Sunday November 14, 2010

We continued to see lots of beauty as we drove through the valley.

As we headed into the mountain, Cerwin told me that we were nearing the spot where his truck slid down the icy, snowy hill on a cold, wintry day.

He slowed down a bit as we neared the area – and then he said, “There it is.”

 This was a logging road on December 10, 1992, and the only place where he could possibly pull the rig off the road as it continued to gain speed – going down hill on ice and snow. Just beyond the curve (on the right) is a sharp switchback, and he knew he could not negotiate that. This road was his only chance of not rolling his propane truck down the mountainside.

This is what happened! For a few seconds he thought he made it safely, then he felt a “bump” and looked back to see the pup on it’s side. Then he saw fire – not good on a propane truck! Since there wasn’t a loud “roar” which would have meant the tank split (and he better run!), he knew it was a valve and quickly ran to shut it.

My heart beats faster as I retell this story. It was a traumatic day for him – and for me – even though I didn’t know about it until it was over. He did not get sited for this accident, because it was a general consensus – from the police and company for whom he worked – that he prevented a serious accident.

Today the spot has been closed to any kind of traffic, but we are grateful to the Lord that loggers were using it that day. The logging road had been built just a few weeks earlier.

This is looking up the hill. 

As we neared the top, I took this picture out the back window – just to remember where he was when he slid down this mountain road.

I took this picture just after we crossed the top. On the day of accident – as Cerwin worked his way to the top of the south side – it was just beginning to flurry, so he was not prepared for the north side to be icy and snowy.

With that memory behind us we came upon the prettiest, and most colorful trees on this afternoon trip.

The beauty reminded us of the gratefulness we felt to God for sparing Cerwin’s life eighteen years ago.

At this point we were high enough to be looking down on the trees. It was almost more beauty than my eyes could take in.

After coming off the country road onto the interstate, the sun was beginning to set.

I have one more set of pictures to post as we spent another hour on the road before reaching home.