Thank you, el Nino!

This winter's el Nino is forecasted by many agencies to become the strongest in 50 years.

That means extra heavy rain for the B.C. Coast, accustomed to heavy rain most winters anyway.

Hopefully the province's interior will benefit, although many reservoirs--including those on the Aberdeen Plateau where the North Okanagan's chief irrigation reservoirs are located--reportedly depend more on a gradual snowmelt through June commencing April each year.
Or so GVW officials regularly announce in documents they publish.

But Saturday started out with wanderlust.

It usually doesn't happen until late winter.
That urge to head south...not to Arizona or California like some folks, just a simple getaway.
A change of scenery. 
Three days...four days...as the urge demands.

Sometimes, though, it's only for 9 hours!
That's what happened early Saturday morning as I contemplated my day.

"Take the new Tacoma for a drive," the little voice said.
Turned out to be a long drive...nevertheless a freeing drive...about 500 km total.
Except for the last bit heading home after dark.

I love to drive.
It's as simple as that.
Last week it was through the Monashee Pass to Fauquier, a rare jaunt away from my preferred S direction.

So off I went yesterday, heading south on Hwy. 97 during the mild Saturday with an overcast sky.

Hitting virtually every red light from (aaaargh!) Winfield to Westbank, one could be forgiven for turning around and heading back home.
I didn't.

Once through Westbank, traffic thinned considerably.
The forecast of rain or showers didn't materialize, and streets remained dry.
The temperature was sweater-comfortable, and didn't resemble the temperatures we in the North Okanagan generally expect as we approach the second week of November.

The Toyota truck performed really well, and steep inclines which require "lead footing" the gas pedal in my everyday car--the 18-year old Oldsmobile with only 160K on the Odo--nearly launched the truck.  Oops!  Mental note: only a slight increase on the pedal gets the Tacoma tackling even the steepest grades. 
The joys of a new vehicle, not yet gummed up by city trips.  

Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos...it was still early in the day, so keep going.
Poof.
Before I knew it, there was the border.
Fortunately I always carry my passport...
"Keep going," the little voice said.
Okay, acceding willingly.
The freedom of being a certain age, an empty nester, a retiree.


A bit of a lineup (six cars ahead) at the border crossing (it was a Saturday, after all).
After 20 very long minutes to get to the front of the line at the border, that sensation of going somewhere--anywhere--was still there.
No need to turn around, despite the "increased scrutiny" under which U.S. border agents were obviously operating under.

The digital compass ordered S, so I obeyed.
Oroville?
Nope, keep going S.
Okay.

Remnants of Washington State's horrendous summer wildfires were evident through the passenger window from the big sign "Hubbard's Drilling" for about 8 or so miles as I approached Omak.

Omak.
Breezy winds, but it was still sweater weather.
Poked around a couple of stores, had lunch, fuelled up and finally turned the truck N again mid-afternoon.

Fuelling up...I recall H telling me in June when the truck first arrived home "it took $80 to fill the tank."
Eighty bucks?  Wow.
In Vernon this morning the regular gas price was $1.129 a litre, as it had been for about a week or so.

Gas prices in Washington?
Oroville prices were about $2.65.
A gallon.
I'm staring at the Omak receipt now...from Tribal Trails, where I pulled in with the tank showing about one-fifth fuel remaining.
While filling the tank, I glanced at the price on the sign:  $2.609/gallon, cash or credit. 

Okay...okay...there are those who would say "But you're paying over 25 per cent on the currency exchange, in addition to the US gallon being smaller..."

Oh for heaven's sake!
What of the value of going somewhere...anywhere...as the mood strikes!?!
Priceless as a television advertisement asserts.


Back to the Tacoma fill-up price in Omak.
$43.01 for 16.485 gallons at $2.609 a gallon. 

Holy smackers!
Eighty bucks in Canada!
Half that in the good ole US of A.

No wonder I willingly accede to wanderlust and always head S.
Whenever the mood strikes (outside of the Okanagan golf season).
Better selection of goods in the United States...ten times the population of Canada creates that demand.
Better prices on everything, with the exception of restaurant meals which approach the price of meals in B.C.
To hell with the exchange rate.
Exxchange rate will never trump wanderlust, in my view.

Having dallied stateside too long before heading north again, it was dusk as I approached what would quickly become the dreaded bumper-to-bumper traffic from West Kelowna (Westbank) virtually all the way through to Lake Country.
But that wasn't all.

The light drizzle which began around Peachland was increasing in strength.
By the time the Tacoma snaked down the billboard-polluted (one of which is now lit/animated--thanks for that visual distraction, Mr. Pattison!) approach to the Bennett Bridge, it was raining hard. 
But the worst was yet to come. 

Crossing the bridge, I wondered "what's with that ripply, bumpy pavement on the Bennett Bridge's northbound lanes?"  The entire bridge, from beginning to end.
I don't recall the trip south over that bridge during the morning bothering me...it may have been bumpy too and I just chalked it up to new snow tires on the truck.
But the ride north over the Bennett Bridge was without a doubt a ride over the worst pavement job in the last 450+ kilometres that I had driven. 
So it wasn't the snow tires that produced an uncomfortable ride...as the truck rode smoothly before--and afterwards too.
It must've been the pavement.
The truck rode beautifully again as soon as the bridge deck was behind me.

The rain increased in intensity.
Despite streetlights and commercial advertising, it was now very dark, with large puddles on glistening pavement reflecting head- and tail lights.
Only slightly less traffic than bumper-to-bumper at the Kelowna airport on 97N, rain wasn't the right term anymore.

It was a deluge.
I wondered if this rain could be called torrential.

The last 35km N equated to a white-knuckle trip with full-speed wipers barely able to remove what landed between swipes.  By now cursing blacktop and wishing for non-reflective concrete to drive on, the rain seemed to be coming down harder yet.  Reducing speed was sensible, yet helped only slightly as glare--and splashing--from oncoming and passing vehicles continued unabated, the wipers still on high speed. 

Now away from streetlights and neon signs, the highway was very very dark.
No place to pull over on that very very dark highway.
Couldn't look for a place to exit.
At least not safely.
Wow...incredibly heavy rain!

Didn't dare take my eyes off my lane by looking for any pullout.

Then after what seemed like a longer stretch of 35 km than I had driven that entire day, I chose not to turn into the Kal Lookout.
Not when I was that close to home.
My relief was likely audible as the Tacoma swung onto the highway exit into Coldstream at OUC.

With many many years of driving behind me--with zilch accidents--I realized that the last hour of my drive N through the torrential rain in the dark was a really stooooooopid thing to do. 
I really don't recall driving in a rain that heavy at night even when I lived on the Coast.
Ever.

A nine-hour getaway.
Food for the soul.
Wonderful wanderlust.
With only the last 35 kilometres equating to...well...terror.

"The Aberdeen Plateau's reservoirs must be overflowing," offers Kia, "after Saturday night's rain."

 

Note:  The Highlands Golf rain gauge has been removed for safe winter storage, unfortunately, so total rainfall amounts from Saturday's deluge will remain unknown.

...GVW customers are all anticipating seeing an updated GVW reservoir level graph.


So...thank you el Nino...my next Wanderlust excursion will require a closer look at weather forecasts!