Winter in April at Buntzen
Permanent #53 Report
by Eric Fergusson

Message to permanents co-coordinator Bob Koen:

Hi Bob,

Eric Fergusson
Permanent #53, “Bridges to Buntzen” 201 km
April 12, 2018
11:06

There was a break in the weather (the rain) yesterday so I though I better seize it. It was sunny for most of the ride across Richmond and Surrey, but there were ominous clouds to the north. Coming north over the Golden Ears Bridge I was looking into a wall of black storm clouds with pockets of rain all alone the mountains. I was trying to see which mountain fold to my left was Buntzen, and if it was raining there. Hard to tell.

Somewhere on that north stretch of Shaughnessey Street before David Ave in PoCo the roads became wet. By the time I reached David it was clear that I had missed some heavy rain very recently - rivers of water washed down the road. Then the climb. As I approached the Buntzen park entrance in Anmore I was seeing snow at the sides of the road. Starting at that convenience store at the park entrance there was real snow on the road, and it became deeper as I moved on to the park road. It was looking really dangerous and I almost turned back before committing to the decent. But I had come this far… There were car tire paths that were mostly snow free, and the running water in the tracks suggested that there was melting rather than freezing so, maybe there wouldn’t be any ice. I tip toed my way down eventually making it down to the dip at the bottom without falling. That’s where the snow on the road suddenly ended. I controlled at the lake and then gingerly returned up that hill. I was ready to snap out, but was able to make it up without getting off mainly by riding on the clearer wrong side of the road. Fortunately only two cars.

Snow? In mid April? It probably wasn't snow. It must have been a very heavy, very localized hail storm. Once I was away from the mountains, I was back in the sunshine.

Control card attached.

Eric

April 22, 2018