Highway to Hell

As I write this, I hear sirens and see traffic backed up far off into the distance. 

Although we did not get a “snow bomb” up here like Sarnia did, it’s been a hell of a winter storm. Yesterday was a snow day, thank God, because I couldn’t even see out my window it was so bad.  The highway was closed between North Bay and New Liskeard (Temagami is in between), it’s an extremely dangerous strip of road that I drive almost every day.  Let me describe it for you.

The desolate stretch of road twists and turns, violently at times.  The terrain is rugged, with rolling hills.  You drive through spectacular pine forests, the highway often hugging the shores of lakes, with only a guardrail or a a few trees between you and the water.  Moose ponds also dot the side of the road, bringing the risk of Moose on the highway.  This is Canadian Shield and the landscape has been blasted to make way for the road, creating man-made canyons for the highway to pass through. In places, rock cuts tower above you on both sides, with only the shoulder separating the cliff from your car.  This is part of the Trans Canada Highway and eighteen wheeler transport trucks take this route.  They pass you in all types of conditions, often spewing precipitation, blinding you for several seconds, right on a curve.  And, most dangerous of all, are the other drivers.  Drivers who don’t drive according to the conditions.  They speed when the road is wet, or worse, icy.  They pass when they shouldn’t.  Sometimes, they nod off and cross the centre line.  This is a truly, scary drive.

Today I did that two ways, one way in daylight, one way partially in the dark, which makes it much, much, worse.  I left in good time, but I was stopped halfway home for 45 minutes.  Why?  Because a transport that had ditched yesterday was being pulled out and they had to stop traffic both ways.  I had no idea why I was stopped.  Sometimes accidents close the highway for 12 hours or more, even in the summer.  I was tweeting away (I’m so thankful we finally got a 3G network up here) asking the twitterverse what was going on.  Finally, @JenGPhotog replied and retweeted me to traffic tweeters (hee hee).  Why don’t the OPP broadcast these things through CBC radio? 

Stressful times, I tell you.  Here are a few photos of the road.  I would have taken one of the rig being hauled out with the backhoe, cranes, etc., but I was afraid the cops would bust me (don’t worry, I was going about 5km per hour passing them).

Typical stretch of road

My actual drive tonight

Could have been worse, this is the highway 100 years ago

Did I mention my recurring Daymare?  I go off the highway into a lake, with the girls in the back and I have to get them out of their car seats and somehow get both of them out of the window and swim up to the surface.  SCARY!

Anyhoo, although my commute is “only” 45 minutes each way on a good day, it SUCKS!  Today it took me 3 hours both ways and my back muscles have twisted off of my spine.

Luckily, I made it home, safe and sound, to this super cuteness.