... and intended.
The wind whipped my hair into my face and mouth despite the anchoring effect of my trusty toque. I kept shoveling, adding to the continued ruination of my hairdoo...
Eventually, when I thought I had a chance of getting unstuck I climbed into the car and with some luck and perserverance--and a bit of flying gravel spun forward from the rear wheels providing a fraction of traction--I made my way back onto the ribbon of ice. How I missed the old standard vehicles from my past with their convenient transmission rock-ability compared to my new automatic in getting a car unstuck in such situations!
Never have I driven on such conditions in all my years of driving! The car seemed to float like a boat on the icy road, with absolutely no traction to help me along. The remaining curves and corners of the road each rendered a fresh taste of adrenaline in mouth and I was glad that the neighbour following me kept a respectfully safe distance behind me.
The final hurdle (or so I thought...) was a long straight hill requiring just enough speed to surmount the hill and not so much speed that the car would glide again into the ditch....I made it! and continued my trip into town.
Along the highway I noticed bits of snow flinging out from the wheel well that had been in intimate contact with the snow bank. In my rearview mirrow I even saw something skitter down the highway and I braked, but continued on, fearing that turning around on the icy shoulders might make me stuck again and unable to get back onto the highway. At work I check the right front wheel and noticed my wheel cap was missing!
As I had left so early, allowing time for all this drama, and with seven minutes before the start of work I calculated that I could double back to where I'd witnessed the part sliding down the highway and retrieve it and save myself the $20 replacement cost of the missing wheel cap, and still not be too late for work.
Traffic was very light and I drove slowly, peering along the side of the road until I saw my wheel cap lying on the centreline...yippee! I drove alongside it, flung the door open, bent down, scooped up the wheel cap, and flung it on the front seat beside me. I would like to say that I gained a minute or two by throwing the car into reverse, doing a J-turn and heading straight back to town, but I can't. That would have been a traffic violation...and I turned around safely instead.
Later I spoke with my spousal unit, Handy Hans, who informed me the missing clips on the wheel cap rendered my search and rescue mission useless; I would have to buy a new set of wheel caps to replace the broken one. Dang Nabbit!
Just another Mis-Adventure on the Wintry Bruce Peninsula! Hope your day is mishap free ... but just as safely exciting!
By the way, I shared this story with several friends and colleagues who all got a good laugh out of it. There is no moral to this story.
No comments:
Post a Comment