Plans Change

We put in some serious driving in the past two days. Getting in over 1000km each day. We stopped last night in Swift Current, SK. That put us within one days drive to Salmon Arm. We were hoping to get home on Wednesday evening, but that will not happen.

Our travel plans were dependant on good roads. Good road conditions are not to be taken for granted from November through June. Mountain country has different rules than that of the Flat-Lands. Snow melt in the mountains needs to be slow and regular. That allows the water to soak the thick dead plant matter that has fallen on the forest floor. This helps to retard forest fires later in July and August, when lightening will strike. The slow regular melt hasn't happened.

During the winter, we got a lot of snow. Last week, in British Columbia, the temperatures got hot during the day. The melt off of snow has been fast. Rivers are raging, overflowing their banks, and threatening some bridges. Yesterday, a mudslide closed our main route home, west of the city of Golden. It has opened up for limited travel, but the threat for another mud/rock slide is very possible. It is raining now. Conditions are likely for more trouble in that road section.

So, we have to take a detour going home. It will take us south, and add hours to the trip. Instead of making it home on Wednesday evening, we expect to get home on Thursday. So, that is the plan. Plans change.