Curses, foiled again!

 

By BEN OLSON/for The Herald  —  Curses, foiled again. If you’ve had numerous invitations to become a member of AARP, you are old enough to remember who said those words. Snidely Whiplash (were Mr. and Mrs. Whiplash just setting their son up for future failure by naming him Snidely?) was, once again, thwarted from carrying out his evil plans against Dudley Do-Right. My plans weren’t evil, of course, but they were foiled.

Every year, usually in May, but sometimes in June, I’ve attempted to spend  a beautiful spring afternoon driving up the Forest Service Road 21 and turning left onto the 23, only to be turned back by snow on the road just short of the pass. After 5 years of this, you’d think I’d know better. It’s always the same. No snow to be found anywhere until I come around the corner and there’s a mound of snow 3 feet deep across the road. Often, there is a set of substantial tire tracks that made it about 20 feet into the pile.

The dog appreciates the chance to chase and roll in the soft summer snow as I walk ahead to confirm what I already know. It’s time to turn around and backtrack the 8 or 9 miles to the 21 and return to Oakridge the way we came. I will volunteer that the 23 was in fine shape, with no washboard or potholes. From my recent forays up the 23 from the other direction, there are some sunken grades near Pool Creek Falls that will take your oil pan out, if you’re not paying attention.

I have taken a number of drives in the winter where I was fortunate to be able to get my truck turned around when I encountered the snowbank in the road. This time of year, the walk would be much more pleasant to get back to where my cell phone worked. Then I could call for the most expensive tow truck that I would ever have to pay for. It probably would be a good idea to keep some snacks, beverages and a good book in the vehicle. Under the best circumstances, it’ll be quite a wait until help shows up.