On the Road Again (finally) part 7

I slept well that night in Golden and I was up and ready to roll by just before 7:00. As there was no one around I left, without goodbys or any fuss. It was quite frankly, as if I had never been there.

It is about a 20-25 minute walk to the west end of town. There were not a lot of cars on the road but I was, as always hoping to be the early bird getting that lonely worm. It was cold and very foggy. I don't think I have ever seen so much fog in this area before. I stopped at the Subway just before the lights and had a breakfast sub. Not the worse meal I have ever had, but close. However it was cheap, and it meant that I could eat it on the side of the road. Just in case someone wanted to stop. It was a long 45-50 minutes (which shows how spoiled I was becoming). Occasionally  the strong wind would blow the fog away and I could see some blue sky and once for about 10 minutes I could see the majesty of the Rockies. How could one not be excited about being there?

A truck stopped. It was my first ride with a trucker in 2 years and I was pleased. It had felt as if I would never get another ride with one. I didn't get his name, or if I did - I don't remember it, but he was an oldtimer. He had been driving trucks all of his life, it was all that he knew and all that he thought he could do. I love truckers and their trucks and I am always grateful when they pick me up. However of all of the places to pick me up, the Rockies are my least favourite. Trucks are slow going through the hills. On the Prairies they are great, there are no hills to slow them down, but in mountains not only are there lots of up and down sections but there are also all of the tourist who, according to my various truck drivers, including this one, do not know how to drive.

The conversation for much of the trip to Kelona initially covered the usually topics- which trucks are best (according to my driver Volvo trucks are the worst and their drivers only brag about them because they are so embarrassed about being seen in one) the cost of fuel or rather how little they get for the taxes they pay, how vital the trucking industry is for Canada's economy, how unfair it is that the railroads are subsidized and truckers aren't and fairly continually - how bad the drivers are in front of them. While I am never sure is all of their facts are right - there is no doubt that many of the drivers on the road do not have a clue how to behave around trucks.

But my this driver also had some other stories that were well worth listening to. He had been married more than once, but for the last 10-15 years he had been living with a woman from and living in a First Nations community.She  had two sons from another relationship and he had accepted responsibility for raising them as his sons. His wife was an alcoholic and both sons had alcohol and drug addictions. It was hard to sit there and listen to his tales without feeling a sense of rage and frustration that this man who had tried so hard to be honourable, seemed to have been given such a heavy load to bear. On the other hand it was somewhat comforting to know that there were honourable men out there who do not run away from their assumed responsibilities.

He gave me a number of choices as to where to be let off. I chose just south of Kelona on the Coquihalla highway. He gave me two bottles of water for which I was grateful as it had gotten hot in the Okanagan Valley.