Willow, its great to read your recollections of travel in BC before the Rodgers
Pass was built.
I remember our family driving the Big Bend in our 1951 Chrysler Windsor 4-door
sedan, on our way to Shawinigan Lake, Vancouver Island. We drove the Big Bend,
crossed on a ferry & drove into Washington State to get to Vancouver. I was 6
years old. Only the east side of the Big Bend road survives today as a forestry
road. The Rodger’s Pass replaced the Big Bend route in 1962. The west side of
the Big Bend was by-passed by dam construction in the 1970s & 1980’s. Mom
related how she & Dad were travelling the Big Bend in 1936 in his 1935 Chrysler
roadster. As they approached a hairpin curve going up, a bus appeared coming
down the curve, sliding on the gravel, heading right at them. Dad steered as
far to the edge of the precipice on their right as he dared. The bus barely
missed them. Mom opened her door & could not even see the road surface, all she
could see was air! There were no barriers in those days.
Dennis
On Mar 29, 2021, at 6:12 PM, Willow Arune <walittleboots9@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The next segment of my journey to Red Deer will take me over BC’s border with
Alberta. My visa and passport are in order so there should be no problem at
the crossing. Having removed all lefty bumper stickers from the car, there
is really no sign of my political point of view.
Sort of like crossing at Checkpoint Charlie back in Cold War days...
The first day of travels started from the home of two of my choir mates in
Maple Ridge who gave me a wonderful farewell. BTW I sang alto and actually
hit and held high f during a concert at Christ Church Cathedral, one fabulous
moment. From there, the long trek to Revelstoke. Not much traffic at all.
The trip from Golden to Radium reminded me of how truly magnificent this part
of the world is as the valley broadened out. Back in the day, that trip was
over the Big Bend highway, all gravel and a short ferry trip. The cabins and
hotels that used to circle the hot springs are gone, replaced with forest. A
bit sad. I recall discovering Stanley Black’s Orchestra with Slaughter on
Tenth Avenue on the juke box In one of those hotels and playing it over and
over again.
Changing the itinerary, I shall only remain here for three days. Banff and
Calgary lie ahead. When I lived in Calgary, I biked to Banff on a Saturday,
camped overnight on Tunnel Mountain, and returned on Sunday. I used a
recumbent for the long distance trips.
Now, forgive me for these posts of my present travels. Being solo in motel
rooms gives me lots of times to remember the past. You are not obliged to
read them.
My very first girl friend, long married, awaits in Calgary. Over fifty years
ago we dated. She adopted my little Daisy Dog and I am looking forward to
seeing both of them again. Fifty years!?
Willow
